Wednesday, September 1, 2010

I Didn't Want to Like It

This is a sponsored review by BlogHer and Newman's Own.





I am extremely picky when it comes to pizza.   Maybe that's an understatement.   I like my pizza a certain way and that way only.   I grew up in southern California and we had a little pizzeria that my parents frequented and I loved the Sicilian-style pizza that we'd get a couple of times a month.   I can still remember the mouthwatering meld of flavors, the fluffy - but not doughy - crust, the mounds of cheese, the huge slices of pepperoni and spicy Italian sausage, thick black olives, crispy bell peppers,  and then even more cheese on top of that.   That's what I considered great pizza!  

When I was younger, I might even have referred to those pizzas as a "religious experience."  They were just that good!  One of my best childhood friends even called those pizzas, "Slap your mama good!"   Since then, I've measured almost every other pizza I've had, against it.  Most, if not all, have fallen short.   Having just recently moved from Maine to New York, everyone told me that the pizza here was "to die for" and that once I had a slice of "genuine New York pizza" I'd never eat any other kind.  To make a long story short, I am still alive and will probably remain so if I never have another slice of "genuine New York pizza" ever again.  

Being that my pizza standards are high (by my own estimation), it's not a leap to assume that frozen pizza is not high on my list of things I enjoy or even purchase...that was, until I had the opportunity to try a couple of Newman's Own Thin and Crispy Pizzas.   Why the openness to trying something that obviously didn't come from that tiny pizzeria in southern California?   It's simple, my family are huge fans of Newman's Own spaghetti sauce!  If I don't spend all day making my own sauce, I always have Newman's Own on hand.  We also love Newman's Own popcorn and lemonade.  I reasoned that if the spaghetti sauce was that good (and it is!), why not try the pizza? 

I was a tad hesitant because in my mind, pizza should not be "thin and crispy"...it should have a thick hand tossed crust and not crumble like a cracker when you bite into it.   I really wasn't sure what to expect when it came to the pizza, especially being that it was a frozen pizza.  Let's be honest.  Most frozen pizzas taste like the cardboard they're placed on.   I'm not sure whether it's the lack of quality ingredients that go into them, or all the additives, but they just don't taste good.

My husband Gareth, a very discerning Brit, was even more skeptical than I was when it came to a frozen pizza.   Pizza, in general, in the UK, where he grew up, is not even a fraction as popular over there as it is here.  In all the time I lived over in the UK, I can't even remember seeing frozen pizza stocked in most grocery stores.   In general, Gareth doesn't like pizza and will suffer through a slice or two of cheese pizza only whenever we have it delivered.   For the most part, he'd prefer to not eat it.   Frozen pizza is even lower on the list of things he enjoys suffering through.  It's understandable that he wasn't very excited when I told him that we were going to be eating a couple of frozen pizzas for dinner one night.

I took the two boxes of Newman's Own Thin and Crispy Pizza out of the freezer and set them on the counter.  I bought the Four Cheese and Pepperoni pizzas.  I looked over the list of ingredients and was pleasantly surprised to see that these pizzas have ZERO trans fats and no artificial ingredients either!  "NO" doesn't just stand for "Newman's Own" but it also represents NO modified food starch, NO sodium nitrate, and NO modified corn starch.   The only aspect of baking these pizzas that surprised me is that it's not recommended that you use a cookie sheet...meaning you have to place them directly on the oven rack.  I was worried about melting cheese and pizza toppings falling to the bottom of my oven and then burning, thus creating a huge mess.   That didn't happen! 

I set the timer, made a tossed green salad, set the table and had my preschooler wash her hands before we ate.  By the time we were all done setting the table, the timer went off.   I opened the oven and I have to admit, the smell was wonderful.  Not what I was expecting.   The cheese was bubbly and the sides of the pizzas were a beautiful golden brown color.  As we all sat around the table and took a couple of slices of pizza you could tell, just by looking at one another, that we were not expecting the pizzas to be anything special. 

