Safeway Select Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pizza

Distributed by:  Safeway Inc.
Tools Required:  Oven
600 calories per 1/2 pizza

I debated with myself as to whether to include store-brand products like this one, but I decided that Safeway is a national chain, after all, and I imagine there are people who would like to know if the store-branded products can compare with the more-expensive name brands.  Now that that's settled, it's time for the Butterfly to review!

Out of the package, the pizza doesn't look too bad; there is a fairly generous sprinkling of bacon bits and cubes of white-meat chicken.  It kind of looks like there isn't much sauce, but that could just be because it's a white sauce and blends in with the crust.  I preheat the oven to 425°, fix the positioning of the chicken cubes a bit, and bake it for 13 minutes (the package says 12-14).  Let it cool for a bit, and it's time to serve!

The pastry-style "Pizzeria Crust" isn't too bad, although I think the Red Baron crust was better both in texture and flavor.  I think this one could have stood a little extra time in the oven to crisp up, and maybe then the texture would have compared better.  The chicken pieces have a nice "real-meat" texture and flavor and stay tender and moist, and there is a nice balance between chicken and bacon. The sauce, though, seems a bit off to me; it doesn't come across as quite rich enough to be true alfredo sauce, and especially with the black pepper sprinkling, it ends up tasting a bit more like country gravy to me--which makes the whole thing taste kind of like one of those 'breakfast' pizzas.

Overall, I think it did seem like a quality product and a decent value; it might not be quite as appealing as the name-brand Red Baron pizza I tried last time, but it wasn't bad by any means.  I will be interested to try one with a normal pizza sauce for a better comparison.  As for this particular flavor, my sweetie said she liked it, but I'm probably going to try something else next time.  :|

Red Baron Classic Crust Special Deluxe Pizza

Distributed by:  Schwan's Consumer Brands, Inc.
Tools Required:  Oven
750 calories per 1/2 pizza

We had something "quick and easy" for dinner last night, and settled on this Red Baron pizza that I had picked up on sale at Safeway last week.  Even at regular price, this brand is fairly economical compared to some of the more "gourmet" brands like DiGiorno's or Freschetta.  So I'm hoping it turns out to be good!

The toppings sounded good, anyway; this is their Special Deluxe Pizza, which says it has "Two Cheeses, Sausage, Mushrooms, Pepperoni, Black Olives, Green & Red Peppers, and Onions."  (The two cheeses happen to be mozzarella and cheddar, for the record.)  Out of the box, the toppings actually seem to be distributed fairly well, though I did fuss with the pepperoni pieces a bit to eliminate any overlapping ones.  We preheat our oven to 400°, then stick the pizza in straight on the rack and bake it for 19 minutes or so.  I was happy to see that no cheese or toppings dripped onto the oven floor, a common downfall with on-the-rack pizza cooking, so it scores a few points there.  Although the box doesn't specifically say to, I let it cool for about five minutes before cutting.  Dinner is served!

There is a generous portion of cheese(s) included, and although the toppings aren't piled high and deep, there is definitely enough to give a good flavor.  I especially enjoyed the sweet bits of onion and mushroom, but all the flavors blended nicely.  I actually really liked the flavor of the sauce, too; it is slightly sweet, but not too sweet, and definitely not too tangy or spicy like I have had with some other products.  I really enjoyed the texture of the crust!  It is nicely crispy on the bottom without being hard and crusty, and is sort of pastry-like, with a rich buttery flavor.  I have to say I like it better than most of the fancy-pantsy "Rising Crust" products I've tried in the past--those have a habit of coming out too dry and sort of bitter (probably from the rising agent).  I am impressed, especially considering the economical price!  I'll definitely be letting the Red Baron cook for me again sometime. :)

Newman's Own Thin & Crispy Uncured Pepperoni Pizza

Made By:  Newman's Own Inc.
Tools Required:  Oven, Pizza cutter
480 calories per 1/2 pizza

Like practically all families in the United States, we enjoy the occasional pizza for comfort food.  I tend to be a bad girl and just order out for Domino's, but I am always left feeling a bit guilty about both the price and the ridiculous number of calories that come with pizza delivery.  Recently I got a coupon for these new Thin & Crispy pizzas from Newman's Own, though, and I brought one home to give it a try!

To prepare, we simply bake the pizza directly on the oven rack at 425° for 10 to 12 minutes.  Some of the pepperoni looked like it had moved around, so I tried to fix the placement of the toppings first, of course.  Has there ever been a frozen pizza that didn't have uneven toppings, though?  We let it cool for a few so I can cut it, at which point we have the lovely pizza pictured!  (The observant may notice that my 'side' is cut tavern-style so it can be eaten with chopsticks more easily.)

And the verdict is:  This is actually a really good pizza!  The crust is pleasantly crispy without being hard, and is sort of pastry-like in texture with a nice buttery flavor.  The sauce is mildly sweet, which I like, and the pepperoni is very high quality, seeming much more like actual slices of meat sausage than what usually comes on frozen pizzas.  The portion is small enough that it didn't quite make a meal for two on its own, but with a side salad it was a nice dinner, and the calorie count was much more reasonable than calling for delivery.  Besides, with just a 10-minute cook time, this one will even make it to the table sooner!  I don't know if I'll go as far as to say it's better than a thin-crust pizza from Domino's, but given the difference in price, it's an attractive alternative, and definitely worth the purchase!  :)