Mention potatoes on pizza and you’ll get one of two responses. From the folks who’ve tried it, you can expect an enthusiastic thumbs up. From everyonce else: a resounding “huh?” That’s the thing about pizza with potato – it sounds strange, until you try it, and then you just get it.

Tasting the ‘You Say Potato’ slice for the first time at Escape from New York Pizza on Haight Street in San Francisco was this moment for me.  Still in high school at the time, far out pizza toppings went about far as bacon and clams as in my Dad’s favorite New Haven-style pie from Pepe’s in New Haven, Connecticut.  A diehard pepperoni fan, I was blown away by the idea of putting a potato on a pizza.  Actually I probably wouldn’t have tried it had my vegetarian buddy not touted it as being “the best” slice of pizza he’d ever eaten.  He was right. Tender yet toothsome potatoes and savory whole-roasted garlic cloves come together in a one of a kind pesto pizza experience.

Over a decade later, I finally got around to trying it at home.  Don’t wait as long as I did; add this unbeatable flavor combination to your pizza-making repertoire now.  Then when someone mentions potatoes on a pizza, you’ll know.

PESTO PIZZA WITH ROASTED GARLIC & POTATO

Inspired by the You Say Potato Slice at Escape from New York Pizza, San Francisco

As the addition of potatoes are what really sets this pizza apart, it is important to make sure they are cooked and seasoned properly before they go on top of the pie.  To ensure that the potatoes are cooked all the way through when the pizza comes out of the oven, I blanch them in boiling water, just until they lose their crunch.  After draining them off, toss them them with a bit of leftover oil from the roasted garlic, sprinkle with herbs and a bit of salt and they’ll be ready to shine. By the way, making this a second time I added in crumbled bacon I had lying around and it was excellent; I highly recommend it to my pork-loving comrades.

INGREDIENTS:

• 24 ounces homemade or store-bought pizza dough, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting
• About 1 cup homemade pesto (or store-bought)
• 2-3 cups grated mozzarella/provolone cheese
• 1 cup roasted or confit garlic cloves (recipe below)
• 4 red skinned potatoes, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes

METHOD:

1. Place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500°.  Allow the stone to heat for at least half an hour before baking pizzas.
2. Allow the pizza dough to come to room temperature.  On a lightly-floured work surface, form the dough into two large balls, collecting the sides and tucking them under to create a smooth outer surface.  Cover the dough with a damp towel and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, blanch the potato slices in boiling water until just cooked through, anywhere between 1 – 2 minutes.  Drain and allow to cool slightly before drying the slices with paper towels and coating them with a touch of olive oil, a pinch of Italian seasoning and kosher salt.
4. Generously dust a wooden peel or the back of a sheet pan with flour or cornmeal. With lightly-floured hands, press the dough with your fingertips to form a flattened disk.  Lift the dough up and use the back of your knuckles to stretch and thin-out the dough into a circle with a diameter of 12-inches. Be careful to preserve the edge of the dough if you want a light, chewy crust. Carefully position the stretched dough onto the prepared peel or baking sheet.
5. Using a large spoon, spread an even layer of the pesto onto the dough and carefully spread it to within 1/2-inch of the edge, being careful to leave a sauce free edge.  Top with an even layer of the grated mozzarella/provolone cheese followed by slices of parboiled potatoes and roasted garlic cloves.  Top with a light sprinkling of a bit more mozzarella, season with salt to taste and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Lightly brush the exposed crust with a bit of olive oil (or leftover garlic) oil to promote browning.
6. Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated stone and bake until the crust is crisped and golden and the cheese is bubbling and just beginning to brown, about 6-7 minutes.  Remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Makes enough for 2 pizzas

Roasted or Confit Garlic

In this recipe I like to confit the garlic cloves as opposed to roast them whole in an effort maintain the integrity of the garlic.  If you have some roasted garlic cloves laying around or prefer to roast a head of garlic wrapped in foil, feel free to do that instead.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 or 2 head of garlic, broken down into individual cloves and peeled
• Olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Kosher salt

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 300.  Add the peeled garlic cloves to a small saucepan and pour in olive oil until just barely covered.  Add a pinch of Italian seasoning and Kosher salt and roast in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown and soft.  Remove the saucepan from the oven and allow the garlic confit to cool.  Remove garlic cloves and store infused oil in the fridge for up to a week for another dishes.

