What's Your Fave Grocery Frozen Pizza?

Red Baron Four Cheese Classic Crust

That Cleveland story is paywalled OP. What were the top pizzas in their survey? We like the Whole Foods thin crust frozen pizzas.

I quit buying frozen pizza because they all started tasting like shit to me and they are kind of expensive these days for how shitty they are. I’ve seen some frozen pizzas for $8 in the store! With a coupon you can go to any chain pizza place and get a real pizza for that price.

Sorry, R2. I don't know why but it's not paywalled for me (and I'm not a subscriber). Try opening it in incognito mode, tho it works in normal browsing for me either way. Here're the top 2, both bought at Target for $8.99. This brand isn't in my area, maybe it's in yours.

- No.2: Outsiders Pizza Company, Three Cheese -- We say: While we had never heard of Outsiders Pizza Company before this journey, we are now big fans. You need to be hungry if you are going to indulge in this pizza. The crust is thick and filling, yet not so heavy you will be weighed down. The tangy sauce shines through despite the thick crust. Did we mention the cheese? There is lots of blended cheese and it overflowed the crust once it melted. This is a great “stay at home for pizza and a movie” night

- No.1: Outsiders Pizza Company, Bacon and Jalapeno, -- We say: This is damn good pizza. The unique pairing of toppings was so tasty we went back to the store for another pizza! One of us talked about this pizza so much, her husband wanted to try it so a third pie was purchased. The crust was just as thick as the Outsiders 3-cheese, but had a nuttier flavor. The BBQ sauce is smokey-sweet and there’s plenty of thick-cut, crispy bacon pieces and jalapeños, which deliver real heat. This pizza was, according to Davis, “a real flavor bomb.”

[bold]If the OP review article is PAYWALLED for you --[/bold]

Try going to the article from this google results page I've linked. It's the top result, you'll need to click the top result. Sometimes paywalled publishers let a google result click-thru get the article - some corporate backscratching or something. Again, I have no prob getting the article for some reason but I do now see it's marked "subscriber exclusive." I should've noticed that before, sorry y'all.

Red Baron French Bread Pizza

Frozen pizza taste like flavorless cardboard to me I buy fresh pizza from a local pizzeria and wrap the slices in foil and place them in the fridge, I don't freeze them since it dehydrates them and consume them within the week.

I always liked DiGiorno rising crust supreme frozen pizza. I have a very specific way I bake it that leaves it slightly undercooked so the crust is all very soft and kind of gooey in the center.

I have to watch it carefully or the crust quickly turns and totally dries out to crisp crumb bread, which I hate.

I’ve started making my own pizzas and they actually aren’t that hard to make. I felt silly for not having started making my own pizzas years ago it’s so simple. Better than that frozen horseshit since I use fresh ingredients.

[quote]Red Baron French Bread Pizza

I always thought Red Baron was plain as hell.

Tombstone used to be good until they fucked with their crust a few years ago and made all of their crusts a “butter crust.”🤢 Who the fuck wants a pizza that tastes like butter?

Couldn't agree more r9.

The link is to an incredibly easy and flavorful pizza crust.

Easy to make the dough, no kneading and I have found that a 48 hour rise makes an amazingly delicious crust.

I make it, divide the dough into 3, eat one and freeze the other two crusts (after baking them for 3 mins).

I used to buy the cheap generic Great Value brand pizzas from WalMart at the deli section. Next to the microwaveable burritos and pre-made salads. These pizzas were giant things that came in a box with a see-through window. They nearly didn’t fit in my oven. I would always get the “extra cheese” one.

I would also grab a small package of sliced pepperoni, always stocked nearby. I’d then place the pepperoni sliced all over the pizza and bake in my oven (I also like it slightly underdone) until the edges of the pepperoni slices were crispy on their edges.

Cheap tasting? Yep. But delicious. Huge, dripping with cheese and crispy pepperoni and a soft crust. It would take me days to finish it and the whole thing cost like $8.

Sadly, that was years ago. At some point my two WalMarts I go to stopped stocking this item. I think they realized they were giving too much away.

none, on the rare occasion I have it at home I make it fresh, otherwise, it is just TOO easy to order out

I once had a Freschetta frozen pizza that was something like spinach, bacon, onion and a white cheese. I remember thinking it was incredible.

In the UK ALDI generally win these comparisons. The top rated one is 'Carlos Generously Topped Deep Pan Pepperoni 400g' and costs 79p ($1.10).

Paywalled! LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME

Ok you get points for trying to link go arounds. But you owe me a reach around for this aggravation

Somehow, this thread is less depressing than the “what is the gay A-list” one.

I buy the ones that are not frozen. There is one with a "stone baked" crust that is convincing. I buy the basic one and add what strikes me from my pantry - capers, olives, anchovies, maybe tuna, tapenade. Mashed anchovies or tuna packed in olive then tossed with breadcrumbs to soak up the oil and crumbled over the whole piece. Fresh finely chopped onion. Bits of ham. Whatever.

Chicago Inn and Motor City Detroit

Urban Farmer does a sweet potato crust that’s really good.

In fact, the whole line-up is good, they all can make a quick, easy and flavorful meal. 1/2 a pizza and a tossed salad, voila!

As a kid, we always had Tree Tavern brand (adding our own pepperoni).

Not frozen, but we get the Boboli thin (or similar), pizza sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil, canned pre-cut black olives and a pepper. It takes 5 minutes to prepare and like ten to bake. Delicious when paired with a simple salad and a decent bottle of red.

Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic and Pesto Pizza with Deep Fried Crust

Red Baron individual cheese deep dish pizza.

And believe it or not, 7-11 cheese pizza (you can buy it unbaked).

American Flatbread, the Revolution variety. Very good and I learned about it here on DL awhile ago. Needs to be defrosted for 15-30 minutes before baking but worth the extra time.

In true DL fashion a bunch of posters can't stick to the topic.

No one cares that you turn your nose up at frozen pizza and either make your own or only eat pizza from your neighborhood joint. The OP is asking about FROZEN GROCERY STORE PIZZA, not any of those things. FFS.

Very interesting article. I usually buy the Great Value and Digorno brands......but it's nice to read an honest opinion about something I usually have once a week......

Jack's frozen pizza isn't bad and it's usually cheap. The crust is thin and crispy.

Once in awhile I'll try a frozen pizza that has gotten a rave review in the virtual or real world. I have to say they all disappoint--the crust is always flavorless and a bit cardboard-y. The toppings are sometimes good. The sauce is usually too bland and the cheese usually suffers from too many preservatives and not enough taste.

Delivery often means cold pizza and the sleeves often make the crust too soft. Pick-up is usually the best alternative and most places of any size have some alternative to Pizza Hut or Domino's.

R25 Yes, I’ve heard several people extol the virtues of 7-11 pizza. I’m skeptical, but will try it one day when I’m feeling cheap and adventurous!

I like the Whole Foods brand thin crust pizzas.

Stouffer's French bread pizzas. But for the price, Red Baron is surprisingly solid.

I'm not a big fan of "self rising" frozen pizzas since they rely on baking powder in lieu of yeast, and it's definitely noticeable. They taste too dough-y, dense and flavorless imo.

Honestly though, now that Domino's is offering $7.99 3 topping 14" pizzas (pickup only), you can't beat that.

I wish I liked Stouffer's French Bread Pizzas because everyone raves over them, but I just cannot stand those things.

Really love Newman's Own 4-cheese pizza. It's the best I've ever had by far.

Red Baron has a great thin crust Mexican pizza. The Lotsa Mozza meatlover pizza is also very good but I think that might be local.

[Quote]Chicago Inn

Do you mean Home Run Inn? I've only been to a restaurant of theirs once but used to get the frozen pizza often. I love the unique crust, the sauce not so much.

I almost never get delivery or frozen pizza. Occasionally I'll buy a fresh one (bake at home), but lately I've been trying to make my own using those packaged thin crusts (not Boboli.) But they never seem to get crisp enough for me, even if I bake them for twice as long as the directions (and I do use a preheated pizza stone.)

A very dear friend of mine used to turn her nose up at frozen pizza crust, R27. She would laugh at frozen crusts - and at pre-made pie crusts sold in a foil container as well - and accuse the consumers of these things of being less than human.

I tried her pizza crust one day. It was ok. Nothing to text home about. Of course, I complimented her on her crust. I told her it was far superior to store bought crust. She preened and gloated in my praise.

And then she died.

Home Run Inn frozen pizzas are indeed excellent.

I live next door to a local pizzeria so I don't buy frozen pizzas often. If I do decide to pick one up, it's usually a Private Selection mozzarella & arugula this crust from Kroger. I'd take those over the lower-end chains like Little Caesar's and Pizza Hut, though they can't compare to even the better quality chain places like Uncle Maddio's or Marco's.

I’m pretty inpatient and of course a fat whore, so I typically don’t buy things that cannot be cooked in my microwave. If I need a pizza, I’d rather press a few buttons and wait 30 mins for a delivery.

*Impatient

But lol what a typo

Red Baron individual deep-dish pepperoni pizzas. Little bit salty. If you liked the circa 1990s Pizza Hut personal pan pizzas, you will like this. Crust is good.

Newman's Own spinach & cheese pizza. Red Baron crust is better than this one, though.

Vicolo makes excellent frozen pizzas! They are based out of San Francisco so I think they’re only a West Coast thing. I love them!

Newmans Own Four Cheese. Gotta be the four cheese. For some reason, their pepperoni has about 1/3 the amount of cheese as the four cheese pizza.

[quote]I almost never get delivery or frozen pizza.

Then why are you posting on a thread asking the question What's Your Fave Frozen Grocery Pizza?

I tried a Private Selection pizza a few months ago and it was greasy, r40. Now I'm really wary of them.

Previously they'd had a mushroom and sausage Private Selection flatbread pizza that I loved but they discontinued it, so I tried another one that looked similar, and it was about 50% grease.

I also love the Newman's Own 4-cheese but now I'm gonna try the spinach and cheese because of this thread.

Amy's frozen pizza's aren't bad. They made a bbq tofu chicken, but i haven't seen it in a long time. Same with the Red Baron taco pizza, haven't seen it in years.

American Flatbread is very good, but its expensive. Home Run Inn and Newman's Own are good too.

Has anyone tried the Screamin Sicilian Pizzas? I'm kind of weary.

#1 DiGiorno self rising supreme

#2 Freschetta naturally rising crust supreme

r5 tried to open it in an incognito window but it's suscribers only. BOO I want to see the ranking

I loathe frozen pizzas, except for Home Run Inn (the plum tomato variety). They really made me a believer that it’s possible for a frozen pizza to not taste like shit.

