Recipe: Mashed Potato Pizza

My husband has raved about mashed potatoes on pizza for a decade, ever since he had it somewhere in London. Everytime we made pizzas at home, he suggested this crazy combination, but we never tried it, either because we didn’t have potatoes or no one else was as excited about it as he was.

We finally tried it this week, and he was right – it was absolutely scrumptious. Since he didn’t know any recipes, I made up my own and baked it on garlic naan, since that’s what I had on hand. It’s similar to a white pizza, where the potatoes serve as the sauce. We topped it with bacon, fresh scallions and mozzarella. It’s a great combination of creamy potatoes, garlicky bread and crispy bacon.

Mashed Potato Pizza
2 servings as a meal, 4 as an appetizer
Adapted from a recipe at Macheesmo

2 to 3 large potatoes, peeled and boiled
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. kosher salt
3 pieces bacon
½ cup shredded mozzarella
Quarter of an onion, diced
Drizzle of mayo and/or Sriracha sauce at the end (optional)
1 medium-sized garlic naan*

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

• In a large mixing bowl, mash the potatoes with the heavy cream, pepper and salt or beat them with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add more cream, salt and pepper as needed to taste.

• In a skillet or frying pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, flipping occasionally, until cooked through and crispy. Place on a paper towel-lined pan to drain, then crumble.

• Keeping the pan over medium heat, saute the onions in the bacon fat until softened and opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. 

• Place the garlic naan on a sheet pan, then cover with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. Top with the bacon, onions and cheese. Bake about 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

• Serve immediately, with a drizzle of mayo and Sriracha over the top.

Amrita Song is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine who blogs at A Song In Motion.