Feeling Patriotic? It's always fun to make patriotic food, especially for the Fourth of July. Sometimes there isn't a lot of time to cook, but that shouldn't stop anyone from serving yummy and festive food for the holiday. Actually, the following Blue Bacon & Potato Patriotic Pizza is great for any patriotic holiday, and guests or family members will devour it in a matter of minutes. Even though blue food isn't particularly appetizing, it's a must in this case, since a blue rectangle with stars representing the states is an integral part of the American flag. While there are blue potatoes out there, they are sometimes difficult to find, so just coloring a small amount of the topping with a squirt or two of blue gel paste coloring and a little water for the blue square makes for an easy fix. If you're the lucky one to eat the blue section of the pizza, make sure you check your mouth after eating in case you end up with blue teeth.

If you have an automatic bread machine, the dough almost makes itself. If not, you can purchase refrigerator pizza crust, or use frozen dough. Homemade is best, of course, but you can get good results with the alternatives. The recipe makes enough crust for two pizzas, or one pizza and a baguette of crusty bread; olive oil on the baking sheet makes the thin crust crispy. Cooked sliced new potatoes and sliced onions cover a sprinkling of blue cheese and are topped with partially pre-cooked bacon slices for the stripes. Once the blue potatoes are put on the flag, a few extra crumbles of blue cheese form the stars. Make sure you play the national anthem and other classic patriotic songs while eating, and the mood will be set for the evening fireworks.

8 Servings

Dough:
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast

8 pieces thick bacon

Topping:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, thinly sliced
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Blue gel paste food coloring

1 cup crumbled blue cheese, or Gorgonzola

1. Dough:Place the dough ingredients in the pan of an automatic bread machine in the order given; set the machine to the dough setting and start.
2. Let the cycle run for 5 minutes; check to make sure the mixture has formed a soft ball. If the dough is too stiff, add a little water and restart; if it is too soft, add a little more flour.
3. When the cycle has finished, turn out onto a lightly floured pastry cloth or board, cut in half, and let rest for a few minutes.
4. Meanwhile while the dough is mixing, place the bacon strips on a broiler pan in a preheated 350° oven.
5. Bake 10-15 minutes or until it is almost done, but not crisp; remove from the oven and set aside.
6. Place 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large microwave-safe dish.
7. Add the potatoes and onions; toss so that the oil is evenly distributed.
8. Cover and microwave on high power for five minutes; stir, and microwave an additional 5 minutes.
9. Remove 1/3 cup of the mixture and place in a zip-type bag.
10. Add a few drops of the food coloring and a few drops of water; shake until the potatoes are coated.
11. Assembly: Heat the oven to 450°.
12. Smear 1 1/2 teaspoons of the remaining olive oil over the surface of a 17 1/2" x 11" jelly roll pan. Roll or stretch one half of the dough so that it fits into the pan; a small rolling pin makes the job easier.
13. Brush the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil over the surface of the dough.
14. Reserve 1/2 tablespoon of the blue cheese and sprinkle the remaining over the surface of the dough.
15. Arrange the potatoes and onions over the cheese, pressing them down so that the dough fills out the pan.
16. Arrange the blue potatoes in the upper left hand corner to form a rectangle and sprinkle with the reserved blue cheese crumbles.
17. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through, the crust is crisp, and the potatoes begin to brown.
18. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Note: you will only use 1/2 of the dough for this pizza. You can use the other half to make a large baguette, or another pizza.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 421 Calories from Fat 130
Percent Total Calories From Fat 31% Protein 12% Carb. 57%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 14 g
Saturated Fat 5 g
Cholesterol 17 mg
Sodium 625 mg
Total Carbohydrate 60 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 13 g

Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 30% Calcium 0% Iron 11%