They’re pretty hard to find here in NYC, though.

(I feel like some Trader Joe’s pizzas have fine tasting sauces/toppings, but I have trouble baking them. They seem to come out burnt on the outside and mushy in the middle.)

Screaming' Sicilian are a good example of premium frozen pizza that isn't much better than cheapies. The ingredients may be a bit better but the crust has no taste and the sauce is bland.

I didn't care for Screamin Sicilian at all. We got the supreme "Mondo Italiano" version a couple of times and the crust wasn't very good, it had more of a cardboard taste than any other frozen crust I've ever had. The sausage was also kind of spongy in a way I didn't care for.

Tony's. Cheap. Not all that bread like the others and slightly spicy sauce. Also easy to add things to.

As a gayling in the 1970's my FAVORITE frozen pizza was ELLIOS. It's still in business although they don't sell the big round frozen pizza anymore which was my favorite as a kid and the company was sold to McCain Foods ( Canadian company) in 1988. After that their pizza was average. It was sold in 2014 to a German company (Oetker). I've tried Oekter pizza once- AVERAGE.

People who eat frozen pizza have baby tastes.

[quote] I also love the Newman's Own 4-cheese but now I'm gonna try the spinach and cheese because of this thread.

I'm the one who said I liked Newman's Own spinach & cheese pizza. B/c of this thread, I'm going to try the 4-cheese.

As cheap-ass frozen pizzas go, I love Totino's because of the crust.

Yea, if you are spending 8 to 10 bucks on one, go get a real one from the pizza parlor

R13, those pizzas are still sold by Walmart. Just recently bought one. They are in the deli at front of store.

Thanks r56, couldn't think of the name, Ellio's. Had it last week and it has to be the absolute worst frozen pizza ever! Used to be okay, but now? Avoid at all costs.

DL's favorite store has LOTS of options.

Kirkland Pizza at Costco, excellent.

I meant to say, Kirkland Pizza in the deli-case at Costco.

I like Goop's Kundalini, Mussels and Clams pizza.

Walgreens brand is surprisingly decent

I've been eating Tree Tavern all my life--we used to have it when I was a kid.

Lately I like Stouffer's French bread pizza, because at least the crusty bread is fun. There isn't much tomato or cheese, but I find it helps to chop a few cherry tomatoes and add those to the (defrosted) pizza, along with spoonfuls of olive oil, because otherwise the things come out very dry.

They're not great pizza, but they're fun.

I like Tombstone pepperoni but haven't had it for a long, long time. Crust is not good, but I like the tomato sauce (not sweet, very tomato-ey). Pizzas, a lot of times, don't have enough tomato sauce.

Baking your own pizza “with fresh ingredients” is the new pasta rinse.

[quote]As cheap-ass frozen pizzas go, I love Totino's because of the crust.

I like Totino’s but the pizzas are so small now they’re like a snack rather than a meal. Also, they give me the shits.

Why I couldn't possibly eat pizza- do I look Eye-talian?

The one thing I liked about Elio’s frozen pizza was the shape and the fact that the pieces were already scored. Other than that, it was was not good. Limp and tasteless. It didn’t even have that weird fake spice taste so many frozen pizzas (or any other frozen Italian dish) have.

Oh, I like Celeste frozen pizzas for one. They don’t have that weird taste either.

Their number one has cheddar cheese. They fucking have no taste.

I love the thin cracker crust of Tostino's but I don't even want to know what the actual ingredients are for them to sell them so cheap

Oh my god. What am I missing with Home Cunt (Run) Pizza??

I expected so much more after the typically rave reviews (like here up above)

The crust is odd- almost croissant like (and I was a massive fan as a kid in the 90's of those Pepperidge Farm Croissant Pizzas)

Bland and flavorless.

I was psyched when I realized a few years ago that my Fresh Market carried them- I was floored at how bland it was.

Our Walgreens carries Home Run Inn pizza and I may try one even after r76's post.

R77- Consumer Reports once gave it a VERY good review. I bought it and tried it. Meh.

Whole Foods Hummus Pizza

Holy shit, R19 - can I come over for wine, weed and pizza please?? Your system for churching up pizza sounds amazing

Jacks can be found at Walmart and for a great price. Jack's is a spin-off pizza company that was formerly owned by and made pizza for Schwann's. What makes Jack's good is its cracker-like crust and tasteful sauce. I don't feel bloated by heavy dough, unlike many of the others mentioned above. '

I've not run into that problem R47, but maybe it's because I never buy frozen pizzas with meat as an ingredient? Veggie pizzas (and pastas) seem to weather the freezing process better.

Jack's cheese pizza and their hamburger pizza are both great, I didn't know they were formerly Schwann's, that explains why they're so good for being one of the most inexpensive pizzas in the freezer aisle.

Like many people, pizza is my favorite food.

I hardly ever do frozen...but when I do? I want a throw back to my halcyon days of childhood: I get Mama fucking Celeste.

It's disgusting, but I just love it.

I do this maybe twice a year.

"You're all awful. Every fucking one of you. And there will be no prizes."

Their top two ranked pizzas are both Detroit style pizzas? That’s some BS bias there.

I can read the OP's article. No paywall, and I use a VPN.

[quote]What makes Jack's good is its cracker-like crust and tasteful sauce.

"Tasteful" sauce?

I especially like California Pizza Kitchen's Thai Chicken pizza and BBQ Chicken pizza.

