One of my favorite family traditions growing up in Maine was to make pizza on Friday nights. We liked the classic Chef Boyardee box mix that was popular in the 1970s. I remember Mom teaching me how to spread out the sticky dough with my greased-up hands, working from the center outward. There was always an assortment of toppings so we could make our pizza just how we liked it. Being that it was Friday night, we had the privilege of eating on the couch in front of the TV. The only problem was that we all had to agree on the same show as we savored our slices.
Now that I have my own little family, we still make pizza on Friday nights, but it's gluten-free. We experiment with ingredients and usually make two so we have leftovers for Saturday. So, I'm going to grab my slice, snag my favorite spot on the couch, and be the first to choose the TV show - wait, it's not the '70s anymore and now we have Netflix, two TVs, and an iPad. TGIF!
Tonight's toppings are new potatoes, bacon, shallots, and rosemary, and here's how we do it...
Gluten-Free Pizza w/Potatoes, Bacon, Shallots & Rosemary
1 gluten-free pizza dough (my favorite is Kember's Gluten-Free Pizza Mix)
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 slices bacon
1 cup thinly sliced shallots (may need more depending on size of your pizza)
3-4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced (enough for one overlapping layer)
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped (more if you add sprinkle after pizza is cooked)
sprinkling of kosher salt
Be sure to read through this recipe first before making the pizza. You may have to make adjustments according to your pizza dough instructions.
1. Prepare the pizza dough and preheat the oven following your pizza dough instructions.
2. Prepare your toppings: Cut bacon slices into 1-inch pieces and cook over medium heat in a heavy skillet until halfway done. Using a mandoline, thinly slice the potatoes (almost paper thin). If you are using a knife and the potato slices are thicker, then cook the potato slices in boiling water for a few minutes and drain. The thicker the potato slices, the longer it takes to cook on the pizza in the oven. In the picture above I used a mandoline and added them directly to the pizza without boiling.
3. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil directly on top of uncooked pizza dough. Next, layer on the shallots (you will want enough to cover the pizza - as the shallots cook and soften, they almost become the sauce). Then add a single layer of potatoes, overlapping just a bit. Then add the bacon, rosemary, and a sprinkling of kosher salt (remember the potatoes need salt). Finally, drizzle a bit more extra-virgin olive oil over the entire pizza.
4. Follow the baking instructions for your favorite pizza dough. Bake until potatoes are tender, bacon is crisp, and dough has cooked. Right when it comes out of the oven, add one more light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh rosemary (if you wish), and kosher salt. Slice and enjoy!