The first person to take a bite was my uber-picky 4-year-old preschooler.  She instantly proclaimed she "loved it!"    Then came my husband who, after a couple of bites, declared that he wouldn't mind if we had this more often.  What a shock that was, coming from the man who doesn't really like pizza!  Then it was my turn.   What a surprise!  It tasted unlike any frozen pizza I have ever eaten before.  It honestly was that good!  I've never had a thin and crispy pizza crust and I loved it!  The flavors of the cheese and tomato sauce were intense but not overwhelming and the pepperoni on the pepperoni pizza wasn't overly salty yet it was spicy and so good!   I actually ended up really liking the thin and crispy crust!   I wasn't overwhelmed with mouthfuls of dough - like I normally am with a regular hand-tossed crust.   We liked this pizza so much that I went out and bought a couple more Newman's Own Thin and Crispy pizzas to store in the freezer for one of those nights when pizza sounds good and we don't want the expense or all the added artificial ingredients that come along with having a costly pie or two delivered!  I might even go as far as to call  Newman's Own Thin and Crispy Pizzas, "Slap your mama good!"

In celebration of my delicious new find I am going to be giving away a Newman's Own gift basket valued at $75.   All you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite pizza toppings are.    You can find the official BlogHer/Newman's Own contest rules here.

Now, go treat yourself to one of these awesome pizzas!


COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED!

140 comments:

dwood314 said...

It's a hard choice between Pineapple and Canadian Bacon or BBQ Chicken, but I think I would have to pick the BBQ Chicken as my favorite topping.

KD said...

I prefer a veggie pizza...chopped tomato, thinly sliced onions and peppers, mushrooms and a blend of cheeses..mozzarella, parmesan, provolone and sometimes a little swiss.

Amy said...

I love to make my own with whatever fresh veggies I have. Mushrooms, baby spinach, and lots of Feta.
I love this brand and all that it is and all that it stands for. 100% of their profits to charity!!!

Leola said...

My pizza topping favs are the basics...pepperoni, italian sausage, onions, peppers and lots of mozzarella.

Unknown said...

It's going to sound so weird, but my favorite combo is pepperoni, mushroom and pineapple.

nfavorite (at) msn (dot) com

Nancy said...

We like to stick to a hamburger, black olive, and mushroom combination for our pizza. I love Newman's Own products - so I'm sure this one must be great too!

Jennifer said...

We haven't found a frozen pizza we like - so we were intrigued to hear Newman's Own has one out. We like pepperoni, mushroom, and black olive if making or ordering out.

Mary E. said...

I could eat a margherita style pizza every day -- mozzarella, basil and thin slices of tomato. Now, that's pizza heaven.

Nancy W. said...

My favorite toppings are: mushrooms, black olives and artichoke hearts--yummy!

Sarah said...

I seriously cannot pick favorite toppings; I am a pizza FIEND and like different toppings for whatever mood I'm in. I'm partial to capers, garlic, mushrooms, and extra cheese, much of the time!

ignoramoose at gmail dot com

Cammy@TippyToeDiet said...

These days I have plain cheese or green pepper/black olives, but my favorite toppings are pepperoni, black olives, peppers, and lots of cheese!!

I like the Newman's Own salsa, so I may give the pizza a try sometimes. Thanks for the review!

ErinAsh said...

Definitely basil, tomatoes, and big chunks of mozzerella. Just like a good caprese salad.

Anonymous said...

The pepperoni sound good.
Don't often do pizza, but
thin sounds good.

hazel

Terri Dell said...

My favorite toppings are black and green olives

abfantom said...

I like onions and peppers on my pizza.

abfantom at yahoo dot com

crboyd said...

Pepperoni and sausage are my favorite toppings. :)

MOMFOREVERANDEVER said...

cheese and green peppers

Joy said...

My favorite topping is spinach

peg42 said...

My favorite is Pepperoni.
Thanks so much.
rickpeggysmith(at)aol(dot)com

Pat said...

Pepperoni, onions, mushrooms and anchovies

pbabcock2004(at)yahoo(dot)com

Shelley Johnson said...

My favorite toppings are cheese, peperoni, mushrooms, and onions.

Bloggytime20 at yahoo dot com

jlmk said...

The most important topping is a high quality cheese!

