Sausage and Sweet Potato Pizza

It's time for another basement update.  And I can sum up the progress on our lower level in one word... dust.🤣  Drywall dust to be exact.  It's everywhere.😬  On every level - in every room and every drawer in our house. 😅  It's the best dust I've ever seen though because drywall dust means new walls.  

​I'm over the moon excited about our basement project.  The new space will have a new workout room, living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.  And we have the best contractor to make all of our basement dreams come true.  I knew he was the right person for the job when he suggested adding a cookie closet to store my ridiculously large cookie cutter collection. 😂
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I know that this isn't news to anyone who's ever build a home or remodeled a space but, there are a LOT of decisions to be made throughout the process.  Flooring, lighting, doors, walls, shelves, cabinets, windows, trim and outlets.  These have become the topics of our dinner conversations every night.😅  Someday we will be able to talk about things other than ceiling paint colors and the size of kitchen cabinet hardware. 🎨  

After a day of making countertop edging choices and closet configurations, I feel like I don't have the brain power left to make decisions about dinner.  Is it possible that there's a limit to the number of decisions that I can make in a single day?🤣  Some days I just feel like I have to default to my comfort food - pizza. 🍕

Sausage and sweet potato pizza may not be the obvious choice for some, but it's a delicious alternative to my usual margherita pie.  The perfect combination of protein, starch and gooey cheese just can't be beat.  And for those of you who are ready to call me out because I don't eat pork: I made this pizza with turkey sausage.  (Don't knock it till you try it.😅)

Sausage and Sweet Potato Pizza
​Crust
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoon olive oil 
1 cup water

Toppings
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
½ pound ground pork sage sausage (or turkey sausage)
1 sweet potato peeled, diced
5-6 sage leaves fresh
1 Tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg beaten, optional
2 Tablespoons olive oil
red pepper flakes

Combine dough ingredients in bowl of standing mixer.  

Knead 5 minutes.  

Place in a greased bowl.  Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Fry sausage in skillet until brown and crispy.

Sauté diced potatoes in skillet with reserved sausage grease until browned.

Add garlic, butter and sage and sauté until potatoes are tender.

Roll out dough to a 12" circle.  

Heat pizza stone on grill or in the oven.  

Sprinkle stone with cornmeal. 

Place crust on hot stone. 

Beat egg with red pepper flakes.  Brush over crust edges.  

Brush remainder of crust with oil. 

Sprinkle cheese over crust.  

Sprinkle sausage over cheese. 

Sprinkle sweet potato over pizza. 

Add sage leaves on top. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is light golden brown, and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove from stone with a pizza peel.  

Cut into wedges.   Happy Thursday friends.  

Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe