Broil Your Frozen Pizza For Bubbling Hot Cheese Every Time

Everyone loves a good pizza, especially when it's from the comfort of your own home. With frozen pizza, you can easily cook and enjoy this quick, tasty meal in a matter of minutes. But sometimes, it simply doesn't satisfy in the same way a pizza from your favorite restaurant does. The cheese may fail to melt and brown, and the crust can be a stale disappointment. However, there's a simple kitchen trick that can elevate this frozen pie from just okay to outstanding. Simply finish it off with a broil.

Normally, preparing frozen pizza is a matter of baking it in the oven, which cooks it evenly, ensuring it's heated all the way through. While this is great for making sure your pizza is cooked, it often doesn't do enough to give you that crispy crust and deliciously melted cheese that's slightly browned on top. That's where broiling comes into play. After baking, broil your frozen pizza before serving. Broiling is a cooking method that uses direct radiant heat from above at very high temperatures, much like (upside down) grilling, but indoors. It's perfect for creating that appetizing golden-brown finish on your cheese and giving your crust an extra crunch. Here's how you do it.

First, preheat your oven according to the instructions on your frozen pizza's packaging. While waiting, you might want to add a little extra something to your pizza if you have it — think a sprinkle of garlic powder, some extra cheese, or a handful of chopped crunchy vegetables. These small additions can make a big difference in the final flavor. Once your oven is preheated, bake your pizza on the middle rack for the recommended time. But, and here's the crucial part, for the last two minutes of cooking, you're going to switch your oven from bake to broil. This shift from baking to broiling in the final minutes is the secret to achieving that irresistible, bubbly hot cheese and a perfectly crispy crust.

Keep a close eye on your pizza once it's under the broiler. This part of the process happens quickly, and you don't want to go from perfect to burnt. It usually takes around one to two minutes, depending on your oven and how crispy you like your pizza. Once you see the cheese bubbling and starting to brown, and the edges of the crust reach your desired level of crispiness, it's time to take it out. With that, you've elevated your frozen pizza into a meal that feels more gourmet than you ever thought possible from a box. Enjoy!