Stephanie said...

mushrooms, red pepper, spinach and avocado
tvollowitz at aol dot com

Jenn S. said...

My favorite toppings are green bell pepper, onions, mushrooms, hamburger, italian sausage, pepperoni and extra cheese.

jas8929 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

My favorite pizza toppings are peppers, onions and black olives!
jedoggett@embarqmail.com

sodahoney said...

like the boring pepperoni

sodahoney said...

tweet http://twitter.com/sodahoney/status/25093354600

Anonymous said...

I like mushrooms, black olives, and pepperoni.

rhoneygtn at yahoo dot com

sweepmom said...

I like black olives and jalapeno peppers.

wildcat32 said...

My favorite is pepperoni and extra cheese.
monster6236 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

HORTON111@AOL.COM

MY FAVORITE TOPPING IS CHEESE, PEPPERS AND ONIONS

Thread said...

My favorite toppings are pepperoni and bacon (and I don't mean the Canadian kind, I want the real stuff)

buzzd said...

Garlic & Chicken Thin & Crispy Pizza

chatterBOX said...

My fav is Pineapple!! Yummmm

Cindy said...

My favorite toppings are onions and hot peppers.

D Q said...

I love sausage, peppers and onions on my pizza.

Sue said...

Chicken and roasted red peppers. Thanks for the giveaway.

s.mickelson at gmail dot com

mogrill said...

I like Feta,Pesto,Olives,Walnuts and Grilled Chicken.

Thanks for the chance!!
mogrill@comcast.net

Black Sheep Broad said...

My favorites are...fresh and tasty! As long as that is the case, I love most anything...plain cheese, roasted veggies, anchovies, sausage, pepperoni...whatever!

Tarah said...

I love ham, onion and green pepper!

Tarah
tarah716[at]ymail.com

lisa said...

Extra garlic and hot pepper. msmith572@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Lots of veggies: mushrooms, artichokes, olives, broccoli and if I have a cold, jalapenos!

rugerpuppies at hotmail dot com

huggr1960 said...

My favorite toppins on pizza are onions and mushrooms but with the Newman's pizza it would be the four cheese pizza.

Ellie Wright said...

My favorite are spinach and cheese.
eswright18 at gmail.com

elizabeth p said...

I love a chicken and bacon pizza. I am queenesperfect at yahoo.com

llinda29 said...

Italian Sausage Pizza

julis55 said...

I love pepperoni

Amy Rouse said...

pepperoni pepperoni pepperoni

clc408 said...

I like grilled eggplant and cheese

bookworm said...

I like onions on my pizza, everything else has to go. Even the cheese. I'm also very picky about pizza!

Elsie said...

Pizza toppings are so fun,
I try them all with everyone,
My own favorite is just basic, pepperoni and sausage makes it!

pumpkinlady430@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Basil, tomatoes, and onions topped with shredded cheese.

Jacqueline in Atlanta said...

I like everything on pizza - the works, el supremo. I am also happy with just a super cheesy, homemade sauce pizza or a quality pepperoni or sausage pizza. I like feta, onions, sundried tomatoes and mushrooms, too. I am not picky about toppings, but I want a good crust and homemade sauce, not something that tastes like ketchup!

Thanks for having the giveaway!

samdaleo said...

My favorite pizza topping is black olive and pepperoni!! YUM:)

Thanks!
Samantha Daleo
jamesmadison1974@gmail.com
or
jamesmadison1974 at gmail dot com

Cindy said...

I have not tried Newman's. My husband eats every topping!

Pat said...

Favorite pizza topping is green peppers and black olives
pkildow at gmail dot com

GARIANNE said...

I actually like breakfast pizza with egg instead of sauce, sausage,ham, bacon, mushroom and onions.

Laura said...

My favorite toppings are bacon, mushrooms, onions, and chicken.

sksweeps said...

I like mine LOADED (everything except anchovies)!

sksweeps (at) earthlink (dot) net

Lisanne624 said...

I love BBQ chicken and banana peppers. I know, weird . . . LOL!

lahlstedt (at) gmail (dot) com

Anonymous said...

