Week #4: Arkansas - Sausage, Beans & Grits Pizza

On Naan Bread

State:  Arkansas

I have never been to Arkansas before, but from my research, the state is big on BBQ and pork.  The style of cuisine is southern and comfort food.  Arkansas is also the "spinach capital of the world."  They have a Popeye statue, so you know I had to use spinach in this pizza.  My goal was to live up to Arkansas with southern comfort food, that tastes amazing and it came out great!   

Ingredients Needed:
1-2 Smoked Sausages sliced  
1 cup of baked beans
1 cup of cheddar cheese
1/3 cup of BBQ Sauce
1 cup of spinach
1/2 cup of grits
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 pizza crust 
1 cup freshly grated Cheddar Cheese
Pepper to taste

Sauce:
For the sauce, I was lazy for this one as well.  I used a BBQ sauce from Whole Foods that didn't have any chemicals or preservatives.  Going forward, my next BBQ sauce will be home made.  

Meat:

For the smoked sausage, you can either grill or bake at 400 in the oven, flipping over on both sides every so often.  Cook until the sausage reaches 190 degrees or is completely cooking.  Take the sausage out of the oven and allow meat to cool.  Cut sausage into slices and set aside.      

Pizza:
This pizza was pretty quick and easy to prepare.  Cover base of pizza crust with a thin layer of the olive oil.  Then, add the BBQ sauce and cover the base of the pizza.  Next, add the grits in a thin layer over the top of the BBQ Sauce.  Add the sliced sausage and arrange in a manner that every slice will two pieces of meat on it.  Next, add the spinach and baked beans.  Then cover all toppings and pizza with the cheddar cheese.  Bake for 10-12 minutes (depending on crust), or until the crust and cheese starts to brown slightly.  Take out of oven and allow pizza to cool.  Cut and eat.  

Pairing:
When pairing a BBQ style pizza, I always think about a good Pale ale or an IPA.  You need a good balance of hops with the sweet and tangy BBQ sauce.  I am not too familiar with brewing companies from Arkansas, but I hear Diamond Bear Brewing Company is pretty good.  A light wine like a Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay would be a good fit for this pizza as well.   Cheers! 

Learning Moments: 
I am writing this blog after the fact, so I am able to know the transition that has taken place after making this pizza.  At this time, I have never put baked beans or grits on a pizza. This pizza definitely challenged me to go outside the box, but I felt that I needed to step up my game on making everything from scratch.  You will notice a difference from this pizza to when I made the California pizza.  

Week #3: Arizona - Sausage & Avocado Pizza

Arizona Sausage & Avocado Pizza

State:  Arizona

I have never been to Arizona.  Shocker right?  Lol.  My idea of what the culture like is only based upon what I find after doing a Google search.  After researching Arizona, I found out a lot about the traditions and cultures of the state.  There is a large Mexican-American cooking tradition within the state and I wanted to focus in on these culinary cooking styles.  This pizza came out pretty good, but I would make an adjustment to the recipe for the next time.  See the learning moment's section. 

Ingredients Needed:
1 crust - store bought or from scratch
1 cup of refried beans - pre-made or from scratch
1 smoked sausage
1 chorizo sausage
1 avocado - sliced 
1 tbsp lime juice
1 cup of corn
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese or desired amount

Sauce:
1 tsp of cumin
1 tbsp of chopped cilantro
pepper and salt to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp of cayenne, jalapeno, or red pepper
1 small can of sauce

Sauce:
For the pizza sauce, I made a tangy Mexican style sauce.  Mix the can of sauce, with the spices, lime juice, and cilantro.  Mix together and add salt/pepper to taste.  

Refried Beans:
In order to make the beans smooth, I added butter and milk to make a sauce like consistency.  Cook over low to medium heat in order to make the consistency.  

Meat:
Grill or cook sausages in oven at 400 degrees until temperature is 190 for pork.  I usually get them to 200 and then take them out of the oven.  Take out of oven and allow to cool.   Cut southern sausage into slices and cut the chorizo until little pieces, like ground beef.  

Pre-made crust from Publix

Pizza:
Preheat oven.  Coat pizza with tomato sauce until it covers the whole pizza.  Next, coat the pizza with the refried beans.  Then, add the sausage evenly along the pizza to ensure every slice has equal portions of meat.  Add the slices of avocado to the pizza and add the corn.  Again, space out to ensure that there are equal parts on the pizza.  Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes (depending on the crust) at 415.   Take out and allow pizza to cool before cutting/eating.  

