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Smoky Queso Carne Asada Pizza and Ultimate Chewy Creme de Mint Brownies

If you're wondering what to put on the menu for your Valentine's Day dinner, try this Smoky Queso Carne Asada Pizza and these Chewy Creme de Mint Brownies! You won't regret trying this awesome combo!
Course Dessert, Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword carne asada pizza, mint brownies, mint chocolate brownies, steak pizza
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 17
Calories 543kcal

Ingredients

For the Carne Asada Marinade:

  • 2 pounds skirt steak or other thin steak
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Smoky Queso Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup milk (I used whole, but I'm sure a low-fat would be just fine)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can of chipotle peppers
  • ½ cup mild salsa

For the Pizza:

  • 1 batch pizza dough (I LOVE the whole wheat pizza dough from Fresh and Easy or Trader Joes. It’s cheap too!)
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves

For the Brownies:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hersheys)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 eggs
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup Andes Thin Mint baking chips

Instructions

For the Pizza:

  • Place all carne asada ingredients into a large ziplock bag. Seal and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
  • Preheat indoor or outdoor grill. Remove steak from marinade and grill for about 2 minutes per side. It’s quick since the beef is so thin. Transfer to a plate to cool for a couple minutes. Once all beef has been grilled, slice steak into thin strips and set aside.
  • To prepare the smoky queso sauce, melt the butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk whisking constantly until smooth. Increase heat while whisking until mixture comes to a low boil. Once starts to boil, reduce heat to low and stir in cheddar cheese until smooth. Stir in adobo sauce and salsa.
  • Preheat oven to 410 degrees F. Spread out pizza dough onto pizza pan of choice. I’ve also used a square baking sheet for a square pizza that works great too. Pre-bake for 8 minutes and remove. Spread queso sauce over dough, then layer beef over cheese. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove and let cool for 3-5 minutes before cutting into wedges. Right before serving top with fresh chopped cilantro leaves.

For the Brownies:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray. (I Love my calphalon 8x8 inch square cake pan for these.)
  • Place butter, cocoa powder, sugar, flour, eggs, oil, vanilla and ½ Cup baking chips into a large mixing bowl; stir to combine. Pour into prepared pan then sprinkle remaining ½ Cup mint chips and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Let cool for 3-4 hours or overnight before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Brownies adapted from King Arthur Flour recipe.
Pizza yields 8 slices, brownies yield 9 bars.

Nutrition

Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 687mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 304IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 3mg