The President Who Enjoyed Margherita Pizza With Unique, Rich Toppings

From George Washington enjoying his breakfast hoecakes in the morning to Joe Biden having a scoop of ice cream after dinner, every president has had his own favorite food, with some being more strange than others (squirrel stew, anyone?). White House chefs have been catering to the tastes of the Commander in Chief for centuries and there's one particular POTUS who often required the kitchen be turned into a pizzeria: President George W. Bush. He didn't have a taste for a simple, Margherita pizza, though. His favorite pie came with toppings found on a cheeseburger.

While he may be remembered for when he choked on a pretzel and fainted while watching a football game, which left him with a bruised mouth, Bush's favored cheeseburger pizza should be the culinary takeaway from his time in the Oval Office. With a classic Margherita pizza base (dough, sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil), this homemade pizza is topped with ground beef, bacon, fried onions, pickles, extra cheese, and ketchup. It is an interesting and delicious choice that we can all indulge in thanks to our former President's unique palate.

Pizza is wonderful for many reasons. It's crispy yet fluffy, saucy and cheesy, easy to make, and even easier to eat. One of the major reasons that pizza is a superior meal is because it is so versatile by allowing for whatever toppings you're in the mood for. Gone are the days of simple veggies and meat as the topping possibilities are endless. More fascinating pizzas are popping up on menus everywhere, such as the lobster pizza at Scampo in Boston and the bone marrow pizza at Herb & Wood in San Diego, which comes with actual bones on top.

Making pizza at home is fun and allows for more room to play with ingredients, like in this roasted pumpkin and sausage ricotta pizza. For inspiration to create patriotic pizzas at home, you can look to some of the other former presidents' favorite foods. Woodrow Wilson's Virginia country ham and Herbert Hoover's caramel tomatoes are simple substitutions for already-popular toppings. Grover Cleveland and Warren G. Harding were both sauerkraut enthusiasts, pairing it with corned beef and knockwurst, respectively, which would both work nicely on a German-inspired pie. Finally, Theodore Roosevelt had a love of fried chicken and white gravy, which could be a rich and creamy substitution for the tomato sauce.