Costco pizza is a tasty option for a quick meal, but it can also be tricky to cook if you’re not used to it.
Follow these instructions to make the perfect Costco pizza!
How to Cook Costco Pizza
To bake a pizza, you need to preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit before placing the pizza on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. This will ensure that you get a crust that’s crispy. It also keeps the toppings from sliding off.
Different types of pizza are made with different ingredients and therefore vary in their cooking time. Just like how a chef can make adjustments in the way they cook a certain pizza, there will be slightly different variations of cooking time depending on the ingredients used for the dough, sauce & cheese.
Costco Frozen Pizza Instructions
Around Costco, you will find dozens of different food products, and a lot can be easily boiled down to their most basic cooking instructions.
To make your life easier, we have gathered the main instructions for the famous Kirkland signature frozen cheese pizzas.
Kirkland Pizza Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove all packaging (Keep the cardboard packed with the pizza).
- Use the cardboard as a peel to place pizza on the middle oven rack.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes.
- The pizza is cooked when the cheese is melted in the center and the crust is golden brown.
- Remove the pizza (with oven mitts & the cardboard).
- Place it on a table and wait for few minutes before cutting it.
Now that you know the basic instructions, let’s address the elephant in the room!
Frozen pizza is convenient, cheap, and quick (just unwrap and bake right?).
It’s a fun food to have in your freezer.
But let’s face it.
With every convenience comes some sacrifices.
That’s why it tastes like cardboard, has no flavor, and sure doesn’t make you feel satisfied.
So, instead of spending time struggling with making the final product edible, you can upgrade your meal with these easy-to-make adjustments!
How to Upgrade Frozen Pizza to Make it Better
Fresh Toppings
A great way to make a frozen pizza healthier is to add fresh toppings. Fresh ingredients will taste better, as a bonus, they will make your plate flavorful.
Adding fresh ingredients such as chunks of chorizo or tomatoes can give your meal some extra life and flavor.
Add more cheese
The cheese on frozen pizzas is often made from a mixture of water and cheese powder. This is not only less tasty, but it also doesn’t melt well. You can significantly improve the taste by adding fresh cheese in place of the already-made cheese mixture.
Consider using fresh cheese like slices of Mozzarella or Burrata. They provide a gooey, melty texture that’s hard to rival with store bought cheese.
Garlic butter
Tired of eating frozen pizza that tastes like cardboard? Try brushing the crust with garlic butter before you bake it. This delicious and easy recipe will make your store bought meal taste like a fresh, homemade one.
A little softened butter and minced garlic are whisked together in a bowl. The crust is then tossed in olive oil before being set on the baking sheet to finish cooking. It’s an extra step that gives the crust that final golden brown color.
Add Greens
Add a bunch of greens to your pizza to give it an extra burst of color. Sprinkle red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, basil leaves, and grated Parmesan cheese before baking at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
This will help to make it more nutritious and delicious. Frozen pizzas are typically processed with dough that is void of any moisture so they can be made quicker with less time in the oven.
Use olive oil
A drizzle of olive oil enhances the flavor and texture of any dish. It can also help to melt the cheese and prevent it from separating. Olive oil helps balance flavors as well, which is why adding a bit of this liquid gold is a surefire way to make a delicious meal even more mouthwatering.
Using olive oil, and adding just enough to coat the crust and give it a golden hue, can transform an ordinary snack into something extraordinary.
Add leftover chicken
Adding leftover chicken is a great way to make an old meal feel new and exciting. This technique can be used with any pizza, not just those that are frozen. It is a quick and easy way to make your dinner last longer, as well as save money by using up leftovers.
If you’re looking for a good way to use up leftover chicken, try adding it the next day. This recipe lends itself well to a specific style of pizza that is known for minimal toppings, lots of sauce and the use of seasonings and spices
Add Eggs
Adding eggs is an easy and quick way to make a delicious meal that you can enjoy in no time.
When the pizza has reached the halfway point, pull it out. Crack an egg or two over it and return to the oven for few minutes. The end result will taste better with a fried yolk, which is appreciated by many people.
Okay, you’ve just had your favorite pizza, but now you’re not sure what to do with the leftovers.
