The Fastest Way To Improve How Your Frozen Pizza Bakes
Admit it: you've got a frozen pizza (or several) stuffed away in your freezer at all times. And, really, why wouldn't you? It's a meal that can feed the whole family, it's ready in minutes, and it's cheaper than takeout. Frozen pizza is heaven-sent on nights you have no time to or just don't want to cook. While these meals have certainly improved over the years, let's face it: Frozen pizza is never as good as takeout or delivery (sorry, DiGiorno). After baking it in the oven, the crust never seems to get crispy enough, and you can never recreate that desired char on the edges of the pepperoni.
According to the blog WebstaurantStore, carry-out pizza is the kind most Americans prefer; however, CNBC notes that the frozen pizza market is still a $5 billion industry (as of 2020). Clearly, convenience matters. There are some very good options out there, but they are likely far from the best pizza you've ever eaten. We take frozen pizza for what it is, which is a tasty and quick way to put dinner on the table... or satisfy a midnight craving. If you do have a tried and true brand that makes everyone in the house happy, bravo. You've already achieved something difficult. But if you want the fam to give you a standing ovation after frozen pizza night, all you need to do is adjust the oven a bit.
Crank up the heat
For carry-out results on your frozen pizza pie, bake it as the directions indicate. At this point, the pizza should be done. Before you take it out of the oven, though, Kitchn suggests switching the oven to broil and letting the pie take in that extra heat for a minute or two. Like with anything in the broiler, try not to take your eyes off it, as the difference between baked and burnt can happen in seconds. The broil setting will give the toppings that delicious char reminiscent of a wood-fired oven and will put those desirable brown spots on the cheese, all without making the crust burn to a crisp.
In addition, you could also try adding more fresh cheese about halfway through the baking time. I mean, who doesn't love more cheese on anything? Topping the baked pizza with terrific flavored olive oil and fresh herbs is another great way to fancy up the frozen meal, as is adding a surprising element at the very end: lemon!