Sometimes, a full pizza is just too much, and that’s why there are personal-sized pizzas in this world. But sometimes it’s just more fun to eat little bite-sized versions of everyone’s favorite junk food. And that’s why there exists snacks like Trader Joe’s Spizzico di Pizza.
Like the Organic Pesto Tortellini, this meal is part of the Trader Giotto’s line of foods, which is really just Trader Joe’s way of trying to sound a little fancier than usual. (Many of their Italian-inspired items fall under this sub-brand, though many others don’t. We haven’t yet figured out where Trader Joe’s draws the line.)
Despite what the front of the box might suggest (we count fifteen pizzas in the picture), a serving size is listed at six mini pizzas. A package should contain about a dozen, and ours had exactly that many. We expect that this is a typical experience, and due to the shape of the packaging, we would expect that there’s not a lot of variance in quantity (the package looks like it was specifically designed to hold twelve pizzas).
These come sealed in one giant plastic sleeve, which isn’t resealable, though you can always fold the edge of the sleeve over to keep it somewhat sealed.
Since the back of the box lists instructions for both microwaves and ovens, we decided to test both out and see how they turn out (keep in mind that the box recommends the oven version).
In the microwave, six of these pizzas should take about two minutes to cook, according to the box. Ours came out looking a little bit underdone, so we gave them an extra 20 seconds. They come out smelling quite good, though maybe a little doughy-smelling.
We’re not fans of how the crust turns out in the microwave. It’s tough and chewy, and the bottom of every pizza gets a bit soggy. Don’t get us wrong here, they still taste great; it’s just that the texture is just off.
So we grabbed the second batch and tossed them into the oven. These require the oven preheated to 350 degrees fahrenheit, then placed on a cookie sheet. Cook them for eleven to thirteen minutes, the package says. Ours looked like they were ready to party after exactly eleven minutes.
We can see why the box recommends the oven instructions; this is definitely how these were intended to be cooked. The crust is browned and crisped instead of soggy. Of course, we did notice a little bit of sogginess underneath the sauce, and the contrast between this part of the crust and the rest of the crust was a little unpleasant.
No matter how you decide to cook these, they are mostly crust. So it’s a good thing this is some very good crust. Even when it’s soggy, it still has a great flavor. We’ve seen these compared to bagels quite a few times now, and we can see why. They definitely possess some bagel-like qualities.
The cheese is meltier in the microwave version and a bit drier in the oven version, but either way, it’s a pretty good topping. It’s a blend of mozzarella, cheddar, swiss, and parmesan, so it has a little bit of what we’re tempted to call an “upscale” flavor.
The sauce is alright, though we’d probably say it’s the weakest part of this meal. There’s not a ton of it, so it doesn’t affect the overall quality a whole lot, but it tastes a little too much like tomato soup. That’s really not a good flavor for a pizza.
If you have enough discipline to stick with the recommended serving size and eat six of these, you’ll be consuming 320 calories (130 from fat). Of course, these are considered a snack food, so you’ll probably be eating them either in between meals or as a side for a bigger item. That makes the calorie count pretty high. And if you end up eