Since this thread technically came to an end on the last day of September, this post might most accurately be considered a
post mortem contribution to that thread.
What happened is that I found that I had a frozen Ultra Thin Crust Signature Select Barbeque Recipe Chicken Pizza from my local supermarket that had passed its "best if used date". However, its appearance was quite normal. I should perhaps mention at this point that my local supermarket is part of the Albertson's chain of supermarkets. Previously, my local supermarket was part of the Safeway chain of supermarkets. So those supermarkets may carry the Signature Select frozen pizzas. And they are often put on sale. My recollection is that I paid about $3.29 for the above pizza. Since Covid 19, however, prices have risen as the supermarket tries to recover lost profits. The most recent price I saw was $3.99 per pizza.
By way of background, the ingredients for the Signature Select Recipe Chicken Pizza can be seen at:
https://www.instacart.com/products/3081749-signature-select-barbeque-recipe-chicken-pizza-zesty-barbeque-sauce-topped-with-premium-white-meat-chicken-mozzarella-and-smoked-gouda-cheeses-and-red-onions-on-a-crust-14-1-ozAs can be seen from the above link, the pizza has a fairly normal crust, cheeses and sauce but some interesting ingredients like molasses, Worcestershire powder and sauce, pineapple flavors, and cilantro.
As with the last pizza I discussed in this thread, I modified the pizza to make it more nutritionally sound by adding additional ingredients. In this case, I added diced tomatoes (from one small tomato, drained), more pieces of chicken, and diced red and green peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic and onions. Since I had a leftover blend of Mexican cheeses, as was discussed in my recent posts, I decided to add some of that to the pizza. The first two photos show the pizza without the added cheese and with the added cheese.
The pizza was baked in accordance with the instructions on the pizza box, specifically, at an oven temperature of 425 degrees F, but instead of the recommended 12-minute bake on the center oven rack, I baked the pizza on the center oven rack for 10 minutes and then on the top oven rack for about 3-4 minutes. The baked pizza was then cut party style. The third photo shows the pizza at that stage. The fourth photo shows the coloration of the bottom crust of a sample piece of the pizza.
I found the pizza to be enjoyable but, as with the past pizzas discussed in this thread, I actually liked the pizza better when reheated. I did this a couple of times over the past two days, hence my delay in posting about the pizza. In reheating the pieces of pizza, I placed them one by one in an oiled pan on the stove, at fairly high heat, until the bottom crust was well heated and further browned and, because of the amount of items I added to the pizza, I then reheated the slices in the microwave for about 25 more seconds. That way, the slices were like they just came out of the oven.
If I had any objection to the pizza it was that it was a bit too sweet to my taste, although the amount of Sugars for a single serving (about a third of the pizza) is within the recommended daily amount for an adult male. The sweetness of many foods is never a surprise to me since I have a sensitive palate when it comes to sugars in foods, and likewise for salt. To demonstrate my avoidance of sugars in general, the last photo shows the date that I penciled on the last bag of sugar I purchased
. In the case of the above pizza, I added some OldElPaso taco seasoning to the pieces of pizza, and that had the effect of muting some of the sweetness.
What the frozen pizzas I have discussed in this thread have taught me is that it is possible to modify frozen pizzas and come up with something better. And, moreover, it can be done at low cost and in a matter of about a half hour of work and using a standard home oven. So, when the mood strikes, a pizza is only a short time away.
Peter
