For The Best Baked Potato, Make It Pizza-Style

Ah, the humble baked potato. It's so simple, yet so delicious. It's also an amazing blank canvas for all sorts of topping and flavor combinations. Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and bacon bits are classics, but what if you're craving something a little more ... Italian? Consider sprucing up your spud pizza-style with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni before smashing it into a "crust" for a homemade personal pie.

Start by baking your potato as usual — in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for just under one hour. When it's done, place it in a skillet, drizzle it with olive oil, and smash with the back of another skillet until flat. Here you'll add in tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni slices before placing it back in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese has melted — and voila! You now have the perfect potato crust pizza. Some chefs even turn it into an actual pie by keeping it in the skillet and adding a layer of regular dough on top before the second bake. Whatever method you choose, it won't disappoint.

This pizza-inspired dish (which isn't far off from the Italian potato pizza) comes out crispier than traditional baked potatoes. The skin gets flakier thanks to the second bake, and the gooey, melty cheese adds a soft texture, too. Plus, extra cook time turns each pepperoni crispy for an added crunch. It's an irresistible combination, perfect for family dinners when you can't decide on just one meal. After all, who doesn't love pizza and potatoes?

Just as with regular pizza, you can customize potato pizza just about any way you like. Add chicken and sub in Buffalo sauce for a tangy twist, or garnish it with other traditional pizza toppings, like black olives, mushrooms, sausage, and onions. Make it a Margherita pizza with fresh tomato slices, heaps of mozzarella, and savory pesto sauce for something a bit lighter. If you're feeding a crowd, set up a pizza topping bar in your kitchen so your guests can choose whatever toppings they desire.

Craving something a bit more creative? Make a potato-heavy breakfast pizza by cracking a couple of eggs on top of the crust, along with cheese, bacon bits, green onion, and red pepper. Our Mexican breakfast pizza recipe may also be complemented by a potato crust, and features fresh avocado slices, spicy chorizo, and cotija cheese. A drizzle hot sauce, balsamic glaze, or cilantro lime crema (not to mention a side dip of marinara or ranch), can also go a long way.

No matter how you choose to make your homemade baked potato pizzas, cook them faster chef Jacques Pépin's way: in the microwave first. Popping your potato in the microwave for seven minutes on high before transferring it to the oven cuts down on overall cook time. That works wonders when you need a fast, easy meal.