By Travis sent me a Facebook message Tuesday May sixteenth at three forty-three in the afternoon. The first contact in nine years. Three sentences in a single line: Hey kiddo. I been thinking about you. I am sorry.
I read the message twice. I closed the app. I did not respond. I have not decided whether I will.
Mama said, when I told her at Wednesday dinner, baby, that is your call. Cody said, he does not get to walk back in. Dustin held my hand under the table. I do not know what I am going to do. The message is sitting in the unread folder where I moved it.
The recipe Sunday was baked potato pizza — pizza dough topped with sliced baked potato, sour cream, bacon, cheddar, chives, the loaded-baked-potato bar in pizza form. The kind of comfort the household needed on a Sunday after the message.
The recipe is below.
Baked Potato Pizza
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 65 min | Total Time: 75 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
- 1/2 cup canned pizza sauce or tomato sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or any shredded cheese
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat & prep. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Scrub the potatoes well and pierce each one several times with a fork so steam can escape.
- Bake the potatoes. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for 50–60 minutes, until a fork slides in easily at the thickest part.
- Cool & hollow. Remove potatoes and let them cool for 10 minutes so they’re safe to handle. Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out most of the flesh with a spoon, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. (Save the scooped potato for another meal — mashed potatoes, soup, anything.)
- Season the skins. Brush the inside of each potato half lightly with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Add the toppings. Spread 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce inside each half. Top with shredded cheese, diced onion, bell pepper, and olives if using.
- Bake again. Return the loaded potato halves to the oven and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to bubble at the edges.
- Serve. Let cool for 2–3 minutes before serving. These are hot — remind the kids.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 225 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 31g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 390mg