Can I tell you how surprised I was by Trader Joe’s Spicy Meat Pizza? Meat Lovers generally isn’t my go-to (I like vegetables, what can I say?), but after popping this one out of the box and seeing the cornicione, the nice ridge on that crust, I was like, Hmh! Let’s get it into the oven and see whatcha got then!
I followed instructions using a baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes, but the meatballs didn’t get to 165F. It was probably fine, but I threw it back in for 3 minutes and we got to 165F no problem. I mean, look at it out of the oven. It’s legit! But me being me, I had to add a little green to it in the form of some arugula. And not just for better looking photos.
Let’s get in closer. The “meatballs” as the box describes them, are the usual Italian sausage nubs you’d expect. But it’s the smoked Calabrian sausage that makes this one stand out. It’s a little smoky, a little spicy, and a little sweet. Goes great with the grilled red peppers. I’m betting you’ll eat the pizza bones instead of giving them to your pupper.
You’ll probably polish this off yourself, though it could feed two if you want to share. I re-warmed a couple slices on the stove (pan covered over low heat method) and it was still pretty good. The crust wasn’t as great as the first day (it was drier/crunchier), but not the worst.
Nutrition-wise, Trader Joe’s Spicy Meat Pizza is not health food, but hey, it’s pizza. And a meaty one, at that. Ingredient list is pretty straightforward.
For $5.99. I like this one a lot. Costco’s Kirkland Cauliflower Crust Combo frozen pizza remains my fave overall. But for a Neapolitan-style frozen pizza, this one is pretty damn good. I will say, the box takes up a lot of room if you have a small freezer, but that’s my only nit. Would I buy it again? For sure.
If you want a look at the bottom crust and some video of the process of baking it up, here ya go.
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
Pizza made with TJ’s Cauliflower Thins
