Southwest Beef & Chile Pizza

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (16 ounces) thick pre-baked pizza crust (12 inch diameter)
1 cup prepared thick and chunky salsa
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack cheese
1 can (4 ounces) diced green chilies, drained well
2 small plum tomatoes, seeded, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup thinly slivered red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Cooking Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450°F.
2. Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is not pink, breaking up into 3/4-inch crumbles. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon; season with salt.
3. Place pizza crust on un-greased pizza pan or large baking sheet. Spread salsa evenly on crust; sprinkle with 1/2 of cheese. Top evenly with beef, chilies, tomatoes and onion. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
4. Bake in 450°F oven 11 to 13 minutes or until topping is hot and cheese is bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro; cut into 8 wedges. Serve immediately.

Chef's Tip: To save time, one package (12 ounces) refrigerated or frozen fully-cooked original flavor ground beef crumbles may be substituted for ground beef. Omit Step 2 and increase baking time 1 to 2 minutes. Proceed as directed.