My favorite is a white pizza with mushrooms, onions and BBQ chicken.



o2oole (at) verizon (dot) net

Deborah Wellenstein said...

I like sausage, cheese, onions, black olives, green pepper, and lots of mushrooms!

kamewh said...

Green olives, onions, mushrooms, sausage and pepperoni!

djolsen said...

Well, since you asked! pepproni, sausage, green pepper, onion, olives,red pepper, bacon,mushrooms, and 3 different kinds of cheese, any kind of cheese except sharp cheddar. and put it on any kind of crust.

Anonymous said...

my favorite is getting extra cheese
sweetscove[at]gmail[dot]com

Alicia said...

Pepperoni, salami, black olives, red onions

Thanks for the giveaway >^..^<

Thanks for the giveaway >^..^<

sweetsue said...

I like spicy sausage, hot peppers, onions and tomatoes.
smchester at gmail dot com

dawns41 said...

My favorite toppings are extra cheese, pepperoni, olives and mushrooms.
dawns_horizen@yahoo.com

Kim (Randominities) said...

I love anything that gets me pizza! My husband loves the everything on it variety and my daughter loves Pepperoni and cheese. Since she's more likely to share a pizza with me (the man, how can he resist but he does)I'll take pep & cheese any day!

strawberry3d said...

MY FAVORITE TOPPING IS ITALIAN SAUSAGE.

Giant Sis said...

I like sausage and mushrooms!

endrase said...

I like white pizza with spinach, onion, and garlic.

Nancy said...

I'm going to try one of these next time I go to the supermarket.I like cheese and maybe tomatoes and mushrooms and brocolli.

Debbie C said...

My favorite toppings are pepperoni, uncured if possible, peppers, onions, olives and fresh tomatoes.

Sonya Cocherell said...

I like all the veggies with a little bit of sauce.

Catharine said...

My faves and mushrooms and black olives!

Princess Golden Hair said...

my favorite pizza toppings are spinach and mushrooms

teechbiz at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Pepperoni, onions, green peppers and banana peppers!

shel704 at aol dot com

Aisling said...

Lots of cheese, sausage, ground beef, bacon, onions, mushrooms and green peppers.

demmi said...

pepperoni

sarah said...

I love bacon and onion.

Daniel M said...

have always like pepperoni! - regnod(at)yahoo(d0t)com

Anonymous said...

Usually Pepperoni.

clynsg said...

Pepperoni, black olives and extra cheese are my favorite toppings.

cgclynsg0 @ gmail dot com

Tammy said...

bacon

Ging said...

ALL CHEESE! gingerandwade (at) yahoo(dot) com

mickeyfan said...

Favorite topping(s): beef, bacon and black olive.

Dave said...

I like simple cheese and pepperoni on my pizza. Thank you for the tasty give-away.

Anonymous said...

Bring on the fresh veggies...tomatos, onions, peppers, mushrooms, the more the better
Diane Baum
esldiane@gmail.com

Chip said...

I'm liking frozen pizza more and more. I've been so disappointed with the take out. I really just like cheese.
chipdip2010(at)hotmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

I love pepperoni, pineapple and green bell peppers. trinitygsd at yahoo dot com

Unknown said...

I love tne Newmans Own brand. I can always count on great flavor and quality in these products. Hmmm...think I will try the pizza on the grill. Yum!

sammi1 said...

My favorite combo is pepperoni, mushrooms and jalapenos!

Anonymous said...

I rarely eat anything other than cheese pizza. My family likes pepperoni, so sometimes I'll have a bite of their pizza. Once in a while I'll make myself a spinach pizza, but I tend to stick with cheese.

katfam95 at aim dot com

Mommy 2 Monkeys said...

I like green pepper and onions.

ElennaLouise said...

I like just about everything on pizza, but Italian Sausage is my favorite topping
Elenna {AT] sbcglobal [DOT] net

EmmaPeel said...

On my pizza I like mushrooms, olives, onions, red pepper, and pepperoni

emmaspeel(at)gmail.com

Lynne said...

I like eggplant and ricotta.

Jodi said...