Pairing:
When pairing wine or beer, I would do something to counter the taste of the beans and cheese.  I great Cervesa would be Sol, Pacifico, or a pale ale.  I would go with a light wine as well for the pizza.  


Learning Moments:  
Okay, so this is the first time I ever added refried beans or avocado to the pizza.  I learned that avocado does not cook that well in the oven for long periods of time and will get mushy.  I would continue to make the pizza as described above, but add the avocado on at the end after you take it out of the oven.  Maybe even making it little pieces of avocado, because I felt it was too much.  Overall, this pizza was pretty good, but the cooked avocado didn't help enrich the taste.  I may redo this again and make it an enchilada style sauce instead. 

Week #1: Alabama - Southern Sausage & Black-Eyed Pea Pizza

State: Alabama 

Here is the first pizza of the challenge!  Pizza night will never be the same again!!

This is a reoccurring them here, but I have never visited the state of Alabama.  After doing a lot of research, I have found that BBQ and southern cooking is primarily the cooking methods are traditional in Alabama. I am trying to remember what I made on this pizza, so please bare with me.  In the beginning, I was not sure where to take this challenge.  I was not as critical as I am now, so I did not make my own BBQ sauce and used Naan bread for this pizza.  Either way it turned out scrumptious, so I hope you get inspired by this first pizza of the challenge.  

Ingredients Used:

1 cup of black-eyed peas - canned, frozen, or cooked
1/3 cup of frozen okra
1/4 cup of diced peppers
1/4 cup of BBQ sauce - Your own or store bought
1/2 cup of freshly grated Mozzarella cheese
1-2 smoked southern style sausages
1 tbsp of olive oil

Sauce:
This pizza was pretty quick and easy to make.  Being my first pizza, I took the lazy route and used a store bought BBQ sauce.  I was picky about which one, as I try to avoid all of preservatives and harmful ingredients like High Fructose Corn Syrup or other GMO's that go into these sauces.  I bought one from Whole Foods, which was a locally made sauce.  It was pretty good, but now that I know how to make a sauce and how easy it is, I will make my own from now on.  

Meat:
The meat was pretty easy.  You can either grill or bake the sausages in the oven until they reach appropriate temperatures.  I baked them in the oven at 400 for 15 minutes or until they reached 200 degrees.  After cooking, I allowed them to cool and cut the sausages into slices.  

Pizza:
Preheat oven to 415.  Coat the naan bread with a thin layer of olive oil and then covered the pizza crust with the BBQ sauce.  Then I added the pieces of sausage, diced peppers, peas, and okra.  Then, sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese over the top of the pizza.  Put into the oven and cook for 10 minutes, unless using a fresh crust and then cook for 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the crust.  Take out and allow to cool.  

Pairing:
At this time, I did not get into what beer or wine to pair the food with.  For this pizza, I would assume a Merlot or full bodied red wine would be great with this pizza.  When eating a BBQ pizza, a good pale ale or even Belgian would be a good fit with this dish.  I always go with a IPA, which worked as well.  The bitter hops bounce off lovely to the sweet and tangy BBQ sauce.  

Learning Moments:
Being this was my first pizza, I went outside the box a little with the black-eyed peas and okra.  I never thought about putting ingredients on a pizza like this.  It actually worked out pretty well and the pizza turned out pretty good.  After doing this first pizza, I wanted to get more creative and innovative.  This pizza helped set me up for the Alaskan, which also challenged my cooking style and pushing the limits of the pizza challenge! 
   

Week #2: Alaskan - Salmon & Scallop Pizza

State:  Alaska

So no surprise, but I have never been to the state of Alaska.  I went to school with someone from Alaska before.  I remember when it would drop down to 20 degrees in the winter and would snow, he was still wearing shorts.  I would think he was crazy, but I am sure he was exposed to much more extreme temperatures.  When I think of Alaska, wildlife and the seafood comes to mind.  I hope you enjoy this pizza, because my wife Monica and I loved it.  

Ingredients Needed:
1 tbsp of chardonnay
1/2 lb of Salmon
1/4 lb of scallops
1 pizza crust
2 strands of scallions - sliced
2-3 diced peppers - I used Sweet peppers 
1 tbsp of dill - diced
1 tbsp of chive - diced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup of freshly grated mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup of butter
1 tbsp olive oil

Sauce:
The sauce was very easy to make and my goal was to think of it like a dipping sauce for lobster or king crab legs, but a little different.  I diced up the dill and chive to a really fine size.  I heated up the butter and added in the lemon juice, dill, and chive.  I removed it from the heat and allow to cool.  You can use a little bit of Tabasco with the sauce, but the goal is it should be buttery. 

