School Fiestada Pizza (Mexican Pizza)
Bring back memories of school lunch lines with this iconic Fiestada Pizza! This Mexican-inspired pizza is quick, tasty, and full of flavor, perfect for both busy weeknights and get-togethers.
One bite of this pie and it’ll take you straight back to the good old days of school. Fiestada Pizza, also known as Mexican Pizza, showed up on the school menu rotation in the late 80s and 90s and served about every other week! It was and still is a favorite for many of us!
Save The Recipe!
Add your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox+ you’ll receive all our newest recipes!
Fiestada pizza is a fantastic quick weeknight dinner. Topped with savory seasoned beef, a zesty sauce and a gooey cheese mixture, this Mexican-inspired pizza is delicious on its own or can be personalized with taco-style toppings for an added punch. Simple to make, incredibly tasty, and sure to satisfy everyone!
Be sure to check out some of our other school favorites like Cafeteria Chili and Cafeteria Noodles!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
- A Classic Family Favorite Recipe: Many of have fond memories of our sweet lunch staff serving this during our school days.
- Quick to Prepare: Uses simple ingredients and can be assembled quickly for a weeknight dinner.
- Easy to Feed a Crowd: Perfect for feeding a family or a group of friends with its fun. It’s also easy to modify with your favorite pizza toppings.
Ingredients
Scroll Down to the Bottom of this Post for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Printable Recipe Card
- Prepared or Homemade Pizza Dough: Acts as the base of the pizza, holding all the toppings.
- Ground Beef: Adds hearty, savory flavor and protein to the pizza.
- Taco Seasoning: Infuses the ground beef with classic Mexican spices, giving the pizza its signature flavor profile.
- Pizza Sauce: Acts as the flavorful layer on the dough, providing moisture and a hint of tanginess.
- Ground Cumin and Salt: Enhances the dish’s depth of flavor with cumin giving it a a warm, earthy note.
- Mexican Cheese Blend: A blend of cheeses that melt beautifully over the toppings tying everything together.
- Topping options: Add pizzazz to your pizza with salsa, olives, lettuce, sour cream, jalapenos, guacamole, and cilantro.
Tools You’ll Need
How to Make Fiestada Pizza
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a 10×15 1/2-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Press the pizza dough in an even layer in the prepared pan. Pierce with a fork all over. Bake 3 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- To a skillet on medium-high heat, crumble and cook ground beef until no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
- To the beef in the skillet, stir in taco seasoning.
- In a small bowl, mix together pizza sauce, cumin, and salt. Spread the sauce over the par-baked crust.
- Sprinkle evenly on top half of the cheese, followed by the beef, then the remaining cheese.
- Bake 11-13 minutes or until the cheese is starting to brown and dough cooked through. Cut the pizza into 6 hexagons as they were served in school, or your desired shape. The unused portion cut away can be consumed separately.
Pro Tips and Substitutions
- Make homemade taco seasoning. Measuring from a packet of taco seasoning works great, but if you prefer a homemade version, simply mix together these ingredients and adjust to your preference: 1 tbsp chili powder, ½ tbsp ground cumin, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper. You’ll only use 2 1/2 teaspoons of this blend.
- Crust Alternatives. Use store-bought pizza dough or homemade.
- Protein Variations. Swap ground beef for sausage, Italian sausage, ground turkey, chicken, or even beans for a vegetarian option.
- Make it more spicy or more mild in heat. Add chopped jalapeños or hot sauce for extra heat, or reduce spices for milder flavor.
- Cheese Options. You can swap the Mexican cheese blend with shredded Monterey Jack, cheddar cheese, or a spicy pepper jack.
- Additional Toppings. Consider adding taco-style fixings like chopped lettuce, sliced olives, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, or chopped cilantro for extra freshness.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
The BEST way to reheat this pizza or any pizza is in a skillet. If you haven’t tried this method, you are in for a treat. Simply place your leftover pizza slices in a skillet on medium-high heat, cover with a lid, and allow the pizza to warm through for 5-8 minutes. The crust will become crisp again, toppings will heat through, and cheese will become ooey gooey melted again.
You can also reheat in the microwave, oven, air fryer or toaster oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make taco seasoning, simply mix together 1 tbsp chili powder, ½ tbsp ground cumin, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper. This makes the volume of 1 packet. Use however much you want in a recipe.
Fiestada pizza, also known as Mexican pizza, is a line of pizza that is most notably served in school lunchrooms. It became a popular dish in the 80s and 90s. It’s made with a whole grain pizza crust and topped with a zesty tomato sauce, cheese blend, and ground beef. They were frozen pizzas that were baked when served in school.
More Pizza Inspired Recipes
School Fiestada Pizza
Ingredients
- 13.8 ounces prepared or homemade pizza dough
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 1/2 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 3/4 cup pizza sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a 10×15 1/2-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Press the pizza dough in an even layer in the prepared pan. Pierce with a fork all over. Bake 3 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- To a skillet on medium-high heat, crumble and cook ground beef until no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
- To the beef in the skillet, stir in taco seasoning.
- In a small bowl, mix together pizza sauce, cumin, and salt. Spread the sauce over the par-baked crust.
- Sprinkle evenly on top half of the cheese, followed by the beef, then the remaining cheese.
- Bake 11-13 minutes or until the cheese is starting to brown and dough cooked through. Cut the pizza into 6 hexagons as they were served in school, or your desired shape. The unused portion cut away can be consumed separately.
Video
Notes
Pro Tips and Substitutions
- Homemade taco seasoning. Measuring from a packet of taco seasoning works great, but if you prefer a homemade version, simply mix together these ingredients and adjust to your preference: 1 tbsp chili powder, ½ tbsp ground cumin, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper. You’ll only use 2 1/2 teaspoons of this blend.
- Crust Alternatives. Use store-bought pizza dough or homemade.
- Protein Variations. Swap ground beef for sausage, Italian sausage, ground turkey, chicken, or even beans for a vegetarian option.
- Spice Adjustments. Add chopped jalapeños or hot sauce for extra heat, or reduce spices for milder flavor.
- Cheese Options. You can swap the Mexican cheese blend with shredded Monterey Jack, cheddar cheese, or a spicy pepper jack.
- Additional Toppings. Consider adding taco-style fixings like chopped lettuce, sliced olives, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, or chopped cilantro for extra freshness.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. The BEST way to reheat this pizza or any pizza is in a skillet. If you haven’t tried this method, you are in for a treat. Simply place your leftover pizza slices in a skillet on medium-high heat, cover with a lid, and allow the pizza to do its thing for 5-8 minutes. The crust will become crisp again, toppings will heat through, and cheese will become ooey gooey melted again.Nutrition
About Laura
Taught by some of the best, cooking and entertaining has always been my favorite hobby. Food is my love language! The conception of Dinner in 321 came from my family talks that sharing our dinners would help others learn new skills, tasty recipes, and make cooking fun! Read more…
We made this tonight and it turned out great !Thanks for sharing
Thank you so much!! 🙂 I’m so happy it was a hit!
Did you make your own taco seasoning? If not, what brand did you use? This was my favorite school lunch and I cannot wait to try your recipe. Thank you.
I didn’t make my own, but used a traditional taco seasoning Old El Paso from the store. I swear, it tastes JUST LIKE it did in school! I hope you LOVE it too!!