All the Newman's brand pizzas I've tried are good - in fact, all the Newman's brand products I've used have been good.

Full of taste. Retardo Montalban?

Roma used to be my jam in high school. Then they came out with a rising crust option and I was obsessed. I tried the regular recently and it wasn't as good as I remembered but not bad. The thing with frozen pizza is the cheese gets weird in the oven. Like there's plastic in it or something. The last tasty one I found was Bellatoria's Ultimate 5 Cheese.

Back when Archer Farms was a thing at Target, they used to have a Mushroom and Truffle Oil frozen pizza, which also had caramelized onions as well. It was absolutely the best frozen pizza out there. Now Archer Farms is defunct, and Good & Gather is the official Target brand. They do a copycat version of this pizza that is absolutely flavorless. Such a shame.

[bold]Here's No's 4 and 3 for all you bumping up against the paywall.[/bold] I'll maybe post more but I ain't doing all 130 that's for sure.

No. 4 - Great Value, Beer Cheese Sauce & Sausage, Where we bought it: Walmart, $5.98

Box says: “Beer cheese flavored sauce, sausage, mozzarella and cheddar cheese on a pretzel crust”

We say: The biggest disappointment with this pie is that it did not offer up an overwhelming pretzel flavor, which we were really looking forward to.

There was plenty to savor. The crust crisps nicely and was tasty, and the mild and creamy beer cheese sauce was a delicious change of pace. Best of all was the two kinds of sausage, one mild and one with a decided kick. But we were disappointed this pie did not deliver an overwhelming pretzel flavor, which we were really looking forward to.

No. 3 - Mandia, Garlic and Cheeses Where we bought it: Nature’s Oasis (Shaker Heights location), $7.99

Box says: “Handmade pizza Napoletana. Product of Italy. Imported stone-baked Italian pizza. No preservatives, artificial colors or flavors.”

We say: We feel fortunate we stumbled on this pizza because Mandia has found the formula for the perfect cheese pizza. The crisp crust was filled with air pockets and tasted like it just came out of a stone pizza oven. There is no sauce, just a light coating of olive oil and mounds and mounds of cheese, which caramelizes as it cooks to give a nutty flavor.

And here's the two bottom of the rung ones, no's 129 and 130.

No. 130 - Daiya Meatless Meat Lovers Where we bought it: Fresh Thyme, $8.99

Box says: “Deliciously dairy-free; soy-free; gluten-free pizza."

We say: The entire team thought this pizza was completely devoid of flavor. “This looks like the painted wooden toy foods kids play with - and tastes like it too!” - Brenda Cain

Buy it on Instacart

No. 129 - FSI, Pepperoni Where we bought it: Walmart, $1

Box says: No description

We say: “From the moment this pizza was unwrapped, I knew I would be disappointed, and I wasn’t wrong. Save your dollar.” – Yadi Rodriguez

Amy’s used to have a three cheese with cornmeal crust you could get at Whole Foods that was absolutely delicious. Sadly they’ve discontinued their cornmeal crust line.

The Kroger Private Selects pizza are pretty decent. The grilled veggie and goat cheese is good as is the cheese and marmalade (no joke).

R94- Health food or as they are now called- Natural Food stores should still carry Amy's cornmeal crust pizza which Consumer Reports liked. I bought it and tried it and thought it was MEH.

I prefer the Red Baron french bread pizzas to the Stouffers, I add some extra cheese to them

I tried the Newman's Own spinach and cheese pizza and it was good. The sauce is a cream cheese sauce so it was too rich for me personally, but my partner also liked it and he's never liked any white pizza before. I do think the 4-cheese is superior.

Those small Sabatasso individual pizzas are very good, Costco carries them.

For some reason, Costco no longer carries DiGiorno, they were quite good. The Costco Kirkland pizza tastes like cardboard with sauce, ugh

I find Doreen's Gourmet PIzza is the best available in Chicagoland. I don't believe it's available anywhere else. The Cheese is my favourite, and "her" Pepperoni is my second choice. Sadly the sausage isn't the best, IMHO.

I rarely order them when I'm out for pizza, but also like the frozen Gino's East Deep Dish Sausage personal pizzas. They may only be available locally as well.

The Home Run Inn began here in Chicago, and it's good as long as you select the thin- Crust variety, as the thick one is a bit unusually flavoured for pizza crust. The poster upthread who likened it to croissants is not far off IMHO... it tastes like pastry, similar to the kind my mum makes for Scotch Pies.

I tried Outsiders frozen pizza, while it was slightly better than other frozen pizzas I'm going to stick with freshly made pizza from my local pizzeria. The crust still tasted like cardboard, the tomato sauce was slightly better, there was so much of it you could barely taste the cheese.

Believe it or not, Stouffer's actually made a Lean Cuisine 14" pizza. I never tried it, and never saw it in any grocery store, but I happened to live right by their factory and they had a small outlet shop which is where I spotted it.

DiGiorno's Pizzeria! 4 Cheese was good but they discontinued it. They now have one labeled Hand Tossed but the sauce and spices are inferior to the Pizzeria!

Does anyone remember Mama Rosa? The pizza's were usually in the deli or meat section of the grocery store. Sometimes they came two in a pack. They were pretty good.

Screamin' Sicilian Supreme to which I add even MOAR toppings.

Anyone had a cauliflower crust. All the brands seem to have them now.

