pizza...for breakfast...for dinner

As I've gotten older and the number of my responsibilities has exploded grown, I've come to appreciate some things at which I used to turn up my nose. High on that list is takeout (or, even better, delivery) pizza.

What kind of person doesn't have time to throw together a meal for her loved ones? Well, as it turns out, every kind of person, myself most definitely included. Sometimes I just don't feel like cooking dinner after a day of work or I haven't been to the grocery store yet that week. Obstacles often abound, and on those occasions, I have a new appreciation for good ol' Papa John.

That's not to say that I don't crave pizza even when I do have the time and energy to make supper. My boyfriend and I are both big fans of any and all breakfast items, so one of our new favorites is breakfast pizza...for dinner. Breakfast for dinner is certainly nothing new, but it's definitely something awesome. I'll never get tired of it, and I'll never get tired of the idea of a breakfast pizza, as the possibilities for toppings are positively endless. Plain ol' bacon, eggs, and cheese would be fine, or you can get fancy with kale or ricotta or smoked salmon or asparagus. You can vary your crust (I highly recommend the Krusteaz Garlic and Onion Flatbread Mix, though any of their mixes would be more than sufficient), too.

For this pizza, I took a Mexican ruta (that means route). Refried beans mixed with salsa composes the base layer, while my selection of toppings included cilantro, pepper jack cheese, bacon, and avocado. Hot sauce is pretty much an essential accompaniment, and sour cream wouldn't hurt either.

As pizzas go, this one is probably best served as breakfast for dinner.

Spicy Breakfast Pizza (for Dinner)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Effort: Easy
Number of servings: 6-8
Ingredients:

• 1 package Krusteaz Garlic and Onion Flatbread Mix (or Krusteaz Italian Herb Flatbread Mix)(Krusteaz Whole Wheat Flatbread Mix would be fine too!)

• 1 cup very warm water (115-125 degrees F)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 can refried beans
• 2-3 tablespoons salsa
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• Salt and pepper
• 4-6 eggs
• 1 avocado, diced
• 6 pieces of bacon, cooked crispy and chopped
• 2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Heat oven to 475 degrees F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.
Stir together flatbread mix and enclosed yeast packet. Add warm water and oil, stirring until dough forms a ball. To activate yeast, cover dough and let rest 10 minutes, or until oven is hot.
Shape dough by dividing into two equal portions. With floured hands, pat out dough 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick, forming nice ovals on prepared pans.
Bake for 5-7 minutes or until edges begin to harden a little. Remove from the oven and begin adding toppings.
In a small bowl, mix the refried beans and salsa.
Spread a thin layer of refried beans onto each partially baked crust.
Make two or three small indents in the beans of both pizzas with the back of a spoon and crack an egg into each indent.
Season the eggs with salt and pepper and sprinkle the pepper jack cheese over the top of the pizza.
Cook the pizzas for 5-10 minutes more, keeping a close eye on them. Once the crust is slightly browned at the edges and your eggs are jiggly when you gently move the tray but the whites have become opaque, remove the pizzas from the oven. The eggs will continue to cook slightly after the pizzas are removed.
Top with avocado, chopped bacon, and cilantro and serve immediately.