Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
Show of hands if you’ve ever cooked a frozen pizza. That has to be most of us, right? There are loads of pizza options on the market, from more budget brands to somewhat higher-end picks. There’s an array of toppings, sizes, and crust types, so it’s a pretty hefty part of the grocery store aisle. I wanted to focus on the basics and was keen to see how the current selection of frozen cheese pizzas looks.
It’s so classic, so finding the best one from stores meant it had to have the most interesting, flavorful cheese, sauce, and crust. I was looking for an all-star with well-rounded flavor and a chewy, crisp crust; price was somewhat factored in but wasn’t a primary consideration. Though a wood-fired-style crust is usually my favorite, I was open to finding something delicious no matter what. To get more comprehensive results, I tested the cheesy options both fresh from the oven and again as cold leftovers. I will walk you through the mediocre ones until we reach the ‘zas you’ll want to clear out your freezer to stock up on. My top two are actually fan favorites that people consider superior to getting pizza delivered.
7. Red Baron Classic Crust Four Cheese
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
Red Baron Classic Crust Four Cheese pizza tastes really dense and lifeless, with a thick, bland, cracker-like crust and the most acidic tomato sauce. I wouldn’t avoid it if I genuinely needed to get food in my belly, but in the context of other frozen cheese pizzas, there are a lot better options. The blend of cheeses — mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, and Parmesan — is incredibly thick, perhaps to cover up some of the tomato’s acidity. The cheese is a bit one-dimensional, offering creaminess but not much flavor intrigue. Though it advertises four cheeses, it’s hard to know how much there is of each. Mozzarella seems to be the most prominent.
This pizza falls flat, about as flat as the crust. There are better options out there; this one isn’t worth the heartburn. Red Baron’s deep dish pizza also fared poorly when I tried it. The brand produces okay pizzas all around, so at least it’s reliable. It doesn’t have unpleasant flavor flaws, but it certainly makes it clear that it is a generic, store-bought frozen pizza. It’s at its best when piping hot from the oven. It’s not a pizza I would recommend eating cold from the fridge, as the leftovers were a bit hard and too crunchy. Plus, the cheese felt thick and piled on.
6. Sprouts Organic Cheese Wood Fired Pizza
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
While Red Baron’s manufactured look and taste bogged it down in the ranking, Sprouts’ Organic Cheese Wood Fired Pizza suffered from blandness. My husband, who tried all the pizzas with me for moral support, said this was more like cheesy bread than pizza. I agree with this statement. I don’t even know how it’s possible given the crust, cheese, and sauce I can see with my very eyes, but it tastes like a whole lot of nothing. It has a bready, wheat flavor with a wisp of cheese.
The queso is pretty uninteresting, using part-skim mozzarella and a generic hard grating cheese — the cheeses by name aren’t dull, but their flavor and application here are. The sauce feels like it’s barely there and imparts little complexity, let alone the acidity I’d expect. I like the crust, though it wasn’t enough to place the pizza any higher, with the other elements holding it back. The price is also high for the lack of flavor, and too high for a cheesy bread. I might give Sprouts-brand pizzas another try if they were on sale, but cost is definitely a consideration. I wouldn’t get this specific variety again unless the bland sauce was a fluke.
5. Yough! Mozzarella Cheese Pizza
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
I have mixed thoughts on the Yough! Mozzarella Cheese Pizza. If I were ranking high-protein pizzas, or even nutritionally minded pizzas, this would truly be a great option. In that context, it’s fantastic for what it delivers — it has a decent but flat crust, tomato-y sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Everything works, and it tastes good to boot. The sauce is well-rounded with tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and various spices. In direct comparison with various other crusts, though, this isn’t really on the same level.
It’s flat, one-dimensional, and even a touch tangy thanks to the Greek yogurt base. Its thinness reminds me of cauliflower crust, but without the earthiness I quite like in that type of product. I think this totally has a place in the freezer and would grab it again when I want a more health-conscious quick dinner. The cost is on the higher end, which I understand, given the unique Greek yogurt aspect and minimal-ingredient approach. Regardless, customers seem to really love the protein-packed product. For me, Yough! is fine pizza, but based purely on the taste and texture of the crust, there are some more attractive options to come.
4. Oggi Foods Quattro Formaggi Pizza
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
We have yet another complex addition to the ranking with Oggi Foods Quattro Formaggi Pizza. For a gluten-free crust, this is really impressive. I’ve eaten quite a lot of gluten-free crusts, and many I’ve tried employ cauliflower to do the brunt of the work. That type has a clearly vegetal-like flavor, whereas Oggi tastes like a regular crust. Cornstarch, rice flour, and potato starch are among the key ingredients. It doesn’t matter how the brand whipped this up; all I can say is it works. There’s a hint of chew toward the middle of the crust, with a crisp exterior and underside. For the best results, I’d recommend not taking your eye off the pizza as it cooks and using the crust as your guidepost rather than the cheese’s doneness.
