# Do you doctor/augment/adulterate store-bought pizzas before you bake them at home? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2019, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047 "2019-10-20T19:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/41 "2019-10-21T20:33:02Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > It doesn’t have anything to do with cost-- at least not for me. It’s more a matter of convenience and having the option. Sometimes you just want to have a pizza in the freezer for those times when you don’t feel like going out or ordering takeout (or maybe there’s no delivery in your area-- that was true of me for 20 years when I lived in the country). This is why we always have a couple of Albertson’s/Vons Signature pizzas in the freezer. We also always have a couple pounds of chicken wings in there as well. Can’t decide what to fix for dinner or can’t be arsed to do anything complicated? Pizza and wings. Minimal fuss, disposable pans. Total cost for 2: less than $12 when bought on sale. The same order from the nearest decent pizza place (pick-up) would run 3 times that and I’d have to put pants on. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/42 "2019-10-21T23:11:12Z")
I always add some onion powder and garlic powder, some oregano, some basil, and possibly some thinly sliced jalapeno summer sausage to augment the pepperoni. Plus some parmesan and maybe some mozzarella. And vegemite of course. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/43 "2019-10-21T23:40:36Z")
I rarely eat pizza at all anymore but I used to eat lots of it, frozen, take and bake and from a pizzeria. I always doctored the frozen pizzas up. Mushrooms, cheese and usually more meat. The main thing with frozen for me was convenience. Buy 3 or 4, toss 'em in the freezer and eat them when you don’t feel like spending much time fixing something. I cut pizza out of my diet because it’s so damn high in sodium, particularly the frozen ones (IMHO). Now that I’ve lessened the amount of sodium I eat pizza tastes really, really salty. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/44 "2019-10-21T23:52:21Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > …And vegemite of course. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/45 "2019-10-21T23:57:46Z")
On frozen pizza, I will sprinkle garlic salt and Italian seasonings before baking, Parmesan cheese and possibly hot sauce after. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/46 "2019-10-21T23:57:52Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I have jars of Penzey’s Pizza Seasoning and Penzey’s Frozen Pizza seasoning in the spice cabinet but honestly it doesn’t seem to make much difference. Hmm… I think their Frozen Pizza seasoning adds a lot to the taste. I also add a bit more Mozzarella or Italian blend and probably a bit of Parmesan. I can’t think of any time I put a pizza in from the freezer to the oven without doctoring it. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/47 "2019-10-22T00:15:49Z")
Vidalia-style onions and bell peppers (red for preference) around the perimeter, so that it looks like a wreath. (Both onions and peppers sliced so pieces are about 1/4 inch wide and 2-3 inches long.) Bake the pizza about five minutes longer than the instructions say, and it works out perfectly. Nothing else added; there’s plenty of cheese on the store-brand $4 pizzas we get. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/48 "2019-10-22T00:17:30Z")
Frozen pizza always makes me think of that disturbing 2014 Scandinavian horror film **Goodnight, Mommy,** when the two little boys have bound and gagged their mother and tied her to the bed prior to savagely murdering her, and are surviving on microwaved frozen pizza because she can’t cook for them due to being tied up, and waiting to be savagely murdered. Just throwing that out there. Enjoy your frozen pizza. PS: you don’t even want to know what Creamsicles make me think of. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/49 "2019-10-22T00:47:13Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > I have jars of Penzey’s Pizza Seasoning and Penzey’s Frozen Pizza seasoning in the spice cabinet but honestly it doesn’t seem to make much difference. > > Hmm… I think their Frozen Pizza seasoning adds a lot to the taste. Wait, are you adding the frozen pizza seasoning to the still-frozen pizza? I’ve been adding it after cooking it and didn’t notice much of a difference. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/50 "2019-10-22T02:24:26Z")
[Mmmmmmm…pizza (almost).](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLHRjaUBb3o) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/51 "2019-10-22T12:41:35Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > [Mmmmmmm…pizza (almost).](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLHRjaUBb3o) Thanks for that 😛 > [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > ``` > Frozen pizza always makes me think of that disturbing 2014 Scandinavian horror film Goodnight, Mommy, when the two little boys have bound and gagged their mother and tied her to the bed prior to savagely murdering her, and are surviving on microwaved frozen pizza because she can’t cook for them due to being tied up, and waiting to be savagely murdered. > > ``` > > Just throwing that out there. Enjoy your frozen pizza. And thank \*you \*for _that_ :dubious: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/52 "2019-10-22T14:03:02Z")
I haven’t added stuff to a frozen pizza since my teen years. My mom always had sausage and ham that we’d add. We don’t usually have it in our fridge. Any leftover ham gets used on sandwiches or in the morning with eggs. I keep a couple Tombstone 4 meat pizzas in the freezer for nasty weather days. They’re pretty good straight from the box. A lot better than frozen pizza available 40 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/53 "2019-10-22T14:21:38Z")
Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/54 "2019-10-22T14:39:47Z")
Walmart doesn’t have the worst pizzas. They don’t have the best, but the ones they have aren’t bad for their price-point. As someone here mentioned, frozen pizzas like Totinos work better as a toppings delivery system than it does as a stand-alone pizza. Buy the thing, load it up with your fave toppings, cook, and eat. Not the best, but not the worst. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/55 "2019-10-22T15:12:35Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > [Mmmmmmm…pizza (almost).](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLHRjaUBb3o) That’s pretty well what I thought when I saw in CostCo frozen pizzas with a cauliflower crust. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/56 "2019-10-22T16:07:36Z")
our local grocery store sells a pretty good take and bake pizza. The variety is pretty good and I can almost always find one that has the toppings I like. Once I get it home, I put it on a pizza stone and into my off set smoker for about half an hour over a pecan log fire at 250f ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/57 "2019-10-24T06:58:57Z")
I haven’t partaken of such pizzas in a good while. It always depended on the brand. It’s almost adorable what Tombstone thinks “extra cheese” looks like, so I would throw a whole bunch of mozzarella on those. But I don’t remember Freschetta or DiGiorno needing a whole lot of help. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2019, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/58 "2019-10-26T02:11:55Z")
I get frozen pizzas with whole milk mozzarella and all the toppings I want for under $3. I might add red pepper flakes. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/59 "2019-10-29T06:07:05Z")
I usually cover the average store-bought pizza with a layer of sliced mushrooms. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047/60 "2019-10-29T13:32:46Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > I usually cover the average store-bought pizza with a layer of sliced mushrooms. Raw or jarred/canned? If raw, what kind? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-doctor-augment-adulterate-store-bought-pizzas-before-you-bake-them-at-home/842047.md?page=4)