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 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Chill Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 2 hourshours20 minutesminutes
Servings 17
Calories 543kcal
Ingredients
For the Carne Asada Marinade:
2poundsskirt steakor other thin steak
½cupextra virgin olive oil
1onionthinly sliced
4cloves fresh garlicpeeled and coarsely chopped
2tablespoonslime juice
3tablespoonsfresh orange juice
1teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonfresh cracked black pepper
Smoky Queso Sauce:
2tablespoonsbutter
2tablespoonsflour
¼teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonpepper
1cupmilk(I used whole, but I'm sure a low-fat would be just fine)
1cupshredded cheddar cheese
2teaspoonsadobo saucefrom can of chipotle peppers
½cupmild salsa
For the Pizza:
1batch pizza dough(I LOVE the whole wheat pizza dough from Fresh and Easy or Trader Joes. It’s cheap too!)
2cupsshredded mozzarella cheese
¼cupfresh chopped cilantro leaves
For the Brownies:
1stick unsalted buttermelted and cooled
¾cupunsweetened cocoa powder(I used Hersheys)
2cupsgranulated sugar
1cupflour
3eggs
¼cupcanola oil
1teaspoonvanilla
1cupAndes 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.