Oggi’s pizza uses mozzarella, asiago, romano, and Parmesan cheese, hence the four-cheese moniker. This blend offers a mildly nutty, tangy complexity beyond the dairy flavor of mozzarella. Okay, so if it’s fantastic, why is it in fourth place? Given that the next three pizzas are more flavorful and well-rounded at lower prices, I wouldn’t need to come back to this brand. Similar to Yough!, this is great in a particular context. When pitted against other pizzas, especially in terms of crust, Oggi felt too firm and slightly dry. Not to mention, this brand was the priciest of all, and its flavor doesn’t really justify the premium. However, if you’re gluten-free, it may be worth a try.
3. DiGiorno Frozen Four Cheese Wood Fired Pizza
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had DiGiorno, but it is a lot. It was my pizza brand of choice for years in my 20s just because of the price, and the “It’s not delivery, it’s DiGiorno” commercials really stuck in my head. So I’ve had quite a lot of styles from this brand, and the DiGiorno Four Cheese Frozen Wood Fired Pizza is one of the best things it offers. After a while, I wasn’t too fond of the doughy inside of the standard crust, and this wood-fired-style crust solves that problem. It is thin but still has a bit of chew around the border.
The center underside crust is actually surprisingly thin. The pizza slice has a slightly floppy quality, which I have not encountered with DiGiorno’s products before. It is definitely a great grocery store option, and one of DiGiorno’s best. The mozzarella, Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano cheeses are a delightful combination, with a creamy but complex bite. However, it ranks where it does because of the highly acidic tomato sauce.
If you have any inkling that you are susceptible to heartburn, I don’t doubt this would trigger a night of regret. The cheese adds a bit of creaminess but doesn’t quite tame that acidity. Still, the crust is pretty impressive for this brand. I assume there’s basil on top to add the green element, but the ingredient list just says spices and garlic. This held up nicely when eaten cold as well, so it’s an all-around solid product. I would definitely purchase this again.
2. Home Run Inn Classic Cheese Pizza
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
Home Run Inn’s packaging advertises alluring qualities such as all-natural ingredients and being made from scratch, but how does it taste? Well, I have to give it to the brand because this pizza is pretty dang good. Clearly, I’ve been living under a rock because this is a fantastic frozen pie that customers think is even better than delivery. The key to success is its unique approach. To set the scene, when I opened the package, I almost thought there was no sauce or cheese; it all looked like one color. Then, upon looking at it more closely, it seemed like there was one large cheese slice stuck on top. When I perused the back of the box, it explained that it’s parbaked and the cheese is actually melted on top.
Apparently, the tavern-style pizza comes from a family recipe, which seems to give it an edge over the previous options. This pizza is delightfully cheesy and stands out for its clean, milky flavor, which is a perfect balance. The crust is unique, as it’s flaky, almost as if it’s fried on the bottom. I wish I had known about this brand sooner, because I would definitely get it again. It’s just as great served cold, too, which I can’t say for most ‘zas on this list. Overall, I would pick Home Run Inn when I want a flavorful, cheesy pie with a memorable texture. I’d happily return to this brand and any of its other frozen options, though. As if all that isn’t music to my ears, the price is pretty great, too.
1. Rao’s Made for Home Five Cheese Pizza
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
I have had Rao’s pizzas before, and it is more of a splurge brand. However, at least the Rao’s Made for Home Five Cheese Pizza has some amazing flavors and textures to back up the price point. To start, it has the best crust out of everything I tried. As I said at the start, I love a wood-fired crust, and this offers a frozen version of that style. Home Run Inn is excellent in its own right and offers a different experience altogether — placing Rao’s first was a personal judgment call.
This pie has a crisp exterior from the baking process, but there’s still a bit of chew, particularly in the outer crust. It is delicious. I found myself going back to grab another slice of this one and polishing off my piece, just for the sheer flavor and texture. I can’t say it’s quite as good as homemade wood-fired pizza or something from a high-end restaurant, but it is superior to many grocery store options.
The cheese is delightfully milky and complements the tomato’s umami notes. This sauce truly showcases what Rao’s jarred pasta sauces are known for: a flavorful, mellow sauce. This creation uses whole-milk mozzarella, provolone, fontina, and Parmesan, with Rao’s Made for Home Pizza Sauce. The whole-milk mozzarella is rich and offers a delightful creaminess. While it’s absolutely best when hot because the cheese and crust have better chew, it’s also one of the top cold options. Everything comes together to create a truly excellent, peak frozen pizza; my family scarfed it down in its entirety.
Methodology
Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
I tried an array of frozen cheese pizza options from two stores. Though I’m sure there are others, I also faced some availability issues. I judged the ranking based on the overall taste of the crust, sauce, and cheese, as well as the texture of everything. I mentioned the price where it’s relevant to give context for what to expect; it doesn’t necessarily explain why something was placed where it was, but it does reinforce the placement where applicable. Price is not a factor in every option.
I baked each pizza according to the box instructions and ate it fresh. I waited the designated time before cutting into it, placed it on a plate, took photos, and then ate the pizza. I split taste tests over two different test days to ensure the freshest results each session. I tried each pizza again as leftovers and included the findings where relevant. I didn’t find anything particularly offensive or gross, but when I tried items side by side, it was easy to tell the difference between them.
Dining and Cooking