One of the golden guidelines of making pizzas is not to overload them. But you have to know when to throw the rules out the window. Case in point: our overloaded potato and garlic pizza. This isn’t your cookie cutter, corner store pizza. It’s a savory sweet concoction unlike anything you’ve tasted. It comes topped with crispy potatoes, sautéed red onions, sharp cheddar cheese, plenty of garlic and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar glaze.

The secret to the potatoes is to grate and soak them to reduce the amount of sticky starch. Grating allows you to take only what you bite from a slice and not half the toppings, while their color adds to the pizza’s visual pop. Sautéing the onions also creates a sweet base for the potatoes to play off, as does the balsamic glaze. The cheddar cheese? Well, what better to complement potatoes?

Ingredients

• 2 medium/large red potatoes
• 1 large red onion
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 1 package prepared pizza dough (store bought works fine, but remove from fridge a half hour before you use so it has a chance to warm up a bit)
• 3 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese (Please grate your own. The pre-packaged stuff just isn’t the same.)
• Balsamic glaze (available in most vinegar sections)

Preheat oven to 500° Fahrenheit.

Scrub the potatoes under running water, then grate them, leaving skin intact for color, into a bowl of water using a large grater. Soak the potatoes for at least a half hour, but preferably an hour, changing the water a few times while stirring the potatoes to clear out the starch. Meanwhile slice one red onion into small pieces. No need to dice. In a pan over medium heat, drop a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and heat for a few seconds before adding the onion and adding a dash of salt. Sauté until the onions turn brown and sweet, 20-30 minutes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic in the last minute and remove from heat.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and squeeze them as dry as you can. I usually squeeze them out for several minutes before employing paper towels. This is an important step as they will be saturated with water which otherwise could prevent browning and make the pizza soggy. While still in the colander sprinkle the potatoes with a pinch or two of salt and stir to distribute (which will further help extract water) and pepper.

Flatten the pizza dough and place on a well oiled pizza pan (the holes in the pan help to crisp the crust). Drizzle extra virgin olive oil onto the crust and brush to spread a think coat evenly. Spread 4 cloves minced garlic on top of the oil, then spread the onion mixture evenly on top of that.

Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the potatoes and pile evenly on the top of the pizza. As a recommendation, start on the outside of the pizza and work your way in making sure not to center load. This is more topping than I would normally put on a pizza, but it works. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top of that, once again starting around the rim and working inward.

Bake at 500° Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes or until cheese and crust are golden brown and bits of potatoes have crisped up. Remove from the oven and drizzle balsamic glaze on top. Slice and serve with more balsamic glaze for dipping and/or chopped chives sprinkled on top for a little color and freshness. Cutting this pizza into smaller slices will give you a unique appetizer sure to impress.

Soaking the potatoes


Small slices, but no need to dice the onions


These are looking ready


Make sure the soaked potatoes are as dry as you can get them


Extra virgin olive oil, garlic and onions added


Ready to bake


Hot out of the oven


Fresh chives sprinkled on top