I love green peppers.

purehrt555(At)Yahoo(dot)com

Valeen said...

I love pepperoni, sausage and bell peppers! Yum!

Sarah G. said...

I love mushrooms and extra cheese

Jill Myrick (jsc123) said...

My favorite pizza topping are pepperoni and mushrooms.

jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com

Unknown said...

My favorite is Ham and Pineapple.

hafner611{AT}gmail{DOT}com

Lisa Garner said...

My favorites are ham, pineapple, onions and bell peppers.
lisalmg25 at gmail dot com

Nancy said...

My favorite pizza toppings are pepperoni, mushrooms and onions.

Unknown said...

I love veggie pizza!! My kids like cheese.

Trisha D said...

mushrooms, fresh only and canadian bacon!

kakihara said...

mushroom and pepperoni
kakihararocks@gmail.com

pauline15 said...

I make my own with white cheese and some alfredo sauce, tomatoe slices and chicken.
pauline15_01 at hotmail dot com

degood said...

I like ham, pineapple and black olives on my pizza.

kerrie@mayansfamily.com

Amy delong said...

our favorite is black olives
ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com

Pets and their people said...

I like to put calamata olives, artichoke, onion, tomato, feta and mozzarella on mine

Anonymous said...

Favorite pizza toppings are banana peppers and pepperoni.

amycastellano74(at)hotmail(dot)com

js22 said...

I love pepperoni on my pizza! If it costs the same for all toppings as for one topping, I would get everything but anchovies on it!

Thanks for the giveaway!
email in blogger profile.

Leslie S. said...

I love mushrooms on my pizza.Thanks!
lstanziani(at)yahoo(dot)com

AB Smith said...

plain cheese here!

tallcapp said...

My favorite topping is anchovies, but it is always difficult to find someone to share a pizza with me.

slehan said...

After your rave review I'm going to try this. I like most anything on pizza (including anchovies). I'd like to try the Roasted Garlic & Chicken pizza. Thanks for the contest.

loni broesch said...

I love bacon and green olives on my pizza

trippyjanet at hotmail dot com

mail4rosey said...

I like banana peppers and cheese.

msurosey@yahoo.com

Miranda Ward said...

i like cheese,banana peppers and lots of onions!

Chrystal said...

My favorite pizza toppings are pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, green pepper, and onion.

chrystaljns (at) gmail (dotcom)

thatlittlehouse said...

My favorite toppings are bacon and pepperoni

nblexp at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Cheese & crushed red pepper

barblong said...

My favorite pizza toppings are sausage, mushrooms and green peppers.

longbarb1@aol.com

Jinxy and Me said...

I like peppers and onions on mine!

Charity S said...

My favorites are pepperoni and extra cheese.

charisscharity at yahoo dot com

Sand said...

I love caramelized onions on my pizza.

ShesAnAngel said...

My fave pizza toppings are pepperoni and extra cheese :D

justine417@comcast.net

Anonymous said...

I love margarita pizza nice and simple with cracked red pepper and a great green salad. Mmmmm, such a nice easy dinner! Newman's Own has great quality foods that love you back. Their company strives to provide the most healthy convenience food as is possible.

judis121 said...

I love any pizza and my favorite is stuffed veggie but hats from our town. My topping favorite is mushroom, peppers and onions!

Anonymous said...

I like pizza becaue you can have it so many really healthy ways

jasmine said...

pepperoni is my fave - all the salt gives the pizza a nice kick.

Vgrlfrnd said...

I like Canadian Bacon, Pineapple and white cheese. Go figure.

schmalenberger1 said...

I love alfredo pizza, with chicken, spinach, mushrooms & onions topped with cheese yum!

pms3237 said...

I love extra cheese, mushrooms & sausage! Yummy!!

Anonymous said...

sausage! yum. scg00387 at yahoo dot com

Iris said...

I love pizza and tend to have it for lunch or dinner about twice a week. My favorite is canadian bacon with pineapple but you can never go wrong with the works! iagonzalez03@yahoo.com

LivewithFlair said...

Pineapple.

faitcam said...

Sausage mushroom and green pepper!!!
faitcameth at gmail dot com