I should start by saying that I’d never actually eaten stromboli before making this recipe.  After seeing a rendition on TV, I set out to make one in the style of Stuff Yer Face in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  Where most versions seem to be rolled into a pinwheel-like log, this version is more like a burrito — er, Hot Pocket.  Not quite a pizza, almost like a calzone, stromboli seemed like a perfect hand-held version of one of my favorite foods.  Then again, I’m the kind of person who likes to fold my pizza slices in half before biting into them — there’s just something so satisfying about biting into gooey cheese surrounded by crisp then chewy dough.

Sure enough, the ‘boli satisfied this particular craving. Cheesy, salty with tart feta cheese, chalk full of wilted spinach and steaming hot, if you even kind of like pizza (and who doesn’t?), then you’re going to like biting into one of these. Plus, if you have the dough on hand already, they’re easy enough to put together for a lazy weeknight dinner.

SPINACH, FETA & KALAMATA OLIVE STROMBOLI

This recipe uses a your classic Italian-American, New York-style pizza sauce.  If you were hoping for a light, San Marzano sauce, look elsewhere because this one is packed with basil, oregano and tomato paste.  Even so, choose your tomatoes and paste wisely as each brand can vary dramatically in terms of acidity and sweetness so use your taste buds and adjust for the sauce for balance after it’s been processed.  A six ounce can of paste might seem like a lot, but keep in mind that this is a thick, sweet pizzeria-style sauce.  A good melting cheese is key for these stromboli.  Look to use a low-moisture mozzarella or a blend of mozzarella, provolone, fontina or Parmesan for a fantastic final dish.  If kalamata olives, feta cheese and spinach aren’t your thing, go with hand-sliced, quality pepperoni from an Italian deli for an upscale riff on the classic Hot Pocket.

INGREDIENTS

For the Pizza Sauce:

• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• Red wine vinegar to taste
• Olive oil, for brushing
  

For the Stromboli

• 24 ounces homemade or store-bought pizza dough, set out at room temperature
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups, sauce
• 4 cups loosely packed spinach leaves
• 4 cups mozzarella cheese, or other good melting cheese
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved if desired
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

METHOD:

1. Make the sauce: Place all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, sugar or vinegar to balance the flavor. Set aside.
2. Assemble the Stromboli: Preheat a pizza stone in a 500° oven for at least 1/2 hour. Divide the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces, roll them each into tight balls and allow them to rest at room temperature while the oven heats.
3. Working on a well floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into a 1/8-inch thick, 12×6-inch oblong oval shape.  Spread 1/4 cup of the pizza sauce into the center of each dough round and top with 1 cup of spinach leaves, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of kalamata cheese and a couple of tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese.  Working as if you were rolling up a burrito, stretch the dough a bit towards the center of the stromboli and wrap the edge closest to you around the filling and roll the whole thing up like a log — pinch the seam firmly to ensure a good seal.  Lightly score the top of each stromboli to allow them to vent slightly during the baking process.
4. Brush the stromboli with olive oil and bake them directly on the pizza stone until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove them with a pizza peel and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before going in.

Makes 4 Stromboli

When I told everybody I was making a barbecue chicken pizza for my website, people asked me why I wasn’t making Thai chicken pizza instead.  Truthfully, I didn’t realize it was such a beloved item on the California Pizza Kitchen menu.  I’ve always loved them — in fact, I almost ate my weight in the frozen version while I was in college — but I never realized that other people shared my same propensity.  For me (and apparently pretty much everyone else), there is something undeniable about the combination of aromatic peanut sauce, green onions and carrots, all  piled high on a chewy crust and topped with cheese. Not at all Italian, totally un-Thai, just “American” grub at its most adaptive.

