Loaded Mashed Potato Pizza

Better than BAR pizza…

One of my favorite pizza’s is a pizza from BAR restaurant in New Haven, CT. It is their white pizza topped with mashed potato and bacon. I know…it sounds crazy, but is it absolutely delicious!  I have not been back to New Haven in a while and was really in the mood for recreating this spectacular pie. So…with a little experimentation, I think I found a winner. Here is my version of “Better than Bar Loaded Mashed Potato Pizza”.  The toppings taste better, but I will admit the crust from BAR (or really any New Haven pizzeria takes the prize). I am pretty sure this version is much healthier than what you would order in a restaurants and it has the added farm-to-table appeal because I was able to use fresh potatoes and broccoli from my CSA box. Like most home cooks, I don’t have the luxury of a brick fire pit to get that classic charred New Haven style crust, but for a home version this is a great option. By using a pre-made thin crust pizza dough and cooked it on a pizza stone you can get pretty close for a home version, but for the real experience I recommend a pizza tour of New Haven, CT.

Loaded Mashed Potato Pizza

Ingredients.

thin pizza crust (store-bought or make your own)

3-4 medium white potato, or 2 large

4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half

extra virgin olive oil

sour cream

whole milk

broccoli

bacon

cheese (I used an Italian blend)

salt & pepper (white pepper if you have it)

Instructions.

Preheat the oven to 400-450 degrees with the pizza stone in the oven. If you are not using a pizza stone then I recommend preheating a baking sheet at 400.

Prep the pizza topping ingredients: For the  mashed potatoes, peel and cut the potatoes into chunks. Add potatoes and garlic to a pot of boiling water and boil until fork tender. Meanwhile cook the bacon until crisp and tear into small pieces. Steam or par-boil the broccoli until just tender. When the potatoes and garlic are soft, remove from water and place into a bowl to mash. If you have a food mill, use the food mill using a medium grate disc to make light and fluffy garlic mashed potatoes. Add 1/2 cup sour cream and pour milk until the potatoes are soft, creamy and to the consistency you desire. Salt and pepper the potatoes to taste. If you prefer chunkier potatoes mash by hand.

Assemble the pizza: Spread a generous layer of olive oil all over the pizza dough to coat. Layer the mashed potatoes onto the pizza, add a thin layer of cheese, add the bacon and broccoli, drizzle a light layer of olive oil, then top with more cheese.  There is no real science to the amount of toppings you use so feel free to experiment!

Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crust is brown and crispy! Let cool for a few minutes before cutting. And lastly…ENJOY 🙂

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