Meat:
This part of the pizza is very delicate and the seafood can be a little pricey, so I went with a small pizza on this state.  In a frying pan, heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil and sear on both sides.  I would cook the scallops and fish separately, but with the same consistency.  Both should have a nice brown crisp sear to the outside, but you don't want to overcook the seafood.  Allow for the salmon to get a nice crisp on the outside.  Remember, do not overcook as seafood does not taste good when overcooked.  :)  After cooked, cut each scallop into four pieces or enough to spread out around the pizza.  For the salmon, flake the fish off into little pieces.  

Pizza:
Preheat oven to 415.  The first thing you will do to your crust, is add a thin coat of olive oil to the crust.  By adding the oil to the crust, it provides flavor and will keep your ingredients onto the crust.  Then, add your sauce to the base, covering the whole pizza but not the outside of the crust.  Reserve about 2 tbsp of sauce for later.  Cook crust with sauce for 8 minutes.  Take out of oven.  Start adding scallops and fish along the pizza.  Make sure to spread out enough so each slice of pizza will have both meats on a slice.  Then add diced peppers and diced scallions.  Add freshly grated cheese and sprinkle the remaining sauce around the pizza.  Cook for 3-4 minutes just enough to allow the cheese to melt.  Take out of oven and allow pizza to cool.  Cut pizza and enjoy! 

Pairing: 
This pizza is SUPER tasty and is one of the best pizzas I have ever made.  It is very rich in ingredients and requires a nice balance for the pizza.  I would recommend a white wine for the pizza, maybe something with an "oak flavored" taste.  For a beer, a great IPA or APA would be good with this.  I wasn't able to find an Alaskan beer for this challenge, but I there are a lot of brewing companies starting to make way in Alaska such as Alaskan Brewing and Midnight Sun Brewing companies. 

Learning Moments:  
This pizza took me out the traditional pizza box, creating new flavors and working with seafood.  I tried to stay true to Alaska with the ingredients presented above and I really enjoyed making this pizza.  I had never seared seafood, as I usually do not cook a lot of seafood at my house except for shrimp.  This pizza has taken me a little further in my adventures of cooking.  I hope you enjoy, because this pizza rocked!!  :)

Week #15: Iowa - Loose Meat Pizza

State:  Iowa

I have never been to Iowa, so I had to do a lot of research on this one.  Iowa's top produce is corn, soy, and apples.  I wanted to find a staple food or dish that is from Iowa and apparently the Loose Meat Sandwich without sauce is the must-try dish.  So, I decided to do a Loose Meat Pizza, where it is similar to a sandwich, but is designed like a pizza.  The Iowa Loose Meat Sandwich recipe is very similar to what I call a "Sloppy Joe", but does not have the tomato sauce.   This pizza turned out really well and don't make judgement until you eat it at least once.  I was very pleasantly surprised.  Here is what I did to make the pizza:

Ingredients Needed:

Meat Recipe:
1 lb of Ground Beef
1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp of brown sugar
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp onion powder or 2 tbsp of chopped onion
2 tbsp of low sodium beef stock
Salt & Pepper to taste

Pizza Sauce Base:
1 tbsp of oil
1 tbsp of water
2 tbsp of Spicy Brown Mustard

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Mozzarella Cheese
Sliced Pickles
1 pizza crust - Preferably homemade

Sauce:

For the sauce, I made a mustard style sauce for the base.  Since the meat is in a marinade, the sandwich calls for a yellow mustard, but I decided to do a spicy brown.  The spicy brown mustard I used was Tabasco's version, which has some kick to it.  I mixed the mustard with olive oil and water, which made a spread for the bottom of the pizza.  Combine all ingredients together and adjust to consistency.  It should still taste like a mustard, but the water will help thin it out.  

Meat:

Cook the ground beef until brown.  Then add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, garlic, onion powder or onion, salt & pepper to taste.  Cook ingredients together until mixture is thoroughly blended into the meat.  Turn off heat and allow meat to cool.  This will be a topping for your pizza. 

