A pillowy center and crispy edges as advertised, but the sauce and toppings were rather dull.
So after discovering the Outsider Detroit Style Pepperoni Pizza, I was super excited to try DiGiorno's relatively new Pan Pizza. I mean it has to be great when they put a specific label on the box touting their crispy caramelized edges. Well I'm sad to say that the only thing exciting about this pizza was the excitement leading up to the actual consumption.
I should probably start by saying I've never been a huge fan of DiGiorno Pizza. I mean the crust is ok, but everything on top of that is pretty bland including their meat toppings. I typically choose Freschetta or Tombstone if I can't get Papa Murphy's which is still my favorite take and bake. But again I try to have an open mind and I thought maybe they would change it up a bit with this new style, but they did not.
Let's start with the crust. This actually was a win for me. I mean I love bread in general. I will literally get through 3 baskets of rolls at a Texas Roadhouse before my dinner comes. The crust did crisp up really nicely in the pan it came in. It had a nice buttery finish to it as well and hit all the right notes. Crispy all along the edges while soft and pillowy everywhere else. But after the crust everything was just dull.
If you read some of our posts, you know that I like all the different pizza sauces. The marinara put on top of a stuffed or Chicago deep dish, YES PLEASE! A pizza sauce that is either sweet or acidic, I'll take them both. For me though, it's almost like DiGiorno just takes a can of Hunts Tomato Paste and mixes in some Italian seasoning that's been sitting in a cupboard for years. You know... that spice rack your grandma has above her oven with spices she bought from Aldi in the 90s. Every leaf in those containers is so dry and flavorless. Sound familiar? That's always been my take on DiGiorno's sauce at least. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong, but I can't change my taste buds.
I also noticed there wasn't much sauce at all. The crust underneath was pillowy but it was more like pizza flavored bread because there really wasn't a noticeable layer of sauce. The cheese, I mean I've had mozzarella with very little taste before, but this is like lifeless mozzarella. It's what I imagine mozzarella would taste like for a ghost. I had to whip out the old garlic salt shaker to splash some flavor into this pizza.
Oh, you aren't familiar with the old garlic salt shaker? So that's another funny thing about me. I LOVE GARLIC SALT. I mean it's garlic and salt, enough said. But I will take my own shaker of garlic salt to pizza restaurants. I'm sure Eric has a photo, I mean he thinks it's the funniest thing. Maybe I'll have him post it on Instagram. But whether a pizza is bold or bland, you'll always find me sprinkling this powder over any pizza. This DiGiorno needed more than normal.
I was hoping the pepperoni could have added some flavor, but this pepperoni had zero pep. There was no spice, heat or bite to it. They were just chewy meat discs. I know it sounds soooo depressing and somewhat dystopian but, just imagine having to eat it. And now that I've told you about it, YOU DON'T HAVE TO EAT IT!!!
If you truly want a great pan/Detroit style pizza I would stick with the Outsider Detroit Style Pepperoni if you local store carries it. Or if you have a Papa Murphy's nearby, just go get a pan pizza from them. I can't wait to do a review of that for you guys, it's legit my fave take and bake pizza.