Simply Potatoes-Shredded Fresh Potatoes-Potato Pizza

Simply Potatoes now has a new fresh product of fresh shredded potatoes. As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received coupons to sample "Simply Potatoes" shredded hash browns.
I wanted to attempt a dessert option using shredded potatoes.  I racked my brain thinking of desserts that incorporate vegetables. I was thinking along the lines of carrot cake (shredded carrots), chocolate sauerkraut cake (unlikely vegetable in a cake), or a dessert containing cassava (starchy tuber).

Mike stared at me with dubious eyes and then started cracking up. He thought I was joking with all my suggestions. Let me tell you, I was serious. Mike then suggested a potato hash pizza. That sounded pretty good.

I started imagining a large potato hash crust topped with a sweeter almost ketchup-like sauce, topped with cheese and eggs. The picture above is my vision of a "potato pizza."

Mike was thinking more along the lines of a bacon ranch potato hash pizza. Just imagine a pizza with a baked potato flavor profile. I think Mike's food creations are a bit more mainstream then mine, so we started by attempting his version of the pizza.

Bacon Ranch Potato Pizza
1.5 T of vegetable oil
1.5 cups of Simply Potatoes Shredded Potatoes
1.5 cups of cheese (we used a mixture of sharp cheddar and mozzarella)
1/4 cup bacon bits (we used the real stuff!)
1/8 c Ranch Dressing
Chopped chives for color and garnish

1. Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
2. Place 1.5 cups of shredded potatoes in the pan. Let cook for 5-6 minutes.
3. Flip the "crust" (potato pancake) over and fry for another 5 min.
4. Place pancake on a baking sheet.
5. Cover with cheese and topping of your choice.
6. Place in the oven on the broil setting for ~5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
7. Cut up into slice and serve like pizza.

Here's the finished product. Our Bacon Ranch Potato Pizza!

Slice of our "Breakfast Pizza"

We then also got more creative and then added some egg as a binder for the potatoes and made the "breakfast pizza."
Our recipe was a creative way to make a gluten-free pizza. We were not trying to make a gluten-free pizza, but as I was lifting up a slice of the pie, I thought, "This is a semi-healthy (I say semi-healthy because we added all that cheese and bacon), quick alternative to pizza. 

A healthy option of our pizza would be to use low-fat cheese and top the potato pizza with colorful veggies.