8 Frozen French Bread Pizzas, Ranked

We love a great meeting of the minds ... especially when it comes to cuisine. And what could be better than a culinary creation that pulls from both French and Italian heritage? It's not all that common, but when these two worlds collide, we are blessed with masterpieces like French bread pizza.

Now, the origins of the French bread pizza are mysterious. If you ask Stouffer's, the brand will say that it was the first to cook up the dish — and it did launch the first frozen version in 1974. Others will tell you a food truck owner named Bob Petrillose invented it years before, or that the idea dated back even further than the food truck. No matter where it came from or how it got here, French bread pizza has stood the test of time. Now, several brands have their own take on this French-Italian comfort food, and today I'm testing them out to see which is the pièce de résistance of pizzas.

I gathered several different French bread pizzas from popular frozen pizza brands, other frozen food giants like Lean Cuisine, and, of course, Stouffer's. I baked them all in the oven, not the microwave, because that's what pizza deserves. Then, I ranked them based on the quality and crunch of the  French bread. It's the pizza's namesake, so it oughta be good. I also looked at the taste and abundance of the sauce and cheese, and cohesion amongst any additional toppings. Let's see which pie reigns supreme. Bon appétit and buon appetito!

I did not know that Lean Cuisine was mixed up in the frozen pizza game, and after trying its French bread pepperoni, I'm not sure it should be. This item is a single serving. Just one flat, boat-shaped pizza resides in the box, boasting 310 calories for the entire thing, plus 16 grams of protein and a moderate amount of sodium. Sounds like a stereotypical Lean Cuisine frozen meal to me.

There are four dark slices of pork and beef pepperoni, cheese, and red sauce on top of the crusty bread. However, it fails to deliver that classic pepperoni taste. I blame most of it on the reduced-fat mozzarella cheese. It's the kind that doesn't melt properly in the oven, leaving it with a gummy texture and a strange, extra milky taste (the modified cornstarch doesn't make it feel like real cheese, either). So, even though there's a liberal amount of cheese sprinkled on and it's blended with Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano, it still plagues the entire pizza.

The tomato soup-like sauce and dry, chewy pepperoni slices don't help its case. So, even though I had no qualms with the French bread portion of the pie, Lean Cuisine's offering still landed at the bottom of my list. It falls under the brand's Comfort Cravings line, along with other pasta dishes like lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo, and macaroni and cheese. But it's anything but comforting. Give me real, full-fat pizza, please.

You can always count on Kroger for a low-priced store-brand riff on frozen products. This French bread pizza sat right next to name brands like Red Baron in the freezer aisle, but I found it in only one core flavor: pepperoni. It starts with a classic French bread crust, then tops it with tomato sauce, low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (at least it's not reduced-fat this time), and pepperoni made with pork, chicken, and beef.

I could tell before I even plopped this pizza in the oven that it wasn't going to be a high performer. There are simply not enough toppings. The sauce is spread thin and leaves the edges of the bread high and dry. The cheese is nothing more than a quick dusting. And just four pepperoni slices sit on top, though they're cut into fours (perhaps to make it look like there's more than there are?). These pepperoni do add a light spice. For the most part, though, the entire thing is sad and bland. The extra crunchy, cracker-like crust offers no relief. 

That said, I did like it more than the Lean Cuisine pizza — I still have the taste of that rubbery mozzarella lingering in my mouth. Kroger's version at least has some of the makings of a decent pie. But it doesn't warm the soul the way a thick slice of bread, sauce, and cheese should.

The Red Baron is on the right flight path with his French bread pizzas. He has several flavors in his fleet, and I decided to try both the five-cheese and garlic and the Supreme. This deluxe option comes with a tomato-based pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, pork and chicken sausage, pepperoni, green and red bell peppers, and onions.

I appreciate the dual meats on this one. The sausage crumbles have a nice savory flavor, even if they're not overly spiced, and the pepperoni is equal parts salty and greasy. The dense and hearty crunch of the crust was also a high point that remained consistent throughout the pizza. It could have been even more topping-heavy, though. When I think "supreme pizza," I think "fully loaded." This one didn't have enough sauce, mozzarella, peppers, and onions.

Toss in an extra handful of each of the aforementioned toppings, and this could have been a real high flyer. My one other note would be to zhuzh up the sauce a bit. According to the box, it appears to be made from just water and tomato paste. I would love to see some extra garlic thrown in, or some Italian herbs like basil or oregano to enrich the flavor. Even without these alterations, the Red Baron supreme surpasses just Lean Cuisine and Kroger in this French bread pizza face-off.

I will admit, Mama Cozzi's French bread pepperoni pizza is not one of my favorite Aldi pizzas. The store's private-label brand just happens to whip up other pies that are more enticing, like its rising crust pepperoni or cheese-stuffed crust three-meat. However, when pitted against other French bread options, it still holds its own.

As is the case with most pizzas in this category, this one leads with bread first. That turns out to be less of an issue here, though. The slice is richer and more flavorful than the others that came before it, with a satisfying crunch that doesn't get chewy once baked. The sauce is on the lighter side and doesn't deliver a particularly strong flavor, but there's a surprisingly generous layer of gooey shredded mozzarella to make up for it. Quartered pepperoni pieces — made from beef and pork — are peppered on the surface and bring a touch of heat. They crisp nicely around the edges, yet still have a greasy and satisfying, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Altogether, it makes for a solid French bread pizza — even if I am still waiting for a bit more savor and oomph. Perhaps the Mama Cozzi's supreme or extra cheese versions deliver that extra dose of tastiness that I've been searching for. But those options appear to no longer be available at my local Aldi store. Whomp whomp. I guess I could DIY it and throw on some extra cheese or toppings myself.