The best part of making this particular pizza at home is you can get as creative as you want. I left off the usual bean sprouts, but you could certainly add them for extra crunch. And no need to break out the crushed red pepper flakes.  Here I use sriracha chili sauce to add a little bite, but of course, if spicy’s not your thing, feel free to leave it off. A sprinkling of freshly chopped Thai basil in addition to or in lieu of the cilantro (for those cilantro-haters out there) would be a perfect compliment to the sweet, salty flavor of the peanut sauce. No matter how you top it, if you like peanut sauce, you’ll love this pizza. Plus, no tipping necessary when you’re cooking out of your own kitchen.

THAI CHICKEN PIZZA

When assembling this pizza, feel free to add as little or as much of the toppings as you want, but keep in mind that a pizza that is too heavily loaded with ingredients can end up cooking unevenly and may result in a messy final pie.  The balance of flavors is key, not the amount you can fit on the dough.  If you want even more crunch in your finished pizza, consider adding the carrots after baking as opposed to before.  I use Thai marinated grilled chicken breasts in this recipe for added authenticity, but you should feel free to use store-bought rotisserie chicken if you’re short on time — the flavorful peanut sauce should provide more than enough flavor.  I’ve said it before, but if you’re serious about making pizza at home and still don’t have a pizza stone, it should be at the top of your priority list.

INGREDIENTS:

• 24 ounces homemade or store-bought pizza dough, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting
• About 1 1/4 cups homemade Thai peanut sauce (or store-bought)
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup cooked grilled Thai chicken, diced (recipe below)
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, julienne or coarsely grated
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
• Sriracha chili sauce for garnish (optional)

METHOD:

1. Place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500°.  Allow the stone to heat for at least half and hour before baking pizzas.
2. Allow the pizza dough to come to room temperature.  On a lightly-floured work surface, form the dough into two large balls, collecting the sides and tucking them under to create a smooth outer surface.  Cover the dough with a damp towel and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, warm the peanut sauce in a saucepan set over low heat until heated through and pourable.
4. Generously dust a wooden peel or the back of a sheet pan with flour or cornmeal. With lightly-floured hands, press the dough with your fingertips to form a flattened disk.  Lift the dough up and use the back of your knuckles to stretch and thin-out the dough into a circle with a diameter of 12-inches. Be careful to preserve the edge of the dough if you want a light, chewy crust. Carefully position the stretched dough onto the prepared peel or baking sheet.
5. Using a ladle, spoon an even layer of the peanut sauce onto the dough and carefully spread it close to the border being careful to leave a 1/2-inch edge.  Top with an even layer of mozzarella cheese followed by pieces of the diced Thai chicken, green onions and carrots.  Top with a light sprinkling of a bit more mozzarella.  Lightly brush the exposed crust with a bit of the vegetable oil to promote browning.
6. Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone and bake until the crust is crisped and golden and the cheese is bubbling, about 6-7 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the roasted peanuts,  freshly chopped cilantro leaves and sriracha. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 Pizzas

BANGKOK-STYLE GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST

This is a fantastic coconut milk marinade for chicken.  It works just as well with whole, butterflied chickens as well as bone-in, skin-on pieces.  Here I use the marinade on boneless, skinless breasts.  If you don’t have an outdoor grill or grill pan, feel free to roast the breasts in a 425° oven.  You won’t be able to develop as much caramelization, but the chicken will still be quite flavorful.  The marinade contains a bit of sugar, so monitor your heat closely and watch for burning.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 7 ounces (1/2 can) coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro, including stems
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper

METHOD:

1. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and lightly score each side in a crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife to allow the marinade to penetrate.
2. Combine the coconut milk, curry powder, fish sauce, garlic, cilantro, sugar and pepper in a bowl.  Stir well and until sugar has dissolved and marinade is smooth.  Place the chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade in on top.  Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the meat to ensure an even coating.  Refrigerate the chicken and leave it to marinate for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight.
3. Prepare a charcoal grill for direct heat grilling over medium-low heat or preheat a grill pan over medium-low heat.  Place the chicken on the grill and cook, moving the chicken if any flare-ups occur, until slightly charred in spots and cooked through to an internal temperature of 160°, about 7-8 minutes per side.
4. Remove the chicken from the grill and transfer to a platter. Allow the meat to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

My Italian ancestors might roll over in their graves if they knew that the first pizza recipe I was posting on my site was for barbecue chicken pizza.  But then again, this isn’t your ordinary freezer aisle, supermarket BBQ chicken pizza.

