6 Grocery Chains With the Freshest Take & Bake Pizzas
Nothing compares to a slice of fresh, hot pizza straight out of the oven. Crispy, cheesy, and available in all sorts of varieties, this comfort food is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. But there comes a time when you need a quick meal and don't want to leave your home or pay the price of delivery.
Did your mind go straight to frozen pizza? While that's still an option, take-and-bake pizzas are another alternative that can satisfy your sauce and cheese cravings. Known for being fresher than its frozen counterpart, take-and-bake pizza is made with uncooked ingredients, requiring consumers to simply bake them in the oven. Because of this, the item is typically refrigerated. Meanwhile, frozen pizzas, which have a much longer shelf life than take-and-bakes, are already cooked and just need to be reheated.
Pizza chains like Papa Murphy's and Nick-N-Willy's are known for their take-and-bake pizzas, but this ready-to-cook item can also be found at many popular grocery stores. If you're not sure which supermarket to visit, we rounded up some grocery chains with take-and-bake pizza options geared toward all different pizza preferences.
RELATED: 6 Pizza Chains That Have the Best Crust
Aldi
Among Aldi's most beloved items is Mamma Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen Take & Bake Pizza. In addition to being voted the third most popular overall product in the grocery chain's 2023 Fan Favorites survey, the pizza has been a consistent winner for customers, earning the first spot in Aldi's product "Hall of Fame" in 2022.
The brand currently carries 16-inch pizzas in five different varieties: pepperoni, five cheese, supreme, mega meat, and sausage & pepperoni. There are also 12-inch options, some of which include a gluten-free cauliflower crust, such as three-cheese and veggie.
Lidl
Aldi isn't the only European grocery chain in the U.S. with a take-and-bake pizza presence. German-owned Lidl has three options: pepperoni, 5-cheese, and ultimate meat. The first two are currently listed for less than $7, while the ultimate meat pizza retails for $9.95 and comes with over one pound of toppings.
These extra large pies are made with "traditional" crust and 100% real cheese, according to Lidl. Cooking times depend on the pizza, and all of them bake at 375 degrees.
Wegmans
From sushi to sub sandwiches, this regional grocery chain is home to a range of prepared meals, one being pizza. Beyond Wegmans' frozen options are several ready-to-cook pizzas that can be popped into the oven at 400 degrees for eight to 10 minutes or until cooked through.
The grocer currently offers multiple naan crust pizzas, which are sprinkled with different toppings like pepperoni, Buffalo chicken, mushrooms, as well as Italian sausage and banana peppers. Wegmans also sells gluten-free options in both plain and margherita. These feature a veggie crust containing cauliflower, corn starch, rice flour, and chickpea flour.
Hy-Vee
Venture into the Midwest and you'll likely encounter a Hy-Vee, which boasts an assortment of take-and-bake pizzas sold under the brand Mia. These come in multiple sizes and are made with different toppings and crust styles, including traditional and Toscano Crisp. Cooking times range from 10 to 15 minutes.
Additionally, Hy-Vee carries these pizzas in flatbread form, which bake in just eight to 10 minutes. Score two for $9 while they're on sale!
H-E-B
Tortillas aren't the only product H-E-B makes fresh in-store. The Texas-based chain sells a variety of items made on-site, including pizza, which features artisan cheeses, never frozen sauces, and Italian-inspired toppings, according to the packaging.
If you're looking for something simple, H-E-B has both cheese and margherita pizzas available. But if toppings are your preference, the grocer also offers pepperoni and sausage options, as well as an artichoke chicken pizza, which is topped with artichokes, herb chicken, and basil pesto sauce. Simply place these pies into the oven at 425 degrees for the instructed cooking time and enjoy. Flatbreads are available at H-E-B, as well.
Walmart
America's largest retailer has just about anything you could ever need—and take-and-bake pizzas are no exception. Whether you prefer traditional, thin, or stuffed crust, Walmart has all of it represented in its Marketside line.
These pizzas were also the star of a recent Reddit thread, started by a user who wrote, "Walmart refrigerated take and bake pizza is substantially better than Kroger, and a bit cheaper." Another user agreed: "The [W]almart take & bake pizzas are the best!! We always keep a few in our freezer for lazy days or having friends over. Everyone loves them!"
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