Hot Pepper, Potato, and Onion Pizza Recipe

Hot Pepper, Potato, and Onion Pizza

Ingredients:

• Sauteed hot pepper (wear gloves while chopping)
• Sauteed onion
• Roasted sliced potatoes
• Mozzarella cheese
• Homemade pizza sauce
• Homemade pizza dough

Note: This pizza packed a lot of heat. Even though I wore gloves while chopping the onion, I still burned my eye when I rubbed it later. And I inhaled some of the fumes while chopping the pepper leading me to decide that wearing a face mask would have been a good idea.  The heat didn’t hit Andrew until he ate a lone pepper slice and then he tried using the crust to numb the burn. It was totally worth it though; the pizza was great!

Garbage Plate Pizza Recipe

Garbage Plate Pizza

The Garbage Plate Pizza I created in 2010 received pretty solid reviews from Andrew, Tyler, and the guys installing our new floor, but I knew my recipe would benefit from eating an actual Garbage Plate at Nick Tahou’s Hots.

For my second attempt at the Garbage Plate Pizza I needed to figure how to improve the hot sauce. I figured out that I needed to cut the tomato paste, use less all spice and cinnamon and more black and cayenne pepper. The other important ingredients include paprika, chili powder, cumin, and salt.

Here’s how to assemble the pizza:
1. Spread the ground beef and hot sauce on pre-baked crust
2. Top with browned home fries
3.  Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese
4. Bake the pizza
5.  Drizzle ketchup and mustard
6. Top the pizza with cold macaroni salad

Note that the photo was taken before I put mac salad on the pizza. I put the Garbage Plate pizza out at a small get together and it went fast. Everyone from Rochester really appreciated it; those from out of town really wondered why we were devouring pizza covered in ground beef, home fries, and mac salad.

Thanksgiving Pizza Recipe

Thanksgiving Pizza

The menu for the day after Thanksgiving usually includes a turkey sandwich for lunch and turkey casserole or turkey soup for dinner. But this year I decided to forgo the traditional recipes and turn the leftovers from one of my favorite meals of the year into a pizza.

Our Thanksgiving day leftovers included mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, roasted vegetables, and turkey.  I pre-baked my dough and then spread on a layer of mashed potatoes. Then I added the stuffing, corn, and mixed vegetables. Next, I cut the turkey into small pieces and arranged it on top. I put the pizza back in the oven for 10 minutes, removed it, and then drizzled on some warm gravy.

Special credit goes to my mother-in-law who cooked this wonderful Thanksgiving meal and gave me the leftovers. My day after Thanksgiving pizza was like having Thanksgiving dinner all over again. The turkey remained moist, the flavors from  the apple in the stuffing popped, and the veggies were just right. I hope my Thanksigiving pizza recipe becomes an annual tradition.

Potato Skin Pizza Recipe

Potato Skin Pizza

Boise, ID
When I think of Idaho I think potatoes. Henry Spalding was the first to plant potatoes in the rich volcanic soil of Idaho in the 1830s and today the state produces more potatoes than any other. The potato is so essential to Idaho’s economy it was deemed the official state vegetable in 2002.

Since the potato’s introduction to the US, horticulturists have been experimenting and growing new and different varieties of potatoes. I have done my own experiments using potatoes on pizzas by grilling or using french fries. Today, I turned one of my favorite potato appetizers into a pizza: Potato Skin Pizza.

I started by slicing small potatoes then roasting them in the toaster oven. I also oven baked a few strips of turkey bacon and then crumbled them into bite sized pieces.  After pre-baking the dough I sprinkled on cheddar cheese, arranged the potato slices and bacon bits, then baked the pizza for about 10 minutes. When the pizza was finished baking I garnished it with chopped chives and a dollop of sour cream. This pizza was extremely flavorful! You could taste all of the individual ingredients and combined it was like one big potato skin. It even inspired a little football nostalgia!

Garbage Plate Pizza Recipe

Garbage Plate Pizza

Rochester, NY
In 1918 Nick Tahou founded the restaurant that would create one of Rochester’s best known dishes. Almost a century later Rochestarians still flock to Tahou’s to devour its namesake, the Garbage Plate. Many local restaurants have jumped on the bandwagon, but having trademarked the name you can only have a real “Garbage Plate” at Nick Tahou’s.

I am a little bit embarrassed to say I have never had a Garbage Plate, but in my college days I witnessed plenty being eaten. In retrospect, I probably should have taken the plunge and dug into one as “research” for my Garbage Plate Pizza recipe.

The hot sauce is what I was told makes the plate. I googled Nick Tahou’s hot sauce and found several recipes that were exactly the same and I thought they had to be right. But this is where my “research” would have been helpful as the recipe called for tomato paste, all spice and cinnamon. The hot sauce wasn’t very hot and was a bright shade of red which didn’t look anything like the pictures or plates I had seen being eaten. But I continued anyhow. After pre-baking the dough I spread on a thick layer of the hot sauce which included ground beef and onions. I sprinkled on mozzarella cheese and then a layer of home fries. I let this bake for about 15 minutes and then took it out to put on the finishing touches. In the center of the pizza I heaped on macaroni salad and then Andrew drizzled on ketchup and mustard.

The Garbage Plate Pizza was one of the most massive pizzas I have made yet, getting all the components in one bite was a challenge, but we met that challenge. The pizza was absolutely fantastic! The sauce was definitely not the right sauce to use and was not hot either, but it was still delicious. I would like to take another crack at my Garbage Plate pizza recipe and definitely do a little “research” beforehand. I’m sure Andrew will be up for some “research” as well!

#46: Grilled Potato Leek Pizza Recipe 8/22/10

My back-up grilled pizza recipe was inspired by the potato leek soup my dad used to make when I was a child. In addition to leeks, we received potatoes from the food collective this week. Andrew sliced and grilled these and set them aside. Again, I sprayed canola oil on the rolled out dough and laid it on the grill pan, let it cook for a few minutes and then flipped it. We did a team assembly of the pizza, topping it with marinara, Fontina and mozzarella cheeses, the leeks and potatoes.

Both pizzas turned out great! I was worried about burning the dough, but I made sure to keep a close eye on them and all turned out well. The grilling pan we picked up at Bed Bath & Beyond especially helped. My pizza crust is typically thin and crispy, but on the grill it was even thinner. It seems that cooking on the grill allows more air to penetrate the dough, ultimately creating a lighter and might I add tasty grill flavored crust. To top it off, the cheese melted just right and the flavors really jumped off both pizzas. I will definitely be creating a few more grilled pizza recipes to enjoy in the last weeks of summer.

#11: Loaded Potato Pizza Recipe 3/6/10

Loaded Potato Pizza

Potatoes and pizza never would have crossed my mind. This recipe came from Andrew’s idea to turn our favorite meals into pizza. A simple dish I enjoy making is  roasted red potatoes topped with the typical potato toppings so I tried turning it into a pizza tonight. I sliced the potatoes very thin and roasted them with Wegmans Basting Oil with Garlic and Herbs. I brushed the dough with the same basting oil, added scallions, Colby cheese, chopped broccoli, mild Italian sausage and the potatoes.  We both really enjoyed it!