How to Bake a Totino's Party Pizza

Introducing the Pizza to Your Oven

Preheat your oven to 450 °F (232 °C). Any lower temperature will leave the crust soggy and may not cook the pizza fully, which can pose health hazards. If you are using a toaster oven, preheat it at this same temperature setting. Please note: These are up-to-date baking instructions according to the Totino’s website, but follow whatever baking instructions appear on the box if they are different from those here.

Take the pizza out of the box. Then cut the plastic wrap and peel it completely off of the pizza. Don’t forget to remove the plastic in your haste to enjoy a hot pizza. It will melt all over the pizza and make it inedible, and might make a big mess in your oven. Do not allow your pizza to thaw before baking. Get it out of the freezer only as your oven is preheating.

Put the pizza in the oven. When your oven (or toaster oven) has finished preheating, place the pizza directly on the middle oven rack. This will produce the crispiest crust. Alternatively, you can also place the pizza on a cookie sheet, which can either be room temperature or preheated (by placing it in the oven ahead of time). This will not produce the same degree of crust crispiness, though. Be careful. Remember, the oven and the rack will be extremely hot. If you are a child or are inexperienced with using the oven, have an adult or more knowledgeable baker assist you.

Achieving Golden Brown Deliciousness

Bake the pizza until the cheese in the middle is melted and the outer rim is golden brown. Cooking times vary slightly depending upon the Party Pizza variety you choose and the type of oven you use. Follow the package instructions. For instance: A cheese pizza should bake for approximately 11-12 minutes on the oven rack, 13-14 minutes on a cookie sheet, and 17-18 minutes in a toaster oven. A pepperoni pizza should bake for roughly the same amount of time as a cheese pizza. A supreme pizza should bake for about 14-16 minutes on the oven rack, and 17-19 minutes either on a cookie sheet or in a toaster oven. Remember, however, to trust your eyes and remove the pizza when it looks done. These thin, small pizzas will overcook and burn quickly!

Take the pizza out of the oven using a spatula. This is the easiest way to take the pizza out because a spatula can get right under the pizza to lift it and bring it forward. If the pizza is on a baking sheet, remove the sheet from the oven first. Hold the spatula in one hand and a plate big enough to hold the pizza in the other. Quickly transfer the hot pizza to the plate, either by sliding or lifting and placing it with the spatula. Remember — the pizza is hot, and so is the pan (if you used one). Be careful.

Start your Totino’s party. If you are making it for yourself, you don't necessarily have to cut the pizza. You can just eat it whole. If you’re sharing the pizza or want to be a bit more refined in your eating, use a pizza cutter to divide the pizza into pieces. (Totino’s Party Pizzas are now square instead of round, so you’ll get smaller squares instead of slices.)

Jazzing Up Your Party Pizza

Try out the “seven minute” variation. If you are in even more of a hurry or just really want to ensure maximum crispiness, you can try a variation that utilizes your microwave and your oven set on the broiler setting. Preheat your oven (or separate broiler) on the maximum broiler setting. Place a sturdy cookie sheet in the broiler to preheat as well, putting it on a rack that is as close to the heating element as possible. Put your frozen, unwrapped Totino’s Party Pizza on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave it on “high” until the pizza is completely thawed. The pizza will be soft and pliable and the cheese will have begun to melt. Carefully remove the hot cookie sheet from the broiler. Carefully slide the pizza from the plate to the hot cookie sheet. Carefully place the hot cookie sheet back into the broiler. Carefully wait for the pizza to finish baking. Remove your pizza from the broiler when it is crispy, bubbly, and browned.

Add your own toppings to the pizza before baking. You can’t control what ingredients are inside the Party Pizza, but you can control the toppings. Start with a plain cheese pizza and add whatever veggies, cheeses, cooked meats, or other items that you wish. You can add chopped fresh or sauteed onions, bell peppers, olives, mushrooms, or other veggies; any cooked meats, from pepperoni to last night’s leftover chicken; extra mozzarella or other good melting cheeses; and any other toppings that will safely cook to the proper temperature in the time it takes to bake the pizza. Don’t overload the pizza, though. Totino’s pizzas have a very thin crust and won’t easily stand up to a mountain of toppings.

Add fresh toppings at the end of the baking process. You can also personalize your Totino’s Party Pizza as it completes its journey to crispy deliciousness. For instance, you can brush garlic butter, garlic oil, or olive oil along with pepper and parmesan onto the outer rim of the pizza during the last two minutes or so of baking. Or, you can add chopped fresh tomatoes, parmesan or feta cheese, fresh herbs like basil and oregano, or dried chile flakes to the finished pizza. If you want to make a Totino’s Party Pizza as healthy as possible, try adding tender mixed greens tossed with oil and vinegar on top.