Frozen pizzas are great items to have in your freezer. Whether you’ve had a long day and don’t have the time or energy to cook from scratch, or find yourself with unexpected company, they’re an easy way to put a meal on the table in less than 20 minutes. And since they come in all sorts of varieties with endless topping options, you’re bound to find something to please even the pickiest of eaters. And while one of their main appeals is their ease of use, taking a few extra minutes before throwing the frozen pizza into a preheated oven can make a big difference to the final results. One step to never skip before cooking frozen pizza is to redistribute any toppings that may have shifted.
There are a number of steps before the frozen pizza ends up in your home, from being assembled, packaged, and shipped to the store, to you picking it up and taking it home, possibly not having it lay completely flat during the journey. As a result of all that, the toppings on the pizza, including cheese, could have shifted and clumped together. Those big clumps, left alone, can lead your frozen pizza cooking unevenly.
Other tips for cooking frozen pizza
It’s usually simple enough to just redistribute any existing toppings on the frozen pizza so they are even before placing it in the oven. You can always add more toppings too, though if you plan to add more veggies to your frozen pizza, it’s best to slice them real thin and toss them in oil and seasoning before adding them to the pie to avoid sogginess. You can also elevate your frozen pizza by adding more cheese to it — and, in fact, sprinkling it on when the pizza is halfway done cooking is the perfect time to use this cheese tip to improve frozen pizza.
Another good tip is to turn the oven temperature up to broil for a minute or two before taking it out of the oven, which is the fastest way to improve how your frozen pizza bakes. You can also try cooking your pizza at a higher temperature than what’s listed on the box, for a shorter period of time. And don’t forget that once you take the pizza out, you can still add toppings that don’t do so well in the oven, such as arugula, olives, and Parmesan cheese. Let the pizza rest for a few minutes, then slice with a pizza cutter, and dig in, enjoying all the toppings in their evenly cooked glory.
