It’s 5:00 pm. You’re at the grocery store, freezer section. You are hungry, and so is your roommate back home. A long row of display cases looms before you. You need to make the most important choice of your night—you need to buy the optimal frozen pizza.
We make the best frozen spinach deep dish in the game.
A barrage of choices
First step is think about what matters most to you. Is it a thick crust? A flaky thin one? Are you going to need that crust to be stuffed? Anyone in your party gluten-free? How important is cheese selection for you? Or are you going straight for pepperoni, BBQ chicken, or sausage? Do you seek something fancy or are you strictly on a budget? The offerings include everything from nostalgic Red Baron pizza to oversized Home Run Inn pies designed for party-style sharing.
A frozen pizza taste test. (Source: Insider)
The deeper the better?
We have a suggestion: deep dish. This is a choice that covers many bases and won’t disappoint. Think substantial-but-delicate pie crust covered by supremely-balanced sauce and copious cheese. Unlike a lot of options, this one has dimension. You’re not going to end up with a humdrum flat meal when you go deep. We’re biased, but Edwardo’s Natural Pizza sure hits the spot with high-quality ingredients you can taste.
This could be you. Got your spatula ready?
Dressing it up
Hey, you might not have rolled the dough yourself, but you’re still a chef for popping a pizza in the oven. Here are some tips for elevating your at-home pizza creation even further.
Arugula etc.
Sprinkle some of this leafy green atop your pizza either at the end of the baking time or fresh out of the oven. You’ll almost certainly love the eye-pleasing color pop and the peppery taste. Other great additions in a similar vein include spinach and fresh herbs like basil, italian parsley, and oregano.
Spice is nice
Hot pepper flakes are entry-level. Try chopping up a jalapeño and tossing it on before you bake your pizza! The spiciness gets a huge upgrade with the texture of your peppers. Logically this can be extended to include any vegetable—getting some onions to caramelize atop your pizza is another excellent little trick.
Bake it right
Do you know how hot a pizza oven is on average? Most pizzerias aim for 500ºF and above! Although your back-of-the-box instructions likely suggest something in the 400ºF range, if you’re feeling fierce you can experiment with a shorter, hotter bake. Don’t be scared—you have your eyes to help you. Just set your oven to its highest bake setting and leave your pizza in for five to eight minutes, watching carefully for any signs of burning. Using a pizza stone or preheated cast iron pan is another great way to get the pizzeria vibe going—these materials heat the pizza more evenly.
Pizzaiolo in the house! (Source: Southern Living)