Meta Description: This comprehensive guide to little frozen pizzas explores their history, popularity, nutrition, top brands, cooking tips, and recipes. Learn all about these convenient freezer snacks.
Little frozen pizzas are a convenient and tasty way to serve up a hot meal in minutes. But there’s much more to mini frozen pies than just quick snacks and dinners. They’re an iconic part of food culture with a fascinating history and evolution. In this comprehensive guide, we dive deep into the world of little frozen pizzas from their beginnings, rise in popularity through the decades, nutrition facts and health impacts, detailed brand comparison, tips for cooking them on-point every time and even recipes to take your little frozen pizzas to the next level.
By the end of this definitive guide, you will be a little frozen pizza connoisseur ready to enjoy this all-time freezer staple in a whole new way.
Get your pizza cutter ready because it’s time we learn about everything there is little frozen pizzas!
A Thorough History of Little Frozen Pizzas
History of Little Frozen Pizzas
Year | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|
1950s | Introduction of Frozen Pizzas | First appearances in grocery store freezers by major chains like Pizza Hut and Domino's, made family-style. |
While pizza itself has been around since Ancient Greek and Roman times, freezing it is far more recent. The earliest known frozen pizzas began appearing in grocery store freezers in the 1950s. Produced by major chains like Pizza Hut and Domino’s, these were made family-style for feeding multiple people. However, individual-sized frozen pizzas wouldn’t come until the 1960s. Most food historians credit Celentano Brothers — a family-owned company based out of New Haven, Connecticut — with inventing them first in 1964.
They sold round 4-inch pies as “Pizza Quick,” billed as the “first pizza that you bake in your oven in 15 minutes.”
Brands quickly followed suit once they saw how popular Celentano Brothers’ version was. Jeno Paulucci created his Chun King mini pizza in 1966 after founding savory roll manufacture Jeno’s Inc.. He then went on to develop Michelina’s brand of little frozen pizzas during the ’70s.
That last one was found after market research showed people wanted the quick convenience of little pizzas that they could throw in the oven on busy weeknights. Brands also began shaping their pies into new formats like pan pizzas and personal pan pizzas to differentiate them from others. Pizza Hut introduced pan pizzas during the ’70s and they were a hit.
Improvements to freezing techniques and distribution throughout the 1980s allowed for more flavors and brands of little frozen pizzas to explode in popularity. By this time, Tombstone, Jack’s, DiGiorno and Red Baron all had big names behind them, competing for best taste. Pizza became the most popular freezer food.
Little frozen pizza also benefited from consumer microwave ownership increasing in the ’80s and ’90s because it shaved off reheating times down to minutes. More upscale brands came onto shelves with premium ingredients and recipes for little pies. California Pizza Kitchen, Roberta’s and Amy’s Kitchen have brought restaurant-quality pizza to freezers.
Little frozen pizzas are still evolving today with crust innovations and on-trend flavors. Stuffed crust, cauliflower crust, and gluten-free crust now allow even more people to enjoy quick meals even if they may have dietary restrictions or preferences that make it difficult otherwise. Tikka masala pizza, breakfast pizza etc., have joined classics like pepperoni or supreme as global flavors we can find at any grocery store.
After over 50 years since Celentano Brothers invented them, little frozen pizzas remain a staple today thanks to their convenience customization nostalgia factor.
A Look Into The Rising Popularity of Little Frozen Pizzas
The Rising Popularity of Little Frozen Pizzas
Factor | Description |
|---|---|
Portion Control | Individual servings eliminate the need for leftovers and allow for personal choice in toppings. |
Portion control is one of the biggest reasons for the success of little frozen pizzas. Pizza lovers no longer have to fight over toppings or be stuck with leftovers. Now you can bake and dig into a single serving of pizza.
This makes things much more cost-friendly too. These small pizzas are far cheaper than takeout pizzas and delivery. They come at $1-3 per pizza depending on where you shop, your brand preference, and what toppings you’re aiming for. With this price tag families can finally enjoy their favorite treat without worrying about breaking the bank.
Another benefit is that it’s easy to store a handful of these little frozen treats in your fridge whenever you’re craving some pie. No need to worry about calling the delivery guy or leaving your home when you can just pop them in the oven.
Their rise to popularity has also prompted brands to expand their horizons when it comes to what they put out on shelves. Little frozen pizzas now come in several different crusts, sauces, and toppings so that everyone can find what satisfies them best.
Not only do brands now boast an expansive selection of flavors but many including healthier options such as cauliflower, gluten-free, and low carb crusts!
We could go on even further but let’s wrap up this final reason for hope with nostalgia.
For countless people around the world these small frozen treats remind them of simpler times when life was easy and fun memories were made every day. This sense of nostalgia sparks happiness within those who do feel it making these mini pies an appealing choice.
As we progress through time so does how we make our food not only taste better but also still stay fresh even once it becomes frozen. Today thanks to high tech freezers dough won’t stick anymore letting us bite into soft yet crispy slices every single time!
