Whenever my wife doesn’t want to cook, or we’re just looking for something quick and easy, Aldi’s take and bake pizzas are our most frequent go-to option. They are cheap (a 16” will run you no more than $5.99), and so easy even I can toss one in the oven. Not to mention they are actually pretty good for the price. No, you won’t be getting anything near the equivalent of a gourmet pizza straight from Italy, but then again in that price range, you shouldn’t expect one. What we do agree on is that a take and bake pie from Aldi’s is better than most delivery pizzas nearby, and for half the cost.
Aldi always carries the “typical” pizzas (pepperoni, cheese, sausage, The Works, and a 14” Ultimate Meat pizza are among their year-round offerings), but also offer seasonal take and bakes as Special Buys, which are items carried in limited quantities that are not replenished once stock runs out. Their latest, and one we hadn’t tried yet, was an Italian Meat pizza. Truth be told, I actually got this to eat myself, since my wife is generally not a fan of meaty pizzas, but we agreed to save some cash on delivery, and just eat this for a nice, relaxing Friday night at home with a movie.
What really drew me in to this pizza is the addition of some delicious-looking circular hunks of Italian sausage, which are featured as a topping, along with pepperoni, their regular large chunks of sausage, and a blend of five different cheeses. Let’s see you get a pizza like that for under $10 from a delivery or carryout chain!
As with most of the others we have tried (BBQ Chicken pizza notwithstanding), this pizza was delicious. In fact, it’s better than most of the others we have tried from Aldi. I was a little afraid the two sausages would be too similar in flavor that they would essentially cancel each other out. But both of them were different enough to compliment each other very well (the sausage hunks were more an “American” sausage while the round cuts are more Italian-style). The cheese blend is also a step above their typical cheese, and while I can’t even pretend to pick out the different styles, you can clearly tell it’s not just mozzarella. The thin crust, after about fourteen minutes in the oven, was perfectly crispy, and provided the nice, crunchy foundation for the rest.
Of course, there’s a crap-ton of salt in here, to the point that I felt my mouth “tingling” from “sodium burn” after a few pieces. But thankfully, it doesn’t really affect the taste all that much. And I’m sure no one buys a meat pizza from a supermarket and expects it to be even remotely healthy, but just wanted to toss that out there regardless.
Overall: 8/10. While just about all of Aldi‘s take and bake pizzas are good (BBQ Chicken notwithstanding), their Italian Meat pizza is even better than that. The cracker-thin crust was perfectly crunchy after about fourteen minutes in the oven, the five-cheese blend is a step above their usual, and the flavors of the different meats compliment each other very well. It might not be saying much, but this is better than the pies at most delivery pizza chains, and for only $6. Of course, it’s so high in sodium, you can literally taste it, but given the fact it’s a.) a supermarket pizza, and b.) covered in meats, that should come as a surprise to no one. If you are into this sort of thing, I definitely recommend that you give this a shot.
I'm not interested in Hawaiian pizzas but I've got to agree with your review on the Mama Cozzi's take-and-bake pizza line, they really are good for the money. I've compared it with Walmart's take-and-bake line and Aldi wins hands down. At $6 and only 15 minutes, you can't beat that anywhere (well actually, maybe you could if you had the time to make your own?)
I've not had Walmart's take and bakes, but we have two pizza places right down the street that sell large one-topping pizzas for $5 (Little Caesar's and a Speedy Cafe), and we both agree Aldi is both the better pizza and better deal.
Assuming you're not averse to pineapple (or ham), you should give the Hawaiian a try. As I said, I'm not a big fan of them either, but using BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce is a simple change that really works well.
Hands down Walmart is a better pizza but it costs a little more than Aldi. I have eaten both and the amount of cheese and meat on the Aldi pizza is very skimpy. Also, the thin crust at Walmart is much better.
To each their own. Even though their prices are good, I try to avoid Walmart like the plague. The last few times I've been there it felt like I was stuck in a circus; the surreal mix of nightmarish clientele and indifferent workers just isn't a mix that entices me.
eww gourmet pizza from Itally yuck