Friday Night Cheeseburger Pizza Pie

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
2.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and brown, breaking up with a spoon, for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink.  Remove from heat, stir in pizza and barbecue sauces. Spread meat mixture on pizza crust. Sprinkle with Canadian Cheddar and Mozzarella cheeses.
3.  Place pizza directly on the middle rack of the oven.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is lightly golden. Remove pizza from oven, top with lettuce and peppers or tomatoes.   

Preparation time: 8 minutes
Cooking time: 13 to 15 minutes
Yield: 8 slices

Value Added:
An economical way to have shredded Canadian cheese on hand is to buy in bulk and shred in a food processor or on a box grater.  Freeze to use later in casseroles, pizzas, soups, sauces or grilled sandwiches.

If you don’t have pizza sauce on hand, use tomato sauce.

By preheating the pan, no extra fat is needed to brown the ground meat.

Purchase ground beef in bulk and freeze in family size portions, for up to 3 months.  Don’t forget to label with name, date and quantity.  Place in a bowl and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Switch It Up:
Kick up the heat and use chipotle barbecue sauce.  Use lean ground turkey or chicken in place of beef.

For extra nutrients, go for dark green lettuce such as Romaine.  Also, look for whole grain products such as pizza crusts, rolls and rice.  They contain more fiber than their white counterparts.  Check Nutrient Facts labels and compare.
 
Source:  Dairy Farmers of Canada, www.dairygoodness.ca