R94

[quote]The grilled veggie and goat cheese is good as is the cheese and marmalade.

"veggie"? Really?

Totino Supreme is good, spicy sauce and lots of diced pepperoni. They're small so they can be a snack, or a meal with a salad.

If you can find it..Home Run Inn Pizza is the best. It's a Chicago based restaurant but I can find their frozen pizzas here in Iowa. They have the best crust and doesn't taste frozen like most

Grandiosa

Many of the better quality frozen pizzas are in the $9-$12 where I live, at that price I can just get a fresh one instead.

For the price, Red Baron is solid. Really flavorful, spicy sauce and a great thin crust. They sell for about $3.50 for a 14", but sometimes I've seen them on sale for $2.98.

[quote] For some reason, Costco no longer carries DiGiorno, they were quite good. The Costco Kirkland pizza tastes like cardboard with sauce, ugh

Typical Costco. Get rid of something good and replace it with Kirkland (Costco store brand) _____.

Tried the Newman's Own 4 cheese pizza. Lots of cheese, yes, but I don't think I'd buy it again. Crust was not great. Cheese was not tangy / salty (no hints of Parmesan or something salty like that, which should be included in a 4-cheese pizza).

Upthread, I said I liked Newman's Own spinach and cheese pizza. I really meant *Amy's* spinach and cheese pizza.

Anyway, we all have different tastes and I had been wanting to try Newman's Own.

Red Baron and Tombstone are surprisingly good. I mean, good being relative to what frozen pizza is. D'Giorno is overrated.

Yeah, I like Red Baron, too. Pepperoni, the single serve ones.

I like the tomato sauce on Tombstone.

Never tried D'Giorno.

The Caulipower frozen pizzas are actually really good, not as cardboard-y as the other brands. Gluten free too. They are pricy, I stock up on them when on sale.

Krogers/Ralphs Private Selection has some great veggie and interesting pizza choices for $5.

But we add some toppings and of course use a pizza stone to get the best crust.

I like Freschetta rising crust supreme the best and stock up when it's on sale. I won't buy DiGiorno because it's owned by Nestle.

Hannaford's is as good as Freschetta. Aldi's is adequate but the sauce is bland.

You really can't get a decent pie for less than $12 with comparable toppings to the supreme.

Totinos when I was poor years ago, now Giorno is okay (I add fresh tomatoes on it and/or garlic for a kick).

Actually, Nob Hill has a delicious spinach and goat cheese woodfired frozen pizza for like $5 that is hands down the best frozen pizza I’ve ever eaten. But only available in my area where Nob Hill products are sold.

*Digiorno, I meant.

I know there are lots of posters raving about DiGiorno, but a warning to those who wish to try them: take a hard pass if you're allergic or sensitive to soy. I've had the Pepperoni, as well as the sausage and both times ended up shitzy and plagued by severe intestinal cramps. The meats are fake with lots of soy products: Soy Protein Isolate, Hydrolysed Soy Protein, and Soy Flour for the sausage. Not fun.

You didn’t get gyno, did you, R120?

Digiorno pizza is gross to me R120, the meat tastes very weird

R122 That it does... I didn't want to crap on others' yum here, as the thread's bout favourites, but I agree. I think the cheese and veg varieties are the way to go with this brand. Perhaps add your own Pepperoni or Sausage if you're a meat lover.

Home Run Inn! The crust is so buttery and the cheese is good. Terrible for you though, and no frozen pizza is better than fresh.

“ Costco Kirkland pizza tastes like cardboard with sauce, ugh”

Sad. We just bought a 4 pack.

I was expecting more from Screamin' Sicilian and Home Run Inn, I didn't care for them. I will stick with DiGiorno or Freschetta self rising Supreme for higher quality frozen. When I want a small portion the Red Baron french bread pizza. And once in awhile just for that crunchy crust a Totino's.

I don't like Costco pizza very much. I don't care how cheap it is.

Stopped buying frozen pizza because this is SO easy, cheaper, and is made with real ingredients. I use olives and/or sandwich ham when I don't have pepperoni or the other items on hand. Yum! Going to make the dough right now. Takes five minutes!

We always have a can of Pillsbury crescent rolls in the refrigerator so I sometimes use them as a pizza crust. Also use them with those little cocktail weiners and make pigs in the blanket. Also just like them as a roll with dinner.

My mom was the type who made food from scratch but once in awhile she would make a quick hamburger helper type meal and would serve the crescent rolls with them and I always loved them.

I used to like Screamin' Sicilian Boss Hog (sausage) best, but the last few I've bought haven't been very good. The sausage itself is still the best among frozen pizza, but the sauce and/or cheese doesn't seem as good. Overall, I like DiGiorno and CPK best. I tried Motor City Detroit style pizza recently and thought it was decent if you like thicker crust.

DiGiorno and Freshcetta always have raw uncooked dough in the middle no matter how long I cook it. Some people may just think it’s gooey cheese.

[quote] I don't like Costco pizza very much. I don't care how cheap it is.

For years I heard people raving about how good the Costco pizza was, which would be the same as their frozen. So I bought one. Disgusting. Probably the worst frozen pizza I ever tried, and by far the most expensive.

While I seldom eat pizza (over 50), I always try to get fresh. If I ate it more often, I would likely just make it at home like a friend does -- really not that hard. Of course once I start down that road I'll be shopping for caftans.

I think people rave about Costco’s fresh pizza, not the frozen.

