NACHO BREAD PIZZA

Nacho Bread Pizza image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 baguette or semolina bread (day-old is fine)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (once around the pan)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped, or 1 pickled hot pepper of any kind, chopped
1 15-ounce can refried beans, black beans, or red beans
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder or ground cumin (1/3 palmful)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup prepared salsa, any variety
2 cups shredded Cheddar, smoked Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese
1 romaine lettuce heart or 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup green olives with or without pimiento, chopped
1/4 red onion or 2 to 3 scallions, chopped
2 plum or vine-ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 200°F.
Crisp the bread in the low oven and split lengthwise. Hollow the bread out and cut each half in half across, making 4 boats. Switch the broiler on.
Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, and jalapeños. Add the refried beans or, if you are using whole beans, drain, add half of the beans, then mash the remainder of the beans in the can using a fork. Add the mashed beans to the pan and combine with the whole beans. Season the beans with hot sauce, chili powder or cumin, salt, and pepper. When the spicy beans are hot through, spread them evenly across all of the bread. Top the beans liberally with the salsa, then the cheese, covering the bread to all edges. The boats will only be half full. Melt the cheese under the broiler until it bubbles and begins to brown.
Fill the nacho bread pizzas with the lettuce, olives, onions, and tomatoes and serve. You can pick them up with your hands, but eat over the plate-or over the kitchen sink, like me.