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 415.  The pizza crust is going to be the bun or sandwich bread.  Spread the mustard sauce along the base of the pizza till all areas are coated.  Then add the ground beef mixture to the pizza, covering all areas like a Loose Meat sandwich would be.  Layer pickles across the top, just enough to get 1 or 2 on each slice of pizza.  Then add mozzarella cheese and sprinkle the red flakes.  Allow to cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes depending on the crust.  Take out of pizza out of oven.

Pairing: 
Trying to find a beer from Iowa is a challenge, because they do not export to Florida.  Some great companies to try would be Three Floyd's Brewing or Twisted Vine. I went with a Porter style beer or a Rye IPA would be good.  For wine, a great red would be good for this pizza.  

Learning Moments:
Sometimes, simplicity is very good.  Simple ingredients can make a pizza really taste great.  For this pizza, there was the acidity of the pickles, the sweet & salty meat, the cheese, and the tangy mustard base.  This was an underdog pizza right here.  It is a MUST try!  By the way, why do pickles have food coloring and all those preservatives in them?  I guess Vinegar is not enough to preserve pickles for some reason.  Try to find a better natural or organic version.  In addition, eating this pizza the 2nd day may have been better than the first.  Enjoy and cheers!!  

Week #14: Indiana - Daddy Mac Pizza

State:  Indiana

So for this pizza, I really was in the air between the pork tenderloin sandwich that is popular in Indiana or the Daddy Mac, which is popular in Indianapolis.  I decided to go with the Daddy Mac, because who doesn't like pulled pork and Mac & cheese?  Exactly.  The challenge for me this week was I had a cold with severe congestion, so I can't taste anything unless it is really strong.  There are a few changes I would make to this pizza, so please see the "Learning Moments" section.  Overall, the pizza had a good taste and worked out pretty well.  The photos are not the greatest either, so I need to work on that as well.  Hope you like it and get inspired to make your own.   

Ingredients Needed:

1 lb of Pork Shoulder 

1/4 a cup of diced onion

1 cup of shredded white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese

1 packet of Mole Sauce - From scratch or store bought
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 cup of half & half
1/4 cup of butter 
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 crust - I did a recipe for a personal size pizza dough

Sauce: 

Since I was sick, I did the lazy way of making a marinade for the meat.  I used a Mole Barbacoa sauce from Rick Bayless.  I was going to make one from scratch, but congestion got the better of me.  The sauce was pretty good, but it definitely needed some doctoring to make it taste the way I wanted to.  You can find great mole recipes out there and I saw one that was for a Dr. Pepper flavored chipolte sauce, which sounded really good.  Once this cold leaves me, I am going to make a mole sauce and then add the recipe to this blog.  The problem with this cold is I can't taste anything unless it is vinegar...lol.  

Meat:

So for the meat, I cut up 1 lb of pork shoulder into small pieces.  Usually, for pulled pork you would let the meat cook over a slow period so you can just pull it apart.  I was a little short on time and did not have a Dutch oven, so I cooked this within a 2 hour period over a stove.  First I trimmed off all the fat and seared the sides of the meat in olive oil till their was no red.  I then added in diced onions and cooked until translucent.  After this, I stirred in the mole sauce and cooked on simmer until all of the juice absorbed into the meat.  This process may take an hour or hour and a half.  Once this happens, you should be able to pull the pork apart with your fork.  The next time I make pulled pork, I will do the slower and bigger pieces, with a homemade mole sauce.  :)

Pasta:

I was pretty lazy with the Mac & Cheese as well.  I boiled noodles for 15 minutes till they were soft and drained the pasta.  Then I added in half & half, Parmesan & sharp white cheddar cheese, and butter.  I cooked until the liquid absorbed and added salt/pepper to taste.  Next time, I think the Mac & Cheese would be better if it had a sharp yellow and a yellow American cheese.  

Pizza:

After all ingredients have been cooked and prepped, I start working on the pizza.  Add a thin coat of olive oil to the base.  This will enhance the flavor of the pizza.  Then add a layer of Mac & Cheese to the base, covering the pizza completely.  Then, add the pulled pork to the pizza covering parts of the pasta without doing too much.  Then use a little more cheese for the top of the pizza to enhance the cheese flavor of when you take a bite.  Please see learning moments section to see recommendations for altering original recipe.