It's a frozen pizza from Costco. So, of course it comes in a bulk-size box containing nine total pies. Also, while we're on the topic, please ignore the condition of the packaging. It was mangled in transport, but luckily, no pizzas were harmed in the process.

The Sabatasso's brand offers just one type of French bread pizza at the wholesale club, which happens to be pepperoni. Fortunately, one seems to be enough, since it does it rather well. Once baked, the mozzarella cheese turns beautifully bubbly and even golden in some spots, coating the top with just the right amount of meltiness and perfect cheese pull. The bread itself tastes like a true baguette: soft and fluffy at the center with perfectly crisp, toasted fringes. The sauce also stands out for doing what many others don't: elevating the tomatoes with rich notes of garlic, onion, and a subtle paprika smokiness. Then, the pork and beef pepperoni prove to be the main attraction, as they should be. They taste high-quality, smoky, and extra savory, almost like a bold salami and pepperoni fusion.

With the stronger, more robust sauce alone, Sabatasso's edges out Lean Cuisine, Kroger, Red Baron, and yes, even Aldi's Mama Cozzi's. Pile on quality in all other areas as well, from the crust to the cheese to the pepperoni, and it's a great pick. I will gladly be working my way through the remaining eight pizzas in the box.

Stouffer's takes a break from frozen lasagna and macaroni and cheese to make a handful of French bread pies. The brand has four total flavors on its books, including deluxe, pepperoni, extra-cheese, and three-meat. I decided to take a closer look at the first two classic options.

Starting with the pepperoni, it's bread central — even more so than other offerings. Staring down at the thick loaf, I thought this would come to the pizza's detriment. However, it proved me wrong. This base is like a cross between French bread and pizza crust, making it flaky on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. In short, it's delicious. What's more is that it's smothered in a dense layer of baked mozzarella cheese that browned up to a crisp along the edges. A sweet, garlicky tomato sauce resides below, hidden from view yet obvious in every single bite. And four rich pepperoni rest on top, made from pork, chicken, and beef, bringing a little kick into the fold. If I'm being honest, I would have liked a few more pepperoni tossed in, just so that no bite has to go without, but it gets by with its current count.

Thanks to its all-around cohesive toppings, this stands as the best pepperoni French bread pizza I tried. There are only a couple of other products that stood out overall as the best of the best.

This Red Baron pick is more like a cheesy garlic bread than a traditional pizza. But I'm not complaining one bit. It swaps out a tomato-based pizza sauce for a garlic sauce, and instead of piling on veggies or meats atop the mozzarella, it just quintuples down on cheeses. Low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone, white cheddar, and yellow cheddar cheeses all coalesce, forming the most distinct and yummiest French bread creation yet.

You get to keep the same thick and crisped bread from the brand's deluxe pizza — the very bottom may be even more toasty. Only, this time, the sampling of scanty sauce and mixed adornments is replaced with loads of ooey-gooey cheese. The solid base of mozzarella is spotted with buttery cheddar, creamy provolone, and even a few sharp bites of Parmesan. The garlic sauce then takes it to another level. It's just pungent enough to seep into all the pores of the bread and give the entire loaf oodles of flavor. I will note that it does get a bit greasy on top from all the fromage. That's to be expected, and it's nothing that can't be solved with a quick napkin dab if that's a problem for you.

This one really seems more like an appetizer you'd order from a pizza place rather than a full meal. I actually felt it would be strange to polish off the entire loaf myself rather than cutting it into strips for sharing. For that reason, there was another pie that claimed my number one spot, thanks to its truer, tastier pizza form.

Now this is a deluxe pizza. It's everything I was hoping for in the Red Baron supreme and didn't get. As you can see, it's served up with a mountain of toppings, and each one of them is tasty, complementing the doughy yet crisp French bread baguette underneath.

You still have your ample 100% real mozzarella cheese and sweet tomato sauce from the Stouffer's pepperoni pizza –  but this time, I could additionally taste some Italian-style seasonings mixed in. Then, you also get meats in the form of two large pepperoni and spiced Italian sausage crumbles. Plus, we can't forget the veggies (really just a bonus at this point), including green bell peppers, red bell peppers, onions, and a small handful of mushrooms. Even though these are all chopped finely, you still get a little taste of one or another, or even a couple at a time, so that each bite is diverse and delicious.

This pizza has a little something for everyone. And if it has something you don't like, it's easy enough to just pick it right off. Honestly, if French bread pizza were more common at takeout pizza places, I think this could easily compete. It's hearty and flavorful from all angles while maintaining its status as a go-to and convenient comfort food. Stouffer's might just steal DiGiorno's famous line. We could be saying, "It's not delivery, it's Stouffer's." It doesn't have quite the same ring to it, though, does it?

A French bread pizza can be the best of both worlds — French and Italian — when done correctly. But it takes the right recipe and the right balance of ingredients to make the magic happen. It all starts with a great baguette-like bread. I looked for those that had a nice crisp around the edges while still maintaining some doughiness in the center. I didn't want a crust that scraped the roof of my mouth or felt more like a cracker than a supple loaf.

Next, as with any pizza, the sauce and cheese were of the utmost importance. I wanted a tomato sauce with strong flavor — whether from bold seasonings or a hint of sweetness — and cheese that melted beautifully. Bonus points if it became bubbly and golden in the oven. These two elements also had to be plentiful enough to balance out the weighty bread base.

With those core components set, I ranked additional toppings last. Many stuck with just pepperoni, which works perfectly fine as long as there were enough to cover most bites and they were nice and savory. For deluxe versions, I expected plenty of fresh, tasty toppings to match the name. In the end, a supreme pie from Stouffer's reigned supreme. But a simpler option came surprisingly close, thanks to its standout bread and to-die-for cheesiness.