NACHO PIZZA

1 ball of pizza dough (I always buy mine), stretched and trimmed to fit your lightly oiled pizza pan
3/4 of a 16 oz. can of refried beans (I swear by Goya’s rancheros beans, which are perfectly spiced, just be sure you don’t accidentally grab the can with chorizo!)
1 – 1 1/2 cups of vegan ground “beef” (I used 1 package of Yves brand, but you can also use rehydrated TVP flakes)
2 tsp taco seasoning
3/4 cup of crushed tortilla chips (or hard taco shells)
1 ripe haas avocado, diced
2 limes
1/2 of a red onion, diced
8 cherry tomatoes, diced (or 1/2 cup of any diced tomatoes)
1 jalapeño or serrano chile, sliced
2 tbsp of chopped cilantro
1/3 cup of vegan sour cream
As much queso dip as you want! Recipe follows.

Vegan Queso Dip

1/3 cup of flour (I’ve made this with garbanzo flour before, if you want a gluten-free option. It’s a little heavy, but still tasty)
1/3 cup of nutritional yeast
1 tsp of taco seasoning
1/2 tsp adobo seasoning (or 1/4 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp galrlic powder)
1 1/2 cup of veggie broth
1/3 of a block of Daiya’s cheddar wedge, or 1/2 cup of vegan cheese shreds of your choice

Combine all dry ingredients for the queso dip in a pot and heat over medium-low heat, slowly whisking in the stock. Once the liquid is incorporated, add the cheese (I diced the wedge) and increase heat to medium, constantly stirring until the cheese is melted. Once the cheese is melted, take the cheese sauce off the heat.

For the ground “beef,” saute crumbles in a pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Stir in 2 tsp of taco seasoning and combine, cooking until the crumbles are browned.

Toss avocado with the juice of 1 lime. Combine sour cream with the juice of 1 lime.

Stretch and trim your pizza to fit your oiled pizza pan or pizza stone. To assemble the pizza, thin the refried beans with a few tablespoons of water (or lime juice) and spread evenly over the dough. Sprinkle “beef” crumbles over the beans. At this point, you’ll want to bake the pizza at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before adding the remaining toppings. Add the cheese, tortilla chips, veggies and top with a drizzle of sour cream. Serve immediately.