We get it, everyone hates throwing away food!
What do you do then?
Well, the answer is easy: you save it for later, and then you reheat it!
Luckily, reheating (when done correctly) doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the deliciousness, freshness, and textures of your food.
How to Reheat Pizza
Using the Oven
Reheating pizza in the oven can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. There are three common problems that typically come up with using the oven to reheat your snack.
The first is that sometimes the crust will dry out and not get crispy.
The second is that the cheese might start to burn before the rest of the pizza has enough heat so that it reaches a safe temperature.
The third is that sometimes, when reheating a pizza, there isn’t enough space for all of its fluid to reach its boiling point, which causes steam vents on top or bottom of the pizza to form, and cause soggy spots throughout.
But worry not!
The instructions below will get you sorted out!
- Wait for your oven to preheat to 375 degrees farenheit. It might take a few minutes, but it’s necessary in order to get the heat instantly inside the oven and onto the pizza as soon as possible. You don’t want your meal to cook at an inconsistent pace.
- You will be required to put a baking tray (with foil) in the oven. The goal is to heat the surface of your foil-lined tray before removing it.
- Remove the hot baking sheet, and place the pizza on it. Then bake on the oven for 10 minutes. Watch often to make sure it doesn’t burn! The final result should be a tasty snack with great flavors your family will love!
P.S. Before thinking about using the microwave, you should know that reheating pizza in a microwave is not an ideal option because it will cause the crust to become soggy and that is not something you want to eat.
Using a skillet
There is another way to reheat your snack, and it doesn’t take too long. It requires a skillet, which isn’t the first thing you think of when you need to cook something quickly. But rest assured because it delivers great-tasting results without a lot of fuss.
- Grab a skillet. Non-stick skillets give more surface area allowing for faster heat transfer.
- Place the slice of pizza on top of the pan and toast it for 2 minutes at a medium heat.
- To get the perfect crust, make sure to add 3-5 drops of water to the pan’s base. Don’t pour the water directly on top of your pizza – instead, brew it into the sides.
- Cover the skillet with the lid on top of the pan tightly.
- Keep the heat set at a level that steam will continue to build up (so the cheese is melted).
- After 2 minutes, turn off the heat.
- Enjoy
Costco Pizza Types
Costco food court is one of the biggest food courts in the world. They offer a variety of different types of cuisines for a variety of people. So, naturally people come there to save time and money (Plus, they sell all sort of food!).
Combo Pizza
Combo incorporates the different ingredients used in both the pepperoni and cheese varieties. It is simply a combination of the two. It has both cheese and meat, but also vegetables. Different toppings are available such as pepperoni, meatballs, bacon, sausage, and vegetables.
Cheese pizza
This one is among the items most purchased at Costco. It’s made using fresh cheese (not processed), which is a key factor in pizza quality. This makes it healthier and fresher than other similar products.
Pepperoni pizza
For food lovers who are also fans of the New York-style pizza, there’s a high-quality option available at Costco. The slices are foldable and have a crispy thin crust without being too oily. The sauce is tomato-based and has a hint of something sweet, although it is unclear what ingredient this sweet flavour is coming from.
Custom Pizza
This feature is offered by some Costco locations. It typically takes about 10-15 minutes to prepare and will be customizable with your desired ingredient(s). You can also order it from the food court for pickup!
You might want to consider coming into the food court for this service as it allows more customization options & lasts longer!
Take-And-Bake Pizza
Costco offers several varieties of pizza, including an uncooked one that you can take and bake at home. Be advised though, that such an option will depend on your location.
But generally, Costco has a wide range of options for your take-and-bake orders, from fresh toppings to cheese, pepperoni, and combos.
Frozen Pizzas
Costco offers many types of frozen pizzas to suit everyone’s taste – from gluten-free, white to the classic pepperoni. These are microwavable and have become popular for those who want something quick, and easy to prepare.
P.s. While you are at Costco, be sure to check out several other types of snacks. These include the classic (usually in the form of a box containing individually wrapped frozen cheese pizzas), as well as some more unique ones like Cauliflower Crust Pizza.
Other varieties you can find at Costco include Margarita and Kirkland Cheese.