Potato Chip Pizza

5.0
(4)

The first time I saw potatoes offered as a pizza topping, I thought that was one of the dumbest things I had ever seen. But then I tried it and realized that if done properly, they can be a fantastic pizza topping. The only problem is they're extremely hard to do properly since they need to cook through by the time our crust is done, which, long story short, led me to try potato chips, which worked out astonishingly well.

6
6
6
6
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
12
Yield:
2 pizzas

I love anything involving potatoes, and after some initial skepticism that love includes potato-topped pizzas. Unfortunately, they're not that easy to do, since you need to slice the potatoes thin enough to cook through by the time the crust is done. But, if they're too thin, you don't really get enough potato flavor.

I've tried pre-cooking the slices first, but they just didn't have the right texture. So I ended up trying the ultimate in already cooked potatoes, and the potato chip pizza was born. Not only are chips way easier to work with, but they also pack a punch when it comes to concentrated potato flavor. A classic win-win.

You can sauce and cheese a potato pizza anyway you want, but this classic pesto-based version is hard to beat, and I have to give a shout out to Extreme Pizza in San Francisco, where I had this for the first time. Speaking of first times, I hope you give this amazing potato chip pizza a try soon. Enjoy!

For more Chef John, be sure to subscribe to Food Wishes on YouTube! Click the "Join" button there to get Chef John's bonus video footage and behind-the-scenes pictures, live chats, and other Food Wishes member exclusives.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 1 tablespoon cornmeal

  • 2 (10 ounce) containers prepared pizza dough

  • 1 cup prepared pesto sauce

  • 1 ½ cups grated sharp white Cheddar cheese

  • 1 (10 ounce) bag kettle-cooked potato chips

  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Rub 2 sheet pans with a few teaspoons of olive oil, and sprinkle over a light dusting of cornmeal. Set aside.

  2. Roll each dough ball into an oval shape about 1/8-inch thick and transfer onto the prepared pans. Cover each with pesto sauce, reserving about 2 tablespoons for the topping. Sprinkle each with Cheddar cheese. Add potato chips in one thick layer, overlapping chips as need to cover the surface.

  3. For each pizza, thin out reserved pesto with a tablespoon of olive oil, and then drip and drizzle it over the top of the chips. Top with red onions and mozzarella. Drizzle the tops of the pizzas with a little bit of olive oil.

  4. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until top and bottom crust of pizza is browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

    image
    Unknown

Chef's Notes:

To give the crust a head start, sheet pans can be placed over a high flame on top of the stove, moving them around so the heat is reaching the whole pan, until you hear them start to sizzle, at which point they can be transferred into the oven.

Use 1 batch of my Wolfgang Puck's Famous California Pizza Dough recipe.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

506 Calories
32g Fat
37g Carbs
17g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 506
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 32g 42%
Saturated Fat 11g 54%
Cholesterol 34mg 11%
Sodium 792mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 17g 35%
Vitamin C 6mg 7%
Calcium 389mg 30%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 482mg 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.