Forget Aldi: Its Competitor Has A Better Take-And-Bake Pizza With 5 Luxurious Cheeses

Aldi is a German bargain grocery chain that's become as popular in the U.S. as it is in Europe. But it isn't the only German grocery chain stateside. Lidl is another German grocery chain that gives Aldi a run for its money. And, in a taste test of store-bought take-and-bake pizzas, Lidl outperforms Aldi with its 5-cheese pizza.

Lidl's 5-cheese take-and-bake pizza came in a noteworthy second place. Aldi's pepperoni pizza, on the other hand, came in second to last. We were expecting a much more flavorful pizza from Aldi, especially because it had pepperoni. And while we liked the crisp yet chewy crust on Aldi's pizza, it was incredibly bland. The pepperoni was underwhelming, with a slight umami flavor, but other elements were tasteless. Lidl's 5-cheese pizza was bursting with a diversity of cheesy flavors, thanks to the 5 different types of cheese, including spicy Monterrey Jack cheese, mozzarella, provolone, and salty, nutty Romano and parmesan. It had a soft, spongy crust that we didn't like as much as Aldi, but the flavor more than made up for it. The balance of spicy, funky, salty, and creamy cheese complemented the slightly sweet tomato base beautifully for a well-rounded flavor profile that we couldn't stop eating. And at under $7 for a large pizza, you can feed a crowd for about a dollar per person.

Lidl's 5-cheese take-and-bake pizza is certainly worth a spot in your shopping cart. And just as you can upgrade frozen pizzas, you can also bring more flavors and textures to a take-and-bake pizza with additional toppings, drizzles, and dipping sauces. The simplest upgrades would be other store-bought condiments, as they require no prep. A drizzle of hot honey would bring a spicy and sweet element to balance the rich, savory cheese. Open a jar of your favorite store-bought pesto for a zesty, herbaceous drizzling sauce. If you're into experimenting with fusion cuisine, a 5-cheese pizza would taste delicious with dollops of sweet, tangy, spiced tamarind chutney. Accompany your pizza with a salad kit to bring in some fresh veggies and make dinner a well-rounded meal with little effort.

While Lidl's pizza certainly beats out Aldi, the big advantage Aldi has over Lidl is that it is much more widespread; you can only find Lidl on the East Coast, whereas Aldi has locations across about 40 states. So, if you're looking for a worthy pizza from Aldi, you might check out its long line of frozen pizzas. Some of our favorite frozen pizzas from Aldi include a half-pepperoni-half-cheese pizza. Of course, the very best take-and-bake pizza according to our ranking is Whole Foods' Three Cheese Deli Pizza, an even better alternative to Lidl's 5-cheese pizza and Aldi's pepperoni pizza.