Frozen. Cheese. Pizza. Really? Bake it yours

By Janet K. Keeler, Times Food and Travel Editor
Published January 30, 2008

Super Bowl

The New England Patriots play the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII on Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. on WTVT-Ch. 13, though coverage begins hours earlier on many stations, including ESPN. 

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The frozen cheese pizza wants you to make it your way this Super Bowl.

Think of the advantages of not waiting for the overworked delivery guy.

In general, frozen pizzas are less expensive than pizzeria pies; you can bake them as you need them (some early; some at halftime) and your guests can personalize them with their favorite toppings.

Two people can share one pizza even if one hates onions and the other anchovies. Everyone respects the invisible line dividing one topping from another.

More people eat pizza in front of the tube during the Super Bowl than any other day of the year. (People who cook won't be surprised to know that the night before Thanksgiving is another huge pizza delivery day.)

But calling and faxing are not the only ways to get a pizza. We offer a few ways to dress up a frozen cheese pizza.

As always, bake as directed.

Janet K. Keeler, Times food and travel editor

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Try these toppings 

- Artichoke hearts and tomato. Slices of ripe tomato are topped with drained marinated artichoke hearts.

- Meatballs and diced red peppers. Thaw and halve cooked, frozen meatballs. Saute diced red peppers in olive oil for about 5 minutes, then arrange both over pizza.

- Olives. Use a mixture of chopped kalamatas and green olives (you can stuff them with blue cheese). Check for pits first. Sprinkle pizza with dried Italian herb mix. 

- Portobello mushrooms. Saute the meaty 'shrooms beforehand or scatter them raw and thinly sliced.

- Garlic and crispy bacon. Pick your pungent poison with thin-sliced, minced mounds, roasted dollops or even garlic powder. Sprinkle the pizza with cooked bacon crumbles.

- Spicy sausage and green peppers. Remove andouille sausage from casing, cook with diced green peppers. Arrange over pizza.

- Ratatouille. Saute a melange of bite-size eggplant, zucchini slices, diced onion, chopped tomato, green pepper, garlic and thyme in olive oil.

- Extra cheesy. Add smoked mozzarella and Gouda plus shredded Parmesan. Clods of goat or feta cheese can add class to a pie.

- Tomato basil. Chopped, seeded tomatoes (drain juice so it doesn't sog the pizza) and ribbons of fresh basil (add these when the pizza is fresh from the oven).

- Chipotle chicken and caramelized onions. Saute onions on low until a deep brown. Mix shredded rotisserie chicken with a chipotle in adobo sauce to taste. (Start easy, the adobo is hot.) Combine chicken and onions and spoon over pizza.

[Last modified January 29, 2008, 12:12:48]