R133 - But isn't it the same thing? One is cooked there on the premises, and the other is frozen. I don't think Kirkland is creating two different pizzas.

The fresh is made from scratch daily in their kitchen. The frozen is from a factory far away. Different ingredients, different toppings, no fresh veggies on the frozen, probably not the same meat.

Oh OK. I had no idea that Costco made their pizza fresh every day. How odd.

I used to get either California Pizza Kitchen or Freschetta, but I don't keep frozen pizza in the house now because I don't eat it. As a special treat, I may order fresh pizza as take out 3-4 times a year, but that's it.

It's not that hard to make a decent pizza yourself.

Fresh home made pizza is 10 times better than store bought frozen pizza and even takeout pizza from chains. All you kneed to do is plan the day before. If you want that commercial flavor, just add lots of salt, sugar, MSG, preservatives, and grease to your sauce.

During lock down, it took me 3-4 times to get the crust right for thin crust (I'm not much of a cook and learn by fucking dishes up a few times), but I will never go back.

R139 Please share your secrets or tips you've learnt to be the most helpful. A recipe might be nice too.

r140, YouTube

Lou Malnati's makes a great frozen sausage deep dish. They're Chicago based and available in some grocery stores but ship nationwide. They're more expensive than ordering from Domino's, but if you're like me and live in the country with no pizzarias available, they're good to have on hand.

I can't find the video now but Refika on YouTube has a pizza recipe which is just a large tortilla for the crust, and the sauce is garlic and roast beef blitzed in a processor with tomato sauce. It sounds weird but it's really good, the only problem is the center of the tortilla is usually soggy while the outer "crust" gets really brown.

Of course I found the video as soon as I said I couldn't find it.

Basically, the sauce is 10 tablespoons tomato puree, 2 cloves of garlic, 5 sprigs of thyme. 4 tablespoons olive oil, 8 slices cured roast beef (or any kind of cured, smoked meat) and you top that with cheese and whatever you have on hand. It was a lockdown recipe so she used cashews and string cheese but of course you can use better ingredients these days.

I do use less olive oil though.

Isn't there some chain that sells prepped, raw pizza (not frozen) and you cook it at home? I keep thinking they have an Irish-sounding name. Never tried them but it sounded like something worth a go.

R145 Papa Murphy’s “take and bake” pizza. Back when I last got it, it was $12-14 for a large cheese, which is not cheap. It tastes okay but wasn’t so good I wanted it regularly.

I'd like to make pizza at home, but if I try to use raw pizza dough (either homemade, purchased from a store or restaurant, or in a tube) it's a disaster. I can never get it to stretch out properly. And it usually ends up with holes and tears, or uneven thickness. It's a pain to work with. So lately I've been using these thin pizza crust disks they sell in the store. (I don't like thick or doughy crusts, so no Boboli for me.) They work pretty well, and I can get a good crisp crust with a pizza stone. But they don't taste nearly as good as a pizza made with fresh dough.

So many local pizza joints near me are offering great deals if you just come and pick up the pizza(s), it just doesn't make sense cost-wise or effort-wise to make them entirely from scratch.

Thank you R145. I couldn't remember it and it was bothering me.

I make my own dough, freeze it and then thaw it when I'm ready to use it. It tastes better that way.

Real pizza from your favorite pizza place will freeze great, if wrapped well in foil and thawed and reheated in an oven, not nuked. No frozen pizza tastes as good. If the pizza tastes good when you have it at your pizza place/Italian restaurant, it will taste good after being frozen and reheated. If you get crappy pizza to start with, it won't get any better after being frozen and reheated.

Safeway's own brand (Signature) has surprisingly good 4 cheese pizza, with self rising crust. It is on sale quite often, which is the only time I buy it, and it is usually $4 on sale. That's 6 slices - two meals.

Does anyone remember Pizza Inn? I think they went out of business in the 90's. My parents use to take us for pizza sometimes after church. It was to me, the best pizza, but that could just be nostalgia.

Pillsbury pizza crusts in the can are excellent. Just roll them out on a sheet pan, or use them in a cast iron skillet. There's no need to make your own crust. Who has time for that?

There are no good grocery frozen pizzas. I've never found one, anyway. And believe me, I've fuckin' tried.

How about a pizzadilla?

I really liked that DiGiorno Extra Thin, which seems to be discontinued in my neck of the woods. It was a about a 10” pizza had a gluten-free thin crust which cooked decently well and had a decent chew, along with a decent amount of cheese and sauce. Whole bad boy was under 600 calories. I don’t get why they don’t make more pizzas similar to this. Not everyone wants a huge pizza but those personal ones are too small.

It was actually DiGiorno Ultra Thin

The Kroger President's Choice pizzas are excellent and better than the gourmet frozen pizzas that cost 2-3x more. They can get a little oily, so if that bothers you, then just blot it with a paper towel. I personally think it adds to the flavor.

Home Run Inn is quite good.

r157 I agree. The single serve DiGiorno's are too skimpy but their regular size are too much for one person.

I'll put on my flame proof suit and say I buy Chef Boyardee pizzas and then add extra toppings. I love those suckers, I add butter to the crust and with extra cheese and toppings they are good.

Early in the pandemic I got a couple of Chef Boyardee pizzas and they were fine but I thought the crust was a little grainy.

I’m not a big fan of pizza, but occasionally I like Home Run Inn frozen pizza. Not sure if that’s just a Chicago brand. Anyway, it’s good. Pie-like flaky crust and not too much cheese.

