Change Up Boxed Potatoes With A Pizza-Inspired Twist

Boxed potatoes have been a staple of cheap and easy food since the dawn of cooking. And while they taste great with standard salt and butter and go-to toppings like chives, onions, and sour cream, we discovered a trick to make the dish even more exciting. Ladies and gentleman, we give you: pizza potatoes. 

By playing around in the fridge with ingredients you probably already have on hand, you can really kick things up a notch, especially since we all know that pizza (in whatever shape or form) is king. So, anything you like on a pizza works just as well — if not better — with instant potatoes. We experimented by creating a batch of instant potatoes with the directions noted on the box, and then sprinkled on mozzarella and cheddar cheese, topped it off with pepperoni and sausage bits, and placed the dish in the oven to broil for just a few moments — enough to melt the cheese and give the edges of the pepperoni some crisp.

You could also try this dish by experimenting with some not-so-obvious toppings like sun-dried tomatoes, bits of crispy bacon, caramelized onions, and prosciutto. Not only is this the best Netflix binge-watching snack, but it's affordable and easy. At the local grocery store, we found all the ingredients comes out to about $6 per serving and can keep you satiated for the entire evening.

Believe it or not, you can even get more wild with doctoring boxed potatoes to taste like other beloved dishes using simple ingredients you may already have in your kitchen. Try adding caramelized onions and melted gruyère cheese to a bowl of cooked instant potatoes (refer to the instructions on box) for an interesting take on mashed French onion "soup." Or, make it simpler and try simply throwing in a packet of French onion soup mix instead for the same effect.

Want a quick dish for a night watching the big game? Try a buffalo chicken-inspired option by adding a small handful of shredded chicken and 1 tablespoon of buffalo sauce to a bowl of cooked instant potatoes and mix it all together. 

The list of possibilities doesn't end with savory dishes, either. Potato candy is another fun option. It's a dish that originated in Germany and is made with a "dough" of mashed potatoes, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and peanut butter, all rolled up and sliced into pinwheels. 

Moral of the story: You can't beat cheese and carbs on a budget.