Description
This delicious and hearty Pizza Baked Potato recipe combines the comforting softness of baked potatoes with a flavorful pizza topping made from sautéed pepperoni, tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil, all crowned with melted mozzarella cheese. It’s a perfect easy meal that brings the best of pizza and baked potatoes together.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes
- 4 baking potatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Topping
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 60g pack sliced pepperoni, torn
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- ½ small pack basil leaves, shredded
- 100g grated mozzarella
Instructions
- Prepare and bake the potatoes: Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/gas mark 6. Scrub the potatoes thoroughly and dry them well. Prick each potato several times with a fork. Place them directly on the oven shelf and bake for 1 to 1½ hours, until soft when tested. Alternatively, if short on time, prick each potato and wrap in kitchen paper, then microwave on high for 8-10 minutes until soft inside.
- Make the pizza topping: While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped red onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the crushed garlic and torn pepperoni slices and cook for another 1-2 minutes, allowing the pepperoni to release its flavors.
- Prepare the sauce and finish the topping: Add the canned chopped tomatoes to the pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Season to taste, then stir in half of the shredded basil leaves to infuse fresh herbal notes into the sauce.
- Assemble and serve: When the potatoes are cooked and tender, slice them open down the middle. Spoon the pepperoni tomato sauce generously over each split potato. Top each one with a good handful of grated mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with the remaining fresh basil. Serve immediately while warm and melty.
Notes
- You can microwave the potatoes to save time if you’re short on oven availability.
- Feel free to swap pepperoni for other favorite pizza toppings, such as mushrooms or bell peppers, for variation.
- For a spicier kick, add chili flakes to the topping sauce during cooking.
- Leftover toppings can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and used as a pasta sauce or pizza base sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Keywords: pizza baked potato, baked potato recipe, pepperoni topping, mozzarella cheese, easy dinner, Italian-inspired, one-pot meal