So all those combined factors make it clear as day why little frozen pizzas have become grocery store staples that keep freezer sections stocked at all times.
- Red Baron – Known for single serve brick oven style pizzas, pan pizzas and French bread pizzas. Fun specialty flavors include Chicken Bacon Ranch and Philly Cheesesteak. Pizzas have a lot of toppings but can be high in sodium.
- DiGiorno – DiGiorno offers rising crust little pizzas for a softer bread-like bite as well as crispy thin crust pizzas. Creative flavor combinations include Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Pizza and Chicken Pesto Supreme. Provides a more upscale pizza experience.
- Tony’s – Tony’s is famous for using homemade style pizza sauce recipes loaded with herbs and spices. Generous toppings like double pepperoni make these premium little pizzas. However, Tony’s does contain more preservatives than other brands.
- Jack’s Original – Jack’s prizes quality ingredients and indulgent flavor profiles on little pizzas like Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza and Hawaiian BBQ Chicken. Ideal for pizza lovers craving gourmet toppings like crumbled bacon and pineapple.
- Tombstone – Known for hearty traditional toppings like pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms and black olives. Tombstone has mastered the perfect crunch with crispy crusts. Great value price point for under $3.
- Freschetta – Freschetta brick oven little pizzas emphasize sauce flavor with spices like garlic and basil. Creative flavors include Thai Style Chicken and Brick Oven Mushroom Medley. A good choice for global flavor fusions.
- California Pizza Kitchen – CPK is a premium choice with quality ingredients mirroring menu flavors like Thai Chicken and BBQ Chicken pizzas. Ideal if you’re missing your local CPK but want convenience.
- Amy’s – Amy’s Kitchen offers organic little pizzas with gluten-free or traditional crusts. Vegetable loaded options like the Cheese Pizza made with organic tomato sauce and no artificial ingredients appeal to health-conscious buyers.
There are advantages to each brand depending on your priorities like taste, quality, health factors and budget. For the widest selection try a variety to discover your favorites!
Pro Tips for Cooking Little Frozen Pizzas Like a Pro
Oven Baking:
- Avoid pizza pans with deep walls which can create a soggy crust. Opt for open pizza trays or pans with shallow edges.
- Place the pizza on the middle rack of the oven so hot air can circulate all around it.
- Rotate the pizza halfway through cooking for even baking on both sides.
- Let the pizza rest 1-2 minutes once cooked before slicing to allow cheese and toppings to set.
Microwave Cooking:
- Check packaging for microwave cooking instructions specific to that pizza. Microwave wattages vary.
- Microwave in short increments like 30 seconds at a time to avoid overcooking.
- Flip or rotate pizza between microwave bursts so it heats evenly.
- Let the pizza rest at least 60 seconds before eating since the filling will be extremely hot.
- Add a cup of water to the microwave to create steam which makes the crust crisper.
- Avoid microwave reheatable cardboard or plastic bases which steam and ruin crusts.
Extra Crispy Hacks:
- Spray the crust lightly with olive oil or cooking spray before baking for an extra crispy bottom.
- Sprinkle parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, or Italian seasoning onto crust before cooking to add robust flavor.
- For browned cheese topping, broil pizza for 1-2 mins at the end of baking time.
- Preheat your oven, pizza stone, and pan — it’ll help reduce sogginess.
- Tent foil over crust if the edges or bottom get too brown before cheese melts.
Now you can cook little frozen pizzas at home that rival your local pizzeria!
Unique Little Pizza Recipes to Try at Home
Basic little frozen pizzas make an easy meal. But you can also get creative with recipes that take this convenience food to the next level:
Breakfast Pizza – Top little pizza crust with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, cheese and potatoes for a savory breakfast treat.
Taco Pizza – Spread refried beans and enchilada sauce on crust. Top with taco meat, cheese, tomatoes, onions and jalapenos.
Hawaiian Pizza – Top little Hawaiian pizza with extra pineapple, ham and bacon for a tropical twist.
Greek Pizza – Load little pizza with gyro meat, feta cheese, artichokes, red onion, black olives and tzatziki sauce.
Chicken Alfredo Pizza – Sub alfredo sauce for pizza sauce. Top with grilled chicken, spinach and parmesan.
Dessert Pizza – Make mini dessert pizzas on little crusts topped with Nutella, strawberries, bananas, marshmallows or chocolate chips.
Let creativity be your guide for inventive little frozen pizza night recipes the whole family will love!
The Final Slice
While they may seem like a modern convenience meal, PFPPs have been around since the 1960s. They’ve only grown in popularity over the decades as innovations made them tastier and higher quality than ever. While not the healthiest dinner option out there (or lunch or snack), PFPPs in moderation are a satisfying option for busy families. Follow cooking tips for perfect crust every time and get creative with fun pizza night recipes. So next time you need a quick dinner solution, reach for a Little Frozen Pizza Pocket… And appreciate how far this ubiquitous freezer snack has come.
