topic Re: Cooking a frozen pizza in Kitchen

Cooking a frozen pizza

peachesncream — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 16:58:24 GMT

The recent frozen pizza thread inspired me to buy a Newman's Own pizza the other day.

The instructions say to put the pizza directly on the oven rack.

That seems like a messy-oven idea -especially since I'd be adding extra cheese and stuff on top.

I'm wondering what you all do when you cook frozen pizza?

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

twinsister — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:07:16 GMT

I put the pizza directly on the rack as per the instructions, but I don't add any extra cheese. It doesn't make a mess.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

Desertdi — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:11:20 GMT

Presto Pizzazz rotating pizza oven.

This is the best appliance I own. It cooks homemade, frozen....reheats take out, and can be used for other cooking purposes...

HSN 125-0846

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

ValuSkr — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 18:42:25 GMT

I always followed directions and cooked "directly on the oven rack" until an incident last December. The pizza "bled" olive oil like crazy. I think the pizza was "marinara." I had a liner on the bottom rack and olive oil pooled on it and went right through it or ran to its underside. There was a lot of smoke. I had to discard the oven liner and tediously clean the oven with a paste made of baking soda. I have an exposed element on the bottom of the oven so it could have been worse.

So, never again "directly on the oven rack." Since then, I always use a baking sheet. The crust may not end up as crisp, but that's okay.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

grandma2pkmh — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:15:03 GMT

@peachesncream I never put anything directly on the rack regardless of instructions. I alway use a pizza pan. Newmans Own Pepperoni is my favorite frozen pizza, I love the sauce.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

Puppy Lips — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:15:34 GMT

I ALWAYS put our frozen pizzas on a cookie sheet and they come out fine. I don't need the headache or extra work of cleaning up cheese or toppings that may fall off. What I always wonder is this - all the instructions say to keep frozen until you bake it. Well after I take mine out of the freezer, they sit on the counter until the oven is heated to the proper temperature. Or am I supposed to put the pizza back in the freezer after I read the instructions? LOL, no matter mine turn out fine.

I will say the Screamin' Sicilian is the best frozen pizza we have found!

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

eddyandme — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:20:06 GMT

Why don't you try putting a wire cookie cooling rack onto a sheet pan. That will give you airspace between the pan and the pizza so it should still crisp.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

peachesncream — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:21:06 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
Presto Pizzazz rotating pizza oven.

This is the best appliance I own. It cooks homemade, frozen....reheats take out, and can be used for other cooking purposes...

HSN 125-0846

This is fascinating! I never knew such an appliance existed.

I've used Presto products over the years and I think very highly of that brand. I have a large griddle and an electric skillet right now - love them both.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

peachesncream — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:24:09 GMT

@eddyandme wrote:
Why don't you try putting a wire cookie cooling rack onto a sheet pan. That will give you airspace between the pan and the pizza so it should still crisp.

This is a really good idea!

My first thought was that I would put a baking sheet in the oven while the oven is preheating - and then put the pizza on the hot sheet.

But your idea sounds even better.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

QVCkitty1 — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:24:27 GMT

I get best results just putting the pizza on the rack.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

peachesncream — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:27:17 GMT

@Puppy Lips wrote:
What I always wonder is this - all the instructions say to keep frozen until you bake it. Well after I take mine out of the freezer, they sit on the counter until the oven is heated to the proper temperature. Or am I supposed to put the pizza back in the freezer after I read the instructions? LOL, no matter mine turn out fine.

I will say the Screamin' Sicilian is the best frozen pizza we have found!

I read a wikipedia article that suggested taking the frozen pizza (still wrapped in plastic) out of the freezer and leaving it on the counter for an hour before baking.

That makes sense to me, and I plan to try that. I already do that when baking frozen rolls.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

ECBG — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:27:34 GMT

We have a pizza stone. The rack is supposed to give you crisp crust.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

PinkyPetunia — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:40:16 GMT

I use a pizza stone. The crust is crisp with this and no mess. The stone gets discolored with use but that's OK.

I tried placing the pizza directly on the oven rack. Cheese dripped onto the rack and bottom of oven, giving me a big mess to clean up. Never again.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

mac116 — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:41:29 GMT

On our first trip to Target as a married couple (51 years ago!), we bought a thin round pizza pans with plenty of holes. It has been used for frozen pizzas all of these years. My sons and grandsons always said that my OVEN made the best frozen pizzas. I am convinced that it is that beat up looking pan.

P.S. I almost always add extra veggies and cheese to inexpensive frozen pizzas.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

CoffeeNut — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:19:40 GMT

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

Desertdi — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 18:06:24 GMT

@CoffeeNut wrote:
@Desertdi I never seen that before. Does it take longer to cook a pizza that way ? Does it get the bottom nice and brown too.

@CoffeeNut There are heating units in both the top and bottom, and the bottom tray rotates. As for the length of time....that would depend on the item you are cooking. (For pizza, you can pretty well tell it's done by looking at it.)

Here's another view of the tray in use:

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

4kitties — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 18:02:48 GMT

I always thaw a frozen pizza in the refrigerator before baking it directly on the rack. I do sometimes use one of the pizza pans with the holes in the bottom of it if I think the pizza will overflow.

I think they cook more evenly if thawed first.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

CelticCrafter — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 18:05:18 GMT

I always put it in a pan.

#1 because of the mess it could make and

#2 how do you get a flaming hot pizza out of the oven if it's not on a pan?

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

chickenbutt — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 18:50:12 GMT

I've been putting them right on the rack and, so far, haven't had drippage, although I do add more pepperoni and cheese to mine.

As to taking it out of the oven - that's a whole other skill set, particularly for a klutz like I am. What I do is put an oven mitt on one hand. In the other hand is the cutting mat it will go onto.

I pull the rack out a bit and with the oven mitt hand I push the pizza onto the cutting mat in my other hand, holding the mat just a bit under the oven rack, and as it gets safely there I'm able to use both hands to securely carry the mat over to the counter.

I got pretty good at it but I have to be very cautious, due to my klutziness. Early on, I almost dropped it onto the oven door so that was when I realized I need to pay every bit of attention to it until I'm done.

Re: Cooking a frozen pizza

deepwaterdotter — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 19:07:48 GMT

Bottom of my electric oven is covered by a sheet of Teflon from the ThreadNanny Company that I purchased on Amazon. Drips wash right off in a sink of soapy water. I cook my pizza directly on the oven rack.