Loaded Potato Pizza Passes On Traditional Sauce

The great thing about pizza is that it's instantly iconic but also extremely customizable. Despite what pizza purists may say, almost anything can be a topping — yes even pineapples and anchovies, though maybe not on the same pie. So if you're tired of the classic pizza with marinara and mozzarella, then consider this satisfying alternative instead: The loaded baked potato pizza. Consider adding this to the top of your list of pizza toppings you haven't tried but should. 

The loaded baked potato pizza features many of the toppings one would associate with a baked potato. We're talking sour cream, bacon, cheese, onions or chives, and of course, potatoes. It's just one of many ways to use mashed potatoes as a pizza topping. If you're picturing how potatoes would fit in with more traditional pizza elements like pepperoni and tomato sauce, then you should know that most recipes for loaded baked potato pizzas don't feature any tomato at all. 

Instead, the pizza gets its saucy base from a combination of sour cream and the potatoes themselves. The potatoes will give the pizza a creamy/crispy texture reminiscent of Shepherd's pie. However, one shouldn't just mistake this as a traditional potato pie. 

Pizzas made with potatoes have some historical precedence. Potato pizzas stretch back to early 20th-century Naples when poor Italian families would use potatoes as a base for their pizzas instead of the traditional flour dough. The practice evolved into what we now think of as a traditional Italian potato pizza, pizza con patate, which you'll find variations of throughout Italy. At its simplest, it has a thin crust, layers of thinly sliced potatoes, and a sprinkling of herbs. 

Baked potato pizzas are obviously a far cry from these historical roots — loaded as they are with mashed potatoes and sour cream — though they offer the same comforting quality. If you want a more elegant baked potato pizza you can use thinly sliced potatoes instead of mashed potatoes that have been baked or boiled. As with any baked potato, a baked potato pizza is infinitely customizable. You can make your loaded baked potato pizza with cheddar, sour cream, and scallions. Scatter chili over the pie and add pickled jalapeños to give your spud pizza an extra kick. You can sub in sweet potatoes for an autumnal variation. Do baked beans belong on a pizza? You can go the British route with a baked potato and baked bean-loaded pie. Whatever direction you take, you'll find yourself with a hearty winter warmer of a pizza.