The Perfect Duo: Pierogi Pizza

I love pizza, we know all know that!  But this pizza combines two of my favourite things:  pierogies and pizza.  It also reminds me of home, because this is one of my Mom’s favourites.  Recently my family went to Boston Pizza for a family dinner, but as I am across the country, I didn’t get to go.  Thus, I decided to make it feel like I was there and make pierogi pizza myself!  As stated above, this is a restaurant re-recreate, as Boston Pizza was the inspiration behind this pizza creation.

The pizza is known for having a spicy undertone and I always wondered how they did it.  There was never a sign of hot sauce, red pepper flakes and no coloring to indicate that cayenne or red chili powder was used.  I turned to google, researched it, but it came up inconclusive.  So, what did I do?  Like any good blogger, I called up BP, indicated I had an allergy and asked what was used to make the pizza spicy!  It worked!  Their secret….jalapeno juice!  They soak sliced potatoes in the jalapeno juice overnight (or for as long as you like) to give them the spicy kick!  Genius!!

So, with their secret uncovered and my years of experience eating it, I can now enjoy this pizza at home, whenever I want!

Trust me, if you love pizza and you love pierogies, this pizza is for you (and it makes amazing leftovers!)

Enjoy!

Pierogi Pizza

Yield:  One Medium Pizza
Prep Time:  20 minutes of active prep (overnight soak required or at least 10hrs)
Cook Time:  30 minutes for potatoes, 15 minutes for pizza

Ingredients:

Potatoes

• 3 large white potatoes, peeled & sliced very thinly (1/4 inch)
• 1 large can of jalapenos pickled in juice (La Costena Jalapeno Nacho Slices – 12 oz can)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp of cooking oil (I used vegetable)

Pizza:

• 1/2 batch of Annie’s Pizza Dough (or other pre-made/pre-bought dough)
• 1 batch Spicy Potatoes, cooked (directions below)
• 1.5 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup of bacon, diced, cooked and drained
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1/3 cup of sour cream (plus more for serving)
• 1 tsp seasoning salt

Directions:

Spicy Potatoes Prep

The night before (or morning of) slice your potatoes and place in a large bowl (note – I use my mandolin to get the potatoes thinly and evenly sliced).  Open the can of jalapenos and puree the contents using your hand-held blender (or place in your food processor and puree).

Place the entire can of pureed jalapenos in the bowl with the potatoes and add one teaspoon of salt.  Stir well to ensure that potatoes are evenly covered.  Cover and refrigerate overnight, or until ready to cook (note – I suggest at least 10hrs of marinating time, so plan accordingly).

After Spicy Potatoes have marinated…

Heat a large, deep-sided non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of oil and allow to heat for 1 minute.

Add the potatoes and all of the jalapeno juice to the pan.  Allow mixture to come to a boil and cook, covered, until potatoes are fork tender, stirring occasionally.  Be careful not to brown potatoes – reduce heat if this begins to occur.  Entire cooking time should be about 25 minutes, but will depend on the thickness of your potatoes!

Note – Fork Tender means that potatoes can be sliced in-half with a fork, but are still slightly firm.

Remove potatoes from stove and drain in a colander.  Rinse potatoes with water to remove all of the extra jalapeno juices. Place potatoes on kitchen towel/paper towel and dry thoroughly.

Set potatoes aside to cool while you prepare the pizza!

Pizza Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees (and if you have a pizza stone, preheat that as well).  It is good to allow your pizza stone to pre-heat in a 500 degree oven for at least an additional 15 minutes.

If you have a pizza peel, lay that on the counter.  Otherwise, prepare a sheet of parchment paper (either square or cut to shape of your dough).

Now, prepare your dough. On top of your parchment paper or your pizza peel, roll out the dough into a round pizza shape.  Leave an edge around outside for the crust. Once you’ve achieved the shape you desire, pinch the outside of the dough to create a crust. Then pierce the crust with a fork all the way around (this will prevent large air bubbles from forming in your crust while it bakes!).

Now, it’s time to assemble!  Pour the sour cream over the unbaked pizza dough and spread with a spoon.

Top the sour cream with the potato slices, ensuring that you cover the entire surface evenly, without overlap (as much as possible!)  Sprinkle the 1 teaspoon of seasoning salt over the potatoes.

Top the potatoes with the cheddar cheese and 1/4 of the mozzarella.

Finally, sprinkle the cooked bacon evenly on top of the cheese mixture, followed by the remaining mozzarella.

Cook in your pre-heated oven for approximately 17 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and bubbling.

Sprinkle the hot pizza with the green onions immediately out of the oven, and allow the pizza to rest on your cutting board for 5 – 10 minutes (if you can resist the smell!).

Cut pizza and serve with a dollop of sour cream on top!

Enjoy (I know you will!)

(I’m sorry for the horrible quality of this photo….but I had to get a shot of it fresh out of the oven.  And, I apologize there is no “after” shot with the green onions & sour cream….I couldn’t wait any longer!)

JBean Original Recipe, Inspired by Boston Pizza