I was quite proud of myself tonight. I have been trying very hard to focus on using my items in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry, determined to whittle down stock a bit (all the less to pack and move). I was catching up on Tivo’d episodes of Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals this weekend, and happened upon an episode where she made Nacho Bread Pizza. Knowing Rachael consistently does pizza and burgers really well (among a myriad of other things), I printed it out. A quick scan of the kitchen, and I had all the ingredients on hand, even the baguette – bonus.
As I was making it, I was sure that Nicholas would like this one … he loves so many of the components of it: black beans, green olives, cheese and salad. What’s not to love? Well, apparently a lot, because he wouldn’t go near it, not one stinkin’ bite. No matter, The Husband and I enjoyed it. Super easy to make, and quite healthy to boot. The baguette I had on hand happened to be whole wheat (shhh, don’t tell The Husband), so that upped the health factor even more.
Pizza always tastes so much better when you make it at home, and when it’s packed with vegetables and antioxidant-rich things like beans, you can’t go wrong. And speaking of antioxidants, don’t forget tomorrow is ARF/5-A-Day. Until then…
A year ago today… dogs, lots and lots of dogs.
Nacho Bread Pizzas
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
1 loaf baguette or semolina bread, day old is fine
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped or 1 pickled hot pepper of any kind, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 cup prepared salsa, any variety
2 cups shredded Cheddar, smoked Cheddar, Monterey Jack or pepper Jack
1 heart romaine or 1/2 iceberg head, shredded
1/2 cup green olives with or without pimiento, chopped
1/4 red onion or 2 to 3 scallions, chopped
2 plum or vine tomatoes, seeded and diced
Split bread lengthwise. Hollow the bread out and cut each half in half across, making 4 boats. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil, 1 turn of the pan, garlic and hot peppers. Drain beans. Add half of the beans then mash the remainder of the beans in the can using a fork. Add mashed beans to the pan and combine with whole beans. Season beans with hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. When the spicy beans are hot through, spread them evenly across all of the bread. Top with salsa and liberally sprinkle with cheese, covering bread to all edges. The boats will only be half-full. Melt cheese in the oven until it bubbles and begins to brown.
Top Nacho Bread Pizzas with lettuce, olives, onions and tomatoes and serve.
Cate’s Notes: Put the hollowed out bread in the oven for a few minutes before filling it up. This allows the bread to get a little crispy.
I doing a Rachel Ray recipe tomorrow night…it’s supposed to be cold here, so I’m trying one of her soups! Haven’t had pizza in ages and might try something like this soon.
I saw this episode the other night and wondered if my kids would eat it…picky little buggers. Sometimes her recipes are spot-on, other times, not so much. Thanks for test-driving it for us!
Looks very good. I need to try it.
The husband (neighbor)
I just printed out the recipe. Sounds very tasty!
Claire – I’m with you; soup sounds perfect with this weather.
Miasys – No promise on the kid-factor, our 4-year-old wanted no part of it. Surprised since he loves the components of it. He’s flaky that way sometimes though.
The Neighbor Husband – And you could have; I did try and coax you guys down with half of it! ;)
The Home Cook – had some for lunch today, and it reheated nicely, which I was surprised about. Thought the beans would make it a little mushy, but it held up well.