Why You Should Use Your Own Toppings On Frozen Pizza

No matter how a frozen pizza is ranked, they come in clutch when it's close to dinnertime, and you haven't taken any chicken or beef out to defrost in time. Just preheat the oven, pop that pie in, and in 20 minutes, you've got a fairly filling main course. There is one main drawback to frozen pizza, though: the toppings that typically come with it. Depending on the brand, they can be a bit sparse and kind of flavorless, not really adding much to the overall bite.

However, you can add your own fresh toppings on frozen pizza to elevate what tends to be a run-of-the-mill, serviceable pie into something truly craveable. If you start out with a blank canvas — a good-quality cheese pizza from the freezer aisle — you (or the contents of your fridge) get to decide what kind of pie you end up with. With your own toppings, it will be better in both flavor and texture, and as they haven't been frozen, they will even add a vibrant color. Plus, you get to control how much goes onto your pizza; those days of meager frozen toppings are over.

With a frozen cheese pizza, the world is your oyster when it comes to adding your own toppings. Let's start with veggies. You can cut up green peppers or tomatoes from the farmer's market, but also consider adding fresh mushrooms, onions, or even spinach; arugula, too, makes an especially terrific addition, thanks to its peppery flavor. Experiment with pickled vegetables, like pepperoncini, jalapenos, or even actual pickles. Chopping up fresh herbs is also a great way to make your pizza's flavor pop; sprinkle oregano or thyme or tear up basil.

There's also meat and cheese. Use up the rest of that bacon from breakfast, or raid your charcuterie stash for pepperoni or prosciutto. Consider last night's dinner, too — if you had pulled barbecue chicken or pan-seared steak, the leftovers would be outstanding chopped up and put on tonight's pizza. You also don't have to just use the cheese that comes on the frozen pie; add mozzarella rounds from your fridge, or grate fresh parmesan over the entire thing.