TastyTalkWithAmy: Mexican Meat-zza: Mexican Deep-Dish Pizza (Easy)

Such an easy pizza to make! Very yummy too! Who knew using cornbread as your crust would be so yummy and so simple to bake in the oven in a frying pan! The first time I made it, loved it, was a hit! It has been made many times more since as well. I use all fresh ingredients for the toppings, even jalapenos, if you can't handle them, leave them out or use canned green mild chilies. I love cilantro and I like to use the entire bunch of it, not the 2 tablespoons the recipe suggests. Grab a fork because you will need one!

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=1922

Ingredients:

2 boxes corn muffin mix, 8 1/2 ounces each (such as Jiffy brand)
2 eggs
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or, vegetable oil, for drizzling

Topping:

2 tablespoons extra virgin (EVOO) or vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne sauce
Salt
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or jack cheese (10-ounce sack from dairy aisle)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small can, 2 1/4 ounces sliced chilies, drained or 1-2 jalapenos diced fresh
2 scallions, chopped
2 small vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons drained sliced green olives (salad olives)
1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, (optional garnish)
Mild to medium taco sauce to pass at table, 1 cup

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 °F.

Mix together 2 packages muffin mix with 2 eggs, 4 tablespoons melted butter (melt in microwave 30 seconds), 1 1/2 cups milk and frozen corn kernels. Wipe a nonstick skillet with a little EVOO or vegetable oil and pour in the muffin mix. Use a large skillet, 10-12 inch. Choose a pan with oven safe handle or, double-wrap handle with foil to protect it in the oven. Place pan in oven and bake 12-15 minutes in center of the oven until light golden in color.

Brown the meat over medium high heat in a second skillet in EVOO or vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add onions and spices and cook meat 5 minutes more.

Remove cornbread from oven and top with meat, cheese, and veggies. Add pan back to oven and cook 5 minutes more to melt cheese. Garnish with cilantro, optional (I add the cilantro with all the other toppings and cover the entire pizza with cheese, then bake). Cut into 8 wedges and serve the deep dish pan pizza from the skillet. Pass taco sauce at the table to sprinkle on top.