Back in the day, our choices of frozen pizza were pretty limited. As a kid, I only remember four pizzas prominent in every frozen pizza section. Those were Red Baron, Tombstone, Mama Celeste, and Totino's. I'm sure there were more, but those four brands were the main contenders where I lived in the West. I haven't eaten Red Baron or Tombstone pizzas in years, but I remember they were always my family's go-to if we couldn't enjoy a freshly tossed pizza. I decided to revisit them this week, and share my findings here.
RED BARON Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza
weight: 1 LB 5.95 OZ
Crust type - Classic Crust
Price point: $3.98
Bragging Rights..
100% Real Cheese, Preservative Free Crust, No Artificial Flavors
made since 1976
TOMBSTONE 5 Cheese Pizza
weight 1 LB 3.3 OZ
Crust type - Buttery Crispy Crust
Price point: $3.50
Bragging Rights..
1/3 LB. Cheese, Zesty Sauce, made with real cheese
made since 1962
RED BARON taste test results..
The Red Baron pie took exactly 18 minutes to cook at 400 degrees. The crust was nice and crispy, and not overly crunchy. The cheese actually tasted like cheese and the sauce was bolder than I remember, with the flavoring of herbs and pepper shining through. When I unwrapped the pizza prior to cooking, I could tell that the crust was par baked prior to freezing, something that really helps the crust from becoming soggy inside while cooking. The pepperoni and sausage were on par with many I've had on pizzeria pizzas. All in all I was truly surprised with this pie. I can see why it was a freezer staple for us throughout the 70s, 80s and when I started my own family in the 90s.
TOMBSTONE taste test results..
The Tombstone took 20 minutes to cook due to the amount of cheese on the middle of the pizza. When I bit into the pizza, I immediately got hit with the taste of the sauce. They describe it as 'Zesty' but I would say it's more tangy. The taste reminded me of sauces I've eaten in canned or microwave pasta.
I was impressed by the amount of cheese on this pie, but could've done without the cheddar. They would've been better off not adding cheddar and bragging about the 1/3 pound of four quality cheeses. I was super impressed with the cheese pull this pizza had though. The cheese stretched like a slice you'd pull from a freshly made pizza at a restaurant.
As far as the Tombstone crust goes, they hit the nail on the head with the description of 'Buttery'. It wasn't as crispy as the Red Baron, even with the couple of extra minutes it spent in the oven. Albeit buttery, it definitely felt, looked, and tasted more processed than the Red Baron crust. Honestly, the taste vaguely reminded me a bit of saltines.
The final verdict and winner..
I really believe the taste has to do with the ingredients of the pizza, and the absence of preservatives and artificial flavors. There are frozen pies on the market with self rising crusts that I simply will not buy. Those crusts tastes so artificial to me, I swear I taste what I can only liken as added agents or chemicals to produce that rising effect.
For the price, you simply can't beat Red Baron. This is one of those instances where buying an affordable product doesn't mean having to sacrifice quality. Sure there are some incredible frozen pizzas out there that do not taste like a frozen pizza, but they can ring in at two to three times the price. No, Red Baron is not the same as eating a freshly made pizza. However, it tastes good enough to squash any pizza craving that unexpectedly hits, and leaves me perfectly satisfied.
During my perpetual effort of trying to eat healthier, I've nearly eliminated going out to eat. I partly accomplished this by always trying to have a frozen pizza stocked in the freezer. Now that I've revisited Red Baron only to be wowed their product, I believe this will be my go-to frozen pizza for awhile.