Screamin' Sicilian

Avoid the Wegmans brand -- they are disgusting.

The Costco / Kirkland pizza that they make & sell on store premises is not good. It's cheap, very cheap, and IMO that's why people like it.

I had a friend who loved to eat at California Pizza Kitchen (in the restaurant). I ate there with him 2-3 times and did not understand the lure of that pizza. Therefore, I'm not tempted at all to try their frozen pizzas.

Agreed about California Pizza Kitchen. I never knew what the hell was the big deal. Just hype.

R165 & R166 Agreed.

R161 & R162 Where is your general location? I have never come across Chef Boyardee Pizzas.

r167 They aren't actual pizzas--just a box with some sauce and a crust mix.

California Pizza kitchen bbq chicken. Delicious.

Thx R168 Do you or other posters think the mix is better than Pilsbury crust? I'm inclined to make a pizza tonight with a cheater crust.

r170 I've never tried it. I HAVE tried the Pillsbury crust and it's a pain to work with, in my opinion. But then I always have problems with doughs.

I can't remember. It's been 20 or 30 years since I bought a frozen pizza from the grocery. Only fresh pizza is acceptable.

Cheers R171

r170 I prefer the Chef Boyardee crust, I add warm water and butter to it then drizzle it with oil. I love it

I don't eat them enough to have a favorite, but if I'm feeling it, I'll get Totino's Combination Pizza Rolls. And they MUST be that brand. Store brands don't have nearly as much flavor. I know it's still a pizza roll in the end, but there's definitely a difference.

Margerita pizza is my favorite, and a lot of the margerita pizzas that are frozen are cheap and flavorless. Still haven’t found a really good frozen margerita pizza that doesn’t taste bland. The brands that sell frozen woodfired pizzas come the closest though.

Agree with those who think California Pizza Kitchen is blah. I’ve eaten pizza in the restaurant and eaten the frozen pizzas and neither taste good to me. It’s like eating a thin tasteless cracker with cheap, sparse sauce, and cheap cheese on top.

Low quality cheese is always easy to tell from the taste. At least frozen pizzas with feta cheese have more flavor! Totino’s cheese melts so quickly you know that has to be mostly oil.

Tony's I'm telling ya'll.

r177 I liked Tony's pizza better in my youth when it had cupped pepperoni on it

California Pizza Kitchen's BBQ Chicken and Kroger's Cubano Pizza are guilty pleasures.

Thx R174

I get pizza crust from the grocery. Then I use fresh basil, fresh cherry tomatoes sliced in half, crushed garlic, sauted baby bella mushrooms, along with loose Italian Sausage, either hot or mild, and drain the grease off. Throw a 15 ounce can of Cento tomato sauce in a small saucepan with some Garlic, a bit of fresh oregano and salt & pepper. Add a dash of red pepper flakes if you want. Let the sauce simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Place everything on the pie crust you've shaped either round or rectangular on a cooking sheet. Sauce first, then meat, then everything else. Use Mozzarella, Parmesano, Pecorino Romano, Asiago, Gran Padano, goat cheese, Feta, etc. Now don't use all of them, but three cheeses are fine. A bit more sauce and then a bit more cheese. Bake in the oven until crust is brown about 45 minutes at 350. Now actually you can use any toppings you like.

OP here, the original article I posted that was paywalled to some MIGHT have been un-paywalled.

Give it a shot if you're interested. No promises.

[quote]Oh OK. I had no idea that Costco made their pizza fresh every day. How odd.

I gather the fresh pizza is the one sold in Costco's food court? I did occasionally see a large boxed Costco pizza in their meat section, but my Costco hasn't carried that type for years, just the fresh pizza from their food court and the various frozen varieties. Costco's own Kirkland brand now has bread crump crust and the other variety is Pepperoni, there's also the small individual Sabatasso pizzas (10 to a box, they're actually quite tasty) and whatever 'gourmet' pizza brands Costco carries during their monthly coupon sales.

I was the one trash-talking Costco pizza, but now that you mention it (R183), that frozen pizza I bought was probably Kirkland -- which may be different from "Costco" fresh made pizza sold in the court. I've never tried the latter because the idea of eating AT a Costco sounds gross to me. Nowadays I only use Instacart for Costco and venture inside, briefly, only to renew because to them it's still 1985 and you can't renew your membership online.

R184 I've grabbed a hot dog on my way out, but that's it. I wouldn't wish to linger there under those bright fluorescent lights, or hear the countless infants and toddlers crying as I'm eating.. I never tried the pizza, but it's interesting people either passionately love it or passionately hate it.

Many thanks to those who both recommended Pillsbury and Chef Boyardee crusts. I've made one of each, and about to top them. I shall report back when they've been eaten!

The verdict is in: Chef Boyardee crusts win! The Pillsbury's crust has absolutely no flavour of its own to speak of. The Boyardee crust not only tastes better, but also became crisp, whilst Pillsbury's became chewy, even after an eight minute pre-bake/blindbake. I cannot recommend Pillsbury in good faith. Both my partner and I do not like chewy crust.

r187 Glad you liked the Chef Boyardee crust.

[quote] Nowadays I only use Instacart for Costco and venture inside, briefly, only to renew because to them it's still 1985 and you can't renew your membership online.