Pairing:
When pairing a wine with this pizza, a robust red wine would be ideal for this pizza.  My vote would be a Malbec or Chianti, something that is soft and goes well with the cheesiness!  When pairing a beer, I would go with a good porter.  My vote would be a porter with a coffee and vanilla notes.  Something that will enhance the flavor of the pizza.  I am not aware of too many craft beer companies coming out of Indiana, or at least that sell beer in Florida.  From my research, I would go with a beer from New Albanian, Sun King, and Three Floyds Brewing companies.   

Learning Moments:
No excuses, but....I had and still have a cold with congestion, so my cooking skills were suspect this week.  I still wanted to keep the tradition alive, so I went through with it.  The problem was I couldn't taste the food I was cooking, unless it was really strong and my wife Monica, the taste tester was in the same situation I was.   The pizza was good from what I was told by my coworker and from my wife.  For some reason, I didn't make a base to the pizza and after eating the first slice, I knew that it would have been a lot better with a cheese sauce base.  Secondly, I would use an American cheese instead of the Parmesan and maybe a yellow sharp, really sharp cheese or a Gruyere.  All in all, this pizza turned out pretty good, but this may be one that I redo at the end of the challenge.  We will see.  :)

On Gluten-Free Crust

Week #13: Illinois - Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

State:  Illinois

I have only been to Illinois once and I visited Chicago for 2 days, for a work-related function.  I walked all throughout downtown on Michigan Avenue and went shopping, which was a lot of fun.  I bought a Chicago umbrella, but I have no idea where it is....lol.  What I do remember about the food in Chicago, was the influence of Italian food.  I walked through an Italian neighborhood and ended up eating dinner at Mike Ditka's restaurant. 

Ingredients Needed:

Pizza Crust (Makes 1)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup yellow cornmeal

1 tsp of salt

½ a packet of yeast

1 cup slightly warm water

1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided (1/4 cup melted, 1/4 cup softened) – DID NOT USE FOR MINE

1 TBSP of Olive oil for coating

Sauce:

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can of organic or regular plum tomatoes

Toppings:

1 package of mozzarella cheese or 1 cup of freshly grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ lb of chicken Italian sausage in bulk or removed from casings

½ of green pepper – diced

½ of onion - diced

½ of mushrooms – diced

½ cup of Kalamata olives

Crust:

This is for 1 pizza and I used a round cake pan for this pizza.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and yeast in a very large bowl.  Toss ingredients together and add the warm water and 1/4 cup of melted butter (if using). Make sure water and butter are not too hot or it will kill the yeast and burn your hand if mixing by hand.  If you melt it in the microwave, let it sit for 5 minutes before adding. Knead dough until soft and falls off of the fork.   Let dough sit for 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  After dough has rested, place into the deep dish pan and start making the sides rise to the top when fixing dough.  Put dough in for 10-15 minutes or to allow crust to brown.  Remove from heat.

PLEASE NOTE:  I am not the best baker and since this is my first time making this crust, so take warning on the instructions for the crust.  I would Google a good recipe to make the crust.  That’s what I did to find a crust.  I actually did not like the recipe I found, so I would try to Google another recipe for this. 

Sauce:

Process the tomatoes until they are crushed.  I choose whole tomatoes, because it makes them fresher than having them sit in a can crushed and sitting next to the aluminum.  It helps keep the flavor more intact.  Add into a medium sauce pan and add spices.  Cook to boiling and remove from heat.

Meat:

Tear ground chicken into little pieces and cook on medium heat until browned.  Ensure all chicken has been cooked and then add onions.  Allow onions to cook until they become transparent and then set aside. 

Pizza:

After the dough has been cooked or browned, it should be puffy.  Press down on the middle of the dough and place slices of mozzarella cheese on top of it, covering all of the bottom.  Then add the sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and olives.  Then add the sauce on top of the toppings and sprinkle the grated cheese on top.  Cook for 15 minutes or so at 425.  Once cheese is browned on top and pizza is bubbling a little, you know it has cooked through.  Allow pizza to cool and then cut, serve and eat. 

Pairing:

For this pizza, I would go with one of the beers from Two Brothers or Goose Island.  I have sampled a few of the craft beers from Goose, but I didn't like them all that much.  I have not had any of the beers from Two Brothers, but I hear they are a good company.  I would say a pale ale or a lager would be great for this pizza, since the flavors are so rich in the pizza.  Pairing a wine, I would consider the same thing.  Unless you are like me and drink a Red wine with any type of food.  LOL.

