Recipe: Vegan Bacon & Cheddar Double Potato Pizza
February 28th, 2011 4:11 pm by Kelly
Last weekend, Shane and I decided to try our hands at making a Potato Pizza. Okay, okay; Shane’s hands, my eyes. Using this recipe as a starting point, he came up with a pie that was similar enough (minus the fancy blue potatoes); tasty, though surprisingly dry, even with a dusting of olive oil on the dough. Even the cheese shreds and Smart Bacon were dried out and ashy, positioned as they were on the top of the pizza. Ah well, back to the drawing board!
I’m happy to report that attempt #2, carried out on Saturday night, was an unqualified success. In lieu of the red sauce that normally graces pizza, we used cheesy mashed potatoes, which lent some much-needed moisture to the pie. On top of that went some extra cheese shreds, as well as bacon slices (all vegan, of course), followed lastly by the potato slices. Nestling the cheese and bacon under the potatoes helped to protect them from scorching – and of course locked the cheese’s moisture in, to boot. The only foodstuff that came out dry and crispy were the potato slices, which were almost like homemade chips or thinly sliced fries. Delicious!
The recipe is a three-step process: cheesy mashed potato sauce, dough and pizza. Lengthy, but easy enough. For extra-shiny bonus points, make a double batch of mashed potatoes and have some while you wait for the dough to rise! (Or transform it into potato soup for a completely different dish; details below.)
Bacon & Cheddar Double Potato Pizza
For the cheesy mashed potato “sauce”:
Ingredients
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 large or 3 medium-sized baking potatoes (about 4-5 cups’ worth), sliced and diced
water
soy milk
salt, pepper, garlic powder, and/or onion powder to taste
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 to 1 cup cheddar Vegan Gourmet cheese by Follow Your Heart (or the vegan cheese of your choice)
Directions
(Prep and cook time is approximately an hour, so plan accordingly.)
1. In a large saucepan or small soup pot, bring 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat. (Use just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of your pot.) Add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook on medium until the onion is translucent and the garlic, golden brown.
2. Cut the baking potatoes into small, relatively uniform pieces: thin slices and/or small diced cubes. (The smaller the pieces, the more quickly they’ll cook.) Add them to the pot, along with just enough water and/or soy milk (I used half and half) to cover them.
3. Cook, covered on high, until the water begins to boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and continue cook, uncovered, stirring the pot every few minutes.
4. Add in the spices to taste and continue to cook until the potatoes become tender and begin to disintegrate. As you stir the pot, mash the potatoes as best you can by hand. If you think that the potatoes look a bit on the soupy side, continue to cook on low until the mixture thickens up.
5. When done cooking, transfer the mix into a large, microwave-safe bowl. Add a pat of margarine to taste. Using a hand mixer, whip the potatoes until they become smooth and creamy. If the mix is too thick, don’t be afraid to mix in a little extra water or soy milk.
6. Add in the cheddar cheese, stirring by hand. Microwave on high for two to three minutes, stopping every minute to stir. The cheese should blend in smoothly with the potatoes after several minutes of cooking.
7. You can use this “sauce” immediately (though be careful if handling while hot), or store it in the fridge until ready for use. When cold, the potatoes will be a bit firmer, and almost Jello-like in consistency. This is okay! You can either microwave it for 30 seconds or so to “loosen” it up, or stir it by hand until it becomes more easily spreadable, almost like the cheese of a “cheese log.” (For those who are milk-allergic like moi, a better analogy might be chilled French Onion dip made with Tofutti Sour Cream! Potato, potathtoe.)
