Potato Crust Pizza

Mid-October. Real cold this week. The thermostat clicked on Monday morning for the first time and the kids stood over the floor vent in their pajamas like cats over a sunbeam.

Halloween prep is on. I bought the candy too early. Nora has eaten six pieces. I have eaten more. I am not counting.

Liam had a parent-teacher conference Wednesday. Ms. Patel gave me twenty minutes that ran thirty. He is reading at fourth-grade level. He is quiet in groups. He does the work without complaint. He misses his father. She said it like that, not as a question, not as condolence. She said he wrote in a journal entry that the burned pancake belongs to his dad. I had not known he wrote that. I sat in the small chair across from her and I did not cry. I kept the chair. The chair held.

I came home and I asked him about it. He said he did not want to talk about it. I said okay. I did not push. He came down for water at ten. He sat at the kitchen table for a minute. He said it is not bad to write it. I said I know it is not bad. He said okay. He went up. He is seven.

Group Tuesday. I told the room about the journal entry. Bernadette listened. Henry from Quincy nodded and did not speak. Lila said her daughter wrote a note last spring saying she missed her father in the way Lila missed him too, and Lila had not known what to do with the note, and she still did not know, and she keeps it in a drawer. We all keep things in drawers.

Wednesday Kettle. Nine quarts. The Flaherty oldest is in remission. They are not done — there will be follow-up — but the word remission was used. The mother told me on the porch. She had a face I have not seen on her in months. I took the two quarts back unopened. She said she was paying it forward. Pay it forward. I have heard the phrase. I have not had it said to me. I drove home and sat in the driveway four minutes.

Saturday pancakes. Burned the first. Liam said today's burned one is for Daddy and for Ms. Flaherty's son. Nora said okay. Liam ate four. Nora ate two. I ate one and the burned one quietly when no one was watching.

Sunday dinner at Ma's. Shepherd's pie. Ma added cheese. I said nothing.

Food of the week: shepherd's pie. With cheese. I am learning to live with it.

Sunday dinner at Ma’s has a way of holding you when you don’t realize how badly you needed to be held — the shepherd’s pie, the cheese she adds without asking, the table that has always just been there. This potato crust pizza is the dish I reach for in the same spirit: a crispy, golden potato base that gives way to something warm and layered, finished with more cheese than is probably necessary. Ma would approve. I’ve learned to live with that too.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 cups shredded russet potatoes (about 3 medium), squeezed very dry in a clean towel
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (plus more for topping)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup pizza sauce or marinara
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, for topping
Toppings of your choice: sliced pepperoni, sauteed mushrooms, diced bell pepper, or simply extra cheese

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 425°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or a large round pizza pan well with olive oil or cooking spray.
Make the crust. In a large bowl, combine the squeezed-dry shredded potatoes, egg, 1/2 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix until evenly combined. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared pan, building up the edges slightly to form a lip.
Bake the crust. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the crust is set, dry to the touch, and golden at the edges. If the center looks soft, give it a few more minutes — a firm crust holds up better to toppings.
Add toppings. Spread pizza sauce evenly over the baked crust. Scatter the shredded mozzarella over the sauce, then add whatever toppings you like. A heavy hand with the cheese is encouraged.
Finish baking. Return to the oven and bake an additional 10–12 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and beginning to brown in spots.
Rest and slice. Let the pizza rest in the pan for 5 minutes before cutting. This helps the potato crust firm up so slices hold together cleanly.

Nutrition (per serving)

Potato Crust Pizza — Ma Added Cheese, and I Said Nothing