# A frozen pizza, a hot plate and an empty stomach. Help! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 9, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-frozen-pizza-a-hot-plate-and-an-empty-stomach-help/615251 "2012-03-09T11:26:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-frozen-pizza-a-hot-plate-and-an-empty-stomach-help/615251/1 "2012-03-09T11:26:14Z")
I’m currently overseas and staying in a pretty spartan apartment for work. In the freezer, I have a frozen pizza in a box with a language I can’t even begin to read (but the picture looks yummy!). To cook this, I have a counter top dual hot plate electric grill, a frying pan and a cover that is a little too small for the pan. From the box that I can’t read, I see from the illustrations that the pizza should be baked, not microwaved. So, given the items at hand, how should I go about cooking it? Maybe set the hot plate to medium, slap in a piece of the pizza, then cover for so many minutes? I think that’ll either take forever, or the crust will burn. What say the SDMB? Can I get a good meal from this? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-frozen-pizza-a-hot-plate-and-an-empty-stomach-help/615251/2 "2012-03-09T11:50:06Z")
I’m in a similar kitchen situation myself, and I’ve managed to cook a variety of things without a microwave or oven. With a frozen pizza, there’s no way you can to turn it over, so you’ll have to heat it from below. But I suspect the ambient heat from doing that will not be enough to defrost the toppings, let alone cook them. So let it thaw first. But you also want to keep as much heat in the system as possible. There’s no single way to guarantee success, but I suspect you’ll get best results from taking the room temperature thawed pizza, breaking it up into slices as you suggest, having the pan on the hot plate on the lowest possible setting, and cook it with the too-small cover over it. Check every so often that you’re not burning the base, but with the hotplate on very low I suspect you won’t. You’re also going to have to be a bit patient. Or just go to a restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-frozen-pizza-a-hot-plate-and-an-empty-stomach-help/615251/3 "2012-03-09T12:04:02Z")
Thanks, **jjimm** I have melted some butter in the pan, then turned the hotplate down to 2 (BTW, this one goes to 11!) and slapped in 2 pieces of still frozen pizza, then put the ill fitting cover over them. And now we wait, unless there is a better idea. My stomach is growling. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-frozen-pizza-a-hot-plate-and-an-empty-stomach-help/615251/4 "2012-03-09T12:21:23Z")
Personally I would have cooked it dry, but hey, butter! 😛 Make sure to report back with results. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-frozen-pizza-a-hot-plate-and-an-empty-stomach-help/615251/5 "2012-03-10T09:15:58Z")
I found myself in a similar situation not long ago. I ended up pouring about half an inch worth of oil into the skillet and frying the pizza for about 5 minutes. It came out pretty much the same as it would’ve in the oven, if a bit greasier. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-frozen-pizza-a-hot-plate-and-an-empty-stomach-help/615251/6 "2012-03-10T11:58:34Z")
If you’d had a lot of oil I would have recommended the [Scottish method](http://images.fxcuisine.com/blogimages/scotland/deep-fried-pizza/scottish-deep-fried-pizza-03-1000.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-frozen-pizza-a-hot-plate-and-an-empty-stomach-help/615251/7 "2012-03-11T08:07:52Z")
It killed him. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-frozen-pizza-a-hot-plate-and-an-empty-stomach-help/615251/8 "2012-03-11T12:22:06Z")
Thaw the pizza. Cut it in half. Put one half on top of the other and cook it like you would a grilled cheese or quesadilla. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-frozen-pizza-a-hot-plate-and-an-empty-stomach-help/615251/9 "2012-03-11T17:35:52Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Thaw the pizza. Cut it in half. Put one half on top of the other and cook it like you would a grilled cheese or quesadilla. Instant calzone! I like your thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashley_Pomeroy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-frozen-pizza-a-hot-plate-and-an-empty-stomach-help/615251/10 "2012-03-12T20:20:00Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Thaw the pizza. Cut it in half. Put one half on top of the other and cook it like you would a grilled cheese or quesadilla. I tried this once, in a George Foreman grill - with two miniature pizzas. It sort of worked. The end result was edible, but not very nice. Instead of having nice hot cheese in between two lovely toasted platters I had dry platters, slightly warm cheese. I’m sure that’s an idea for another thread. Can you cook chips in a George Foreman grill? Roast spuds?