Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

We love to grill pizza at our house (you can find an entire post on how we grill pizza here). And, I'm always experimenting with different toppings and combinations and what not and so forth.

This recipe/combination was born out of the fact that I bought a 10 pound bag of potatoes, a 16-ounce block of sharp cheddar cheese and a large bunch of scallions - and needed less than half of them for the recipes I was planning to make last week.

And, MAN-OH-MAN did we love this pizza. It tastes just like a loaded baked potato, only with the added goodness of additional carbs in the form of crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside pizza crust.

Here is one of these pizzas just getting started on the grill. It was fine. But, I don't do fine. I need adventure and over-the-top and YEAH, MOMMA when it comes to food.

So, I came to my senses and grabbed a handful of extra cheese and sprinkled it over the entire thing. Yes, I have thigh dimples. So, what? That extra handful of cheese dribbling off of the sides of this pizza is worth it.

See what I mean? TOTALLY WORTH IT.

You could serve this one as an appetizer - just cut it into small slices or make a square crust and cut it into squares. OR, eat it as dinner - like we do.

But, try this one. I know you'll love it!

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

1 large ball of pizza dough
olive oil
1/2 cup alfredo sauce (I prefer Classico)
2 Russet potatoes, cubed
4 strips bacon
2 scallions, chopped
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
freshly ground black pepper, optional

Preheat grill over low heat or preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small saucepan, boil cubed potatoes for 10 minutes, or until soft but still somewhat firm. Drain and set aside.

Heat small frying pan and fry bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside until cool. Crumble into small pieces. Set aside.

Roll out pizza dough into one large (16-inch) round, or two small (8-inch) rounds. Brush with olive oil. Place dough directly onto grill and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until slightly golden on underside. Flip over dough to begin grilling other side.

Top pizza dough with alfredo sauce, cheddar cheese, cubed potatoes, bacon, and scallions. Top entire pizza with additional cheese.

Close cover on grill and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese has completely melted. Remove from grill and place on cutting board. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, if desired, cut into slices and serve.

(*If using oven, roll out pizza dough onto pizza pan or cookie sheet and place toppings right onto raw dough. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is completely melted. Remove from oven and follow remaining directions.)