Grilled Bacon Ranch Mashed Potato Pizza

A crusty grilled pizza with a loaded twice baked potato topping.

This is a pizza I’ve been working to perfect for a long time and I’m so excited because I FINALLY got it right! There is a local bar here in town that makes an incredible mashed potato pizza. I know, it sounds a little odd, but once you’ve tried it, you’ll be totally hooked. Even my mom who isn’t a fan of mashed potatoes loves this pizza.

I’ve worked to make homemade versions of theirs several times, but somehow the ones I made just weren’t quite good enough (in my mind, anyway). Then I introduced my boss to the mashed potato pizza … she tasted it and said, “this would be great on the grill.” Yes, that was it! And then I got to thinking: I should use those buttermilk roasted garlic mashed potatoes … that would be good. And then I decided to try roasting the garlic on the grill.

THAT was just the thing. I knew I finally had it right when I ate the cold leftovers for lunch and it was good just like that. When a pizza is yummy both hot and cold, you know you’ve made it.

Grilled Bacon Ranch Mashed Potato Pizza

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the crust:

• New York Style Pizza Crust, uncooked … recipe here

For the mashed potatoes:

• 4 – 9 cloves of garlic, separated but with the peel still on
• 2 medium golden potatoes
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Red Robin seasoning (or your favorite seasoned salt — use more or less to taste)
• Fresh ground pepper

For the Herbed Buttermilk Ranch “Sauce”:

• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• About 1/2 cup fresh herbs ~ I used basil, thyme, a bit of tarragon, rosemary, and cilantro
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup lowfat or nonfat plain yogurt

For the top of the Pizza:

• Shredded cheese (I used a “pizza blend” of mozzarella and cheddar)
• 1–3 piece of bacon, fried crisp and crumbled or chopped
• Several sweet cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
• Sweet vidalia onion, sliced and chopped

---

Instructions

1. First prepare the pizza dough. When the dough is ready, shape it into discs on a surface dusted with cornmeal (for as many pizzas as you want to make — I separated it into 6 pieces) and cover.
2. Pierce the potatoes with a fork, wash them with water, sprinkle with salt and microwave for 5 minutes or so or until they are completely tender when you stick a fork in them. Set the potatoes aside for a few minutes to cool a bit (for easier handling).
3. Meanwhile, make the ranch dressing sauce: In a blender or handi-chopper, whir together the ranch sauce ingredients until the herbs are finely chopped and the sauce is smooth.
4. Check the pizza dough: stretch and pull gently till it won’t stretch anymore. Cover.
5. Fire up the grill — you will need one side hot and one cooler. If you are using charcoal, pile them up on one side of the grill before you set the grate on.
6. Set the unpeeled cloves of garlic on the hot side of the grill for a few minutes to “roast” and prepare the rest of the ingredients, setting them on a plate or platter so they will be easily accessible when it’s time to top the pizza.
7. Stretch your pizza crusts again. Cover.
8. Go check the cloves of garlic. They should be soft but not burned, and the skin should come off easily. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop the flesh out from the peel and put them in a bowl. Add the garlic, buttermilk, yogurt, and seasoning and mash with a fork and/or blender until they are smooth. Add more buttermilk or yogurt if needed to ensure the potatoes are plenty moist. Add pepper and/or seasoning to taste.
9. Now, take the prepared pizza dough and set one or two on the hot side of the grill. Cover and let them cook for a few minutes until they are puffy and nicely browned on the bottom. Flip them over to the cool side of the grill, spread with mashed potatoes, a liberal amount of ranch dressing, then sprinkle on the cheese, bacon, tomatoes, and onion.
10. Cover the grill and let the pizzas on the “cool” side of the grill (or indirect heat on a gas grill) until the cheese is nicely melted and bubbly.
11. Slide the pizza onto a cutting board, cut it into pieces and serve.

---

Notes

Make sure to use a good amount of the ranch sauce to keep the pizza from getting dry.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

© Copyright 2013, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.

This recipe was shared at Thursday’s Treasures, TGIF Link Party, Weekend Potluck, Farm Girl Friday and Mop it Up Monday.