In Praise Of The Humble Chef Boyardee Pizza Maker Kit

Pica's Pizzeria, 1940s. Frank Pica, Sr. outside his pizzeria in Philadelphia. Credits

When the Son of God came into the world... 

he gave power to become children of God (Jn 1:2). 

This spirit of childhood consists of simplicity, docility, purity, 

and contempt for worldly riches and grandeur.

                 - ST. JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE

This is a public service announcement. I had never heard of the Chef Boyardee Pizza kit until a few months ago. After reading the reviews on Amazon, I've learned that it has a cult following from people who have eaten it since the 70s. I think this pizza is a hidden gem for homebodies and simple eaters. I was so surprised to learn that Chef Boyardee was actually a real person and a famous Italian chef. But what really shocked me is that the five dollar, dusty, red box of Traditional Chef Boyardee Pizza kit was truly delicious! You can find it on the bottom shelf in the section with the pizza sauce and packaged Boboli type pizza crusts. I've seen it at Food Lion, Walmart, IGA, and even Amazon (way too expensive.)

WARNING: Please note that

1. This kit IS NOT VEGAN. The traditional crust mix and sauce both contain dairy. 

2. I do not have sophisticated tastes. My 10 rating is probably your 6.  I think this pizza is better than any frozen pizza and much cheaper. It is more like a school lunch room pizza with a biscuit type crust that browns well. I would rather have it than a pizza from Little Caesars.   

The best part about this pizza mix is that it comes together very easily and is fool proof. It is cheaper and easier to store than boxes of frozen pizza. The pizza kit makes two pizzas. It is shelf stable. As long as you have Kraft Mozzarella cheese (the suggested brand to use) and some veggies (canned mushrooms, black olives, green peppers, and onions) you can have a hot delicious pizza at home in less than an hour. For people who live out in the country who don't want to drive to town or pay for pizza delivery, Chef Boyardee is the answer. I really hope you buy a box with a two liter of root beer and stick it in your pantry. Next time you want to have a pizza night, it's right there.

Here are some tips on how Mr. Peasant prepares the pizza. He dusts the dough and rolling pin with extra flour. He rolls out the crust thin on a greased pan. He puts on extra sauce. The biscuit crust absorbs a lot of the sauce. He spreads the sauce and the cheese right to the edges creating delicious browned edges. He sprinkles a layer of bottom cheese. Then he puts on the toppings and sprinkles more cheese on top. We have the oven set for 390 degrees, and it cooks brown and bubbly in 17 minutes. He also cuts the pizza party style into squares. 

I had no idea this pizza kit even existed, and I just had to share! God bless you and thanks for reading.