Gone are the dry-as-cardboard chicken breast cubes and sugary-sweet barbecue sauce.  Instead, I use succulent, shredded dark meat chicken bathed in a smoky, homemade barbecue sauce that’s flavored with bourbon and chipotle chilies.  If that wasn’t enough, each pizza is topped with sweet red onions and a healthy sprinkling of mozzarella and smoked cheddar cheese for an added dimension of barbecue smoke flavor.  Garnished with some fresh chopped cilantro and you have a barbecue chicken pizza so good you may never feel the need to visit a certain California-based pizza chain ever again.

SMOKY BARBECUE CHICKEN PIZZA

While I suggest you try making your own homemade barbecue sauce, you can easily substitute your favorite store-bought brand in this recipe.  I like to slowly poach my own chicken thighs in an aromatic broth for this preparation, but you can certainly use the meat from a supermarket rotisserie bird.  When it comes to topping a pizza, less is more.  If you opt to make your own sauce, you certainly will have more than you need for two pizzas.  Try not to the overload the dough with too much chicken or cheese — you’re looking for a balance of flavors, not maximum capacity.  I like to go easy on the smoked cheddar — it has a pronounced flavor that can easily overwhelm the pizza if used in too large of an amount.  Finally, if you’re at all serious about making pizza at home, a pizza stone is a must.

INGREDIENTS:

• 24 ounces homemade or store-bought pizza dough, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting
  
• About 1 1/2 cups homemade sweet and smoky barbecue sauce (or store-bought)
• 1 cup cooked chicken, diced or shredded
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 2/3 cup grated, low-moisture mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated smoked cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
  

METHOD:

1. Place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500°.  Allow the stone to heat for at least half and hour before baking pizzas.
2. Allow the pizza dough to come to room temperature.  On a lightly-floured work surface, form the dough into two large balls, collecting the sides and tucking them under to create a smooth outer surface.  Cover the dough with a damp towel and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine the shredded chicken along with about 1 cup of barbecue sauce and cook over low heat until the meat is moist and warmed through.
   
4. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a medium sauté pan set over moderately-low heat.  Add the sliced red onion and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened but not browned or caramelized, about 5-7 minutes.
   
5. Generously dust a wooden peel or the back of a sheet pan with flour or cornmeal. With lightly-floured hands, press the dough with your fingertips to form a flattened disk.  Lift the dough up and use the back of your knuckles to stretch and thin-out the dough into a circle with a diameter of 12-inches. Be careful to preserve the edge of the dough if you want a nice, chewy crust. Carefully position the stretched dough onto the prepared peel or baking sheet.
   
6. Using a ladle, spoon a thin layer of the extra barbecue sauce onto the dough and carefully spread it to the edge of it’s borders.  Top with an even layer of mozzarella cheese followed by pieces of the warmed chicken and softened red onion.  Top with light sprinkling of the smoked cheddar and a bit more of the mozzarella.  Lightly brush the exposed crust with a bit of the leftover olive oil.
   
7. Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone and bake until the crust is crisped and golden and the cheese is bubbling, about 6-7 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro leaves and serve immediately.
   

Makes 2 Pizzas

SMOKY BARBECUE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, roughly chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 1/2 bay leaf
• Pinch of ground allspice
• Small pinch ground clove
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup canned plum tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  

METHOD:

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring until browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the bourbon and simmer for 2 minutes longer.  Stir in the vinegar, sugar, chipotle chilies, mustard, ancho chile powder, bay leaf, clove and allspice and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
2. Add the chicken stock, ketchup and tomatoes, cover partially and cook over low heat until reduced by half, about 1 hour.  Remove from the heat and let cool.  Discard the bay leaf and transfer the sauce to a blender.  Puree until smooth. For a more velvety texture pass the sauce through a medium-mesh sieve.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper.  Add the honey and taste the sauce again.  Add more honey to taste if you wish to balance out the acidity of the vinegar.  The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 2 cups