For the Love of (Stuffed Crust) Pizza

 Who doesn't love Pizza?

That greasy mess is as American as credit card debt and shopping at Wal-Mart. But, alas, I am a pizza fan. Ever since discovering that Papa John’s original crust pizza (sans cheese) is vegan I have been spending a bit too much time on the pizza train.

Then I saw this lovely from one of my all time favorite food bloggers, Meet the Shannons.

Mexican + Pizza = quite possibly the best food combo since Peanut Butter and Jelly.

I made a few minor adjustments from the original recipe, but nothing major. The result is nothing short of a pizza miracle. I officially bow down to this Shannon family masterpiece.

¡Ole!

Recipe after the jump…

Mexican Stuffed Crust Pizza

Source: Meet the Shannons

3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (you'll need some extra to flour surfaces)

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Package Regular Yeast

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Cup Warm Water

Cornmeal (to dust your pizza stone if you're using one)

Pizza Toppings

1 Package Vegan Soyrizo (I used Seitan w/ taco seasoning and it worked really well- you can use any meat substitute)

1 Bag of Daiya Vegan Cheddar Cheese

1 Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

1/2 Red Onion (diced)

2 teaspoon Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 Can Black Olives (sliced - we accidentally bought diced instead - this is a topping so you'll have some leftover)

1 Can Jalapenos (sliced - this is a topping so you'll have some leftover)

1 Tomato (sliced up to put on top)

1 Avocado (sliced up to put on top)

1 Jar of Your Favorite Salsa (this is a topping so you'll have some leftover) 

In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of Whole Wheat Flour, Sugar, Salt and Yeast. Add Olive Oil and Warm Water.

Mix with a hand mixer at a medium speed for around 3 minutes. Stir in the rest of the Flour, and mix in any extra that's on the side of the bowl. Mix until the dough is soft and doesn't stick to the side. Place dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 5-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springy. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest for around 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425.

In your favorite cast iron skillet, heat Olive Oil, Soyrizo, Red Onion, Cumin and Black Beans on a medium heat. Mix them gently with a spatula while you cook and remove from heat once the mix is brown and the Soyrizo has slightly crispy edges.

Dust the pizza stone with cornmeal and where you are going to roll out the dough.

Roll dough into a circle (around 13 inches in diameter) and then move very carefully to the pizza stone. Create a little pocket/canal  along the edge of the pizza. Fill the canal with Daiya Cheddar Cheese. Be careful to not use more than a 1/3 of the bag and to stay inside the pocket. Seal the Daiya Cheese in by folding over the outer edge and pressing lightly.

Fill the center of the Pizza with the cooked Soyrizo. Make an even layer of the Soyrizo and then cover with a light even layer of Daiya Cheddar. Then place the Tomato slices on the pizza and then cover them with another layer of Daiya. Then sprinkle the Black Olives and Jalapenos over the top and then cover with another layer of Daiya.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Just wait till the crust is golden and Daiya is melted. Serve with slices of Avocado and some Salsa.

Chubby Vegan Notes

• First off, I used seitan with Trader Joe’s taco seasoning mix. This pizza was S-P-I-C-Y, so I think I went a little heavy handed with the seasoning mix. If you use the soyrizo or go light on the taco seasoning I don’t think you will have any “spicy issues.” Husband needed a sweat rag.
• I bought an avocado and it wasn't ripe so I didn’t use any, although I think it would be awesome.
• Feel free to adjust the toppings at will; it is your pizza after all.
• This pizza is really amazing. The crust is PERFECT. The toppings are EXCELLENT. All around it is just an excellent take on a Mexican pizza. 

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