Learning Moments:

The biggest challenge for me in this pizza creation was making the crust.  I am not a great baker and for some reason, even if I follow the instructions, it doesn't work out like I want it to.  I made the best with the situation as usual and the pizza tasted good, but I realized I need to work on that crust a little better.  Baking is an art form and it is something I will continue to work out.  With that said, the pizza was really good.  It tasted like it was from Chicago, but maybe some dive restaurant that you would buy a pizza for like $5....Lol.  No, in all seriousness, the pizza was really good.  The tastes was spot on, because I cook by taste and using the right ingredients that blend well with each other.  It is all about the harmony of the ingredients!   I just need to work on my baking skills.  Either way, Illinois is over and we are on to the next.  Cheers and I hope you enjoy this blog!  

Week #12: Idaho - Au Gratin Potato & Bacon Pizza

Au Gratin Potato & Bacon Pizza - Gluten/Soy/Corn Free

State:  Idaho

I have never been to Idaho before and honestly, I do not know where the state is located on a map of the US.  So to those who are from Idaho, please excuse my ignorance and I hope I did your state well.   Going into this challenge, I really did not know what to use for this pizza besides the Russet potato.  Researching the state, I learned that Idaho is well known for huckleberries, which is impossible to find in Florida.  I could have purchased a frozen bag of huckleberries from Amazon for $20 a pound, but they would not have made it here in time and that is a little pricey for something I have never ate before.  So, going forward, I decided to focus on the potato and I read on the state's site that dairy is a big staple in Idaho as well.  Being that the potato was going to be the highlight of the pizza, I decided to make an Au Gratin potato dish and add bacon.  No one will be angry at putting bacon on this pizza.

Idaho natives, I hope I did your pizza justice.  I will definitely make this pizza again!!  This pizza is a must try and is great comfort food.

Ingredients Needed:   1 Pizza

Au Gratin:

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons gluten-free flour (tapioca or white rice flour)

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 to 1 cup Organic Half & Half or Milk for preference (Amount depends on consistency)

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups very thinly sliced peeled potatoes (about 2-3 medium)

1/3 cup chopped onion

4 Slices of Organic Smoked Bacon

1 Pizza Crust - homemade or store bought

1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley

Sauce:

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat.  Stir in onions and cook until translucent.   Stir in flour, salt and pepper until a rue consistency is formed.  Gradually add milk and stir till mixture thickens. Cook until mixture is smooth and like a gravy style texture.  Remove from heat. 

Meat:

Take 4 slices of bacon and cook in a medium fry pan on medium heat.  Cook until on both sides until slightly crispy.  Allow to cook and break up into little pieces.

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 410 degrees.  To make the pizza, add a little olive oil to the pizza crust.  Olive oil enhances the flavor of the crust.  Next, take part of the sauce and spread over the crust to create a base.  Third, take the slices of the potato and evenly distribute closely along the pizza.  Fourth, add the sauce and coat over the whole pizza, but not overflowing.  Top off pizza with cheddar cheese.  Place into oven and cook for 10-15 minutes depending on crust or dough mixture or when cheese sauce is cooked.  Do not burn the top or overcook the pizza.  Take pizza out of oven.  Evenly distribute bacon along pizza top of the pizza.  Add chopped parsley and allow pizza to cool before eating.  Sauce on the bottom can be very hot.

Pairing:

With a cheesy and milky pizza with bacon, I would recommend a craft beer that is hoppy or tart.  Since I am not able to find any beers from Idaho here, I went with an IPA from Sierra Nevada.  Any IPA that has a strong hoppy finish or a Barleywine would be great for this pizza.  If I was in Idaho, I would try an IPA from Grand Teton Brewing, Laughing Dog, or Selkirk Abbey Brewing Company.  For a wine, I would focus on a robust red, such as a Merlot or a Pinot Noir.  This will bring out the flavors of the cheese and balance out your palate.

Learning Moments:

I really didn't know what to expect going into making this pizza.  I wasn't sure if this was going to work, or if the potatoes would cook through in a short time frame and if this idea was too simple for a state.  I realized that sometimes simplicity is everything.   This pizza exceeded my expectations and was amazingly good.  It must be the power of cheese, potatoes, and bacon that really made this pizza amazing.  I am actually looking forward to making it again, but on a crust made from scratch.  The most important thing that I learned when cooking, is to keep it simple and focus in on the ingredients.  It's not all about the wow factor, but more about the marriage between the toppings and the taste that will make a pizza successful.

I would highly recommend this pizza!!