I have renewed my Costco membership online. Maybe you need to open an online account. You then "purchase" a membership renewal.

[quote]Their top two ranked pizzas are both Detroit style pizzas? That’s some BS bias there.

don't know, Detroit Style pizza is very popular and trendy now. There is a place that opened in Philly that serves Detroit Style Pizza and it is all the rage.

I love Lidl grocery stores frozen pizza. They have a wide selection of gourmet pizzas, but my fave is the self-rising 4 cheese pizza. It is less than 3.00.

you can also call them and pay by credit card. I have to do it for work all, the time.

[quote]Many thanks to those who both recommended Pillsbury and Chef Boyardee crusts. I've made one of each, and about to top them.

You topped both the Pillsbury Doughboy and Chef Boy-Ar-Dee? I figured the Doughboy was a bottom, but the Chef seems like a top to me.

Some local pizza joints will offer "take & bake" pizzas as well as fresh pizza dough as well. I can get fresh pizza dough for only 99 cents at several places near me.

I've never been a fan of Pillsbury pizza dough personally. It has a really noticeable smell/taste to it - I can't quite put my finger on what it is, maybe some kind of artificial butter flavoring? It's actually present in all their products ime.

R188 👍🍕Thx again, had no idea they existed. We didn't try the sauce yet, as we had a jar of Rao's Pizza Sauce open. We went for 1/2 large Ekrich Pepperoni from the deli counter, and 1/2 Buona Italian Sausage. I added a sprinkle of King Arthur Pizza Seasoning, and dried Oregano before adding the Mozz.

R193 Ha! As I typed that, I had expected there would be such comments! Dough boy was a sloppy squishy bottom (also to be expected) . Boyardee was a stern, take charge power bottom, and surprisingly not doughy.

R194 There's that weird aspect to them as well. I have a S. African friend who uses the crescent dough for his sausage rolls, and indeed, it's the same smell as it bakes.

I bought a Mama Mary's premade crust today, they were by the Boboli. Haven't tried it yet, has anyone else?

r195 I use the Pillsbury crescent rolls and wrap it around those little Hillshire Farms or Eckrinch little smokies (I like the kind of weiner with cheese in them).

For some reason whenever I make Pillsbury crescent rolls, they’re always raw in the middle no matter how long I bake them.

[quote] I bought a Mama Mary's premade crust today, they were by the Boboli. Haven't tried it yet, has anyone else?

I always thought Mama Mary’s was the cheaper generic store brand to Boboli. Are they a legit brand?

r199 I bought it at Meijer store that keeps trying to foist their own store brand but Mama Mary's is a legit brand.

I put ketchup on a ritz with a chunk of a mozz cheese stick on top, and call it a day.

Is Boboli still available? I used to purchase Boboli at the Entenmann's discount outlet, it was waaaay cheaper there compared to supermarket prices.

Yes, Boboli is still available and it’s expensive, like $8. And they have disgusting recipes on their display shelf like a pumpkin spice pizza where you spread a can of pumpkin on the crust instead of tomato sauce.

I tried one of those with the crust made out of cauliflower. It tasted good, but let's just say that me and my toilet had an incredible journey together for the next 36 hours - and it's not one I would like to repeat in life - ever.

[quote]Yes, Boboli is still available and it’s expensive, like $8. And they have disgusting recipes on their display shelf like a pumpkin spice pizza where you spread a can of pumpkin on the crust instead of tomato sauce.

The Boboli at the Entenmann's outlet was around $3 for two. The dough wasn't huge, about the size of two medium size pizzas. I don't recall Boboli ever having large size pizza dough.

The low prices on all the Entenmann's products was likely due to all the stock being close to their expiration dates. Some of the cakes, donuts & cookies were only 50¢ to $1 each, this was during the time Entenmann's was still based in NY and their products were still tasty. The outlet also carried brand name bread and bagels, which were not made by Entenmann's.

Freschetta is gluten free and pretty good.

This was about the size the Entemann's outlet sold, but there were two pizza crusts per $3 package, the package size to the left in this photo, not the mini size.

You go to a "bread outlet" and wth do you expect, r205?

Can we please move beyond all the middle aged fraus flooding this site?

Do not attempt to read this thread on an empty stomach, esp. if you don't live within a block of a super grocery store that's open! You will suffer, O! you will suffer!

[quote]You go to a "bread outlet" and wth do you expect, [R205]?

Not quite sure WTF you are going on about, I was simply explaining that the Entenmann's outlets Boboli prices were less than those at a supermarket.

Jeez, get grip.

[quote]Can we please move beyond all the middle aged fraus flooding this site?

Gay men don't eat pizza? Not every gay man is a gym rat. Most people enjoy pizza, that includes gay men, straights, lesbians and kids.

Stop trying to control the thread. Fuck off.

r206 Freschetta is not "gluten free." They have a gluten-free pizza line, but most of their products definitely have wheat.

Aren’t we talking about frozen pizzas?!

[quote] Freschetta is not "gluten free." They have a gluten-free pizza line, but most of their products definitely have wheat.

Now you tell me?! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

This pizza is by far the best frozen I've ever had. From the beshemel sauce base to the stone baked crust, it's better than many delivery pizzas as well.

I like the DiGiorno's small pizza for one traditional crust Supreme. The big rising crust Supreme pizzas are better but I don't like all the leftovers.

I made myself hungry, just put one of the small DiGiorno's in the oven, towards the end I will put some extra cheese on it.