Baked Potato Deep Dish Pizza

I don't know if it's the calendar change into September or the brief temperature plummet that came around the same time, but Melissa and I have been craving pizza as of late.

And, as coincidences go, Uno's Pizzeria recently said it will be closing its Elm Grove restaurant. Melissa had eaten there and loved an appetizer they had: a baked potato deep dish pizza. That meant it was time to re-create it, only as an entree.

We peppered in some Wisconsin products with 6-month aged cheddar from Henning's and some double-smoked bacon from Patrick Cudahy.

Filling. I don't think I need to tell you that this pizza was just that, but I will. And it was nice and creamy, but with a few lumps, reminiscent of a favorite family holiday approaching in a couple of months. The crust worked well, especially after soaking up that olive oil.

This could serve as a unique alternative for mashed potatoes for those who look for such Thanksgiving options.

Baked Potato Deep Dish Pizza
serves 8; makes two pizzas
bakes at 400 degrees

For the toppings
4 pounds potatoes
milk to taste
cream cheese to taste
2 tablespoons butter
cheddar cheese to taste
green onions to taste
5 slices, bacon

1. Use your favorite crust recipe to make the crusts. (We used one from America's Test Kitchen and made it a deep dish crust by letting it sit in the pan covering some olive oil. This made it nice and crispy after it was baked.)

2. Cook the potatoes and them mash, adding in milk, cream cheese and butter to reach desired consistency.

3. Sprinkle in most of the cheddar cheese, green onions and cooked bacon. Scoop into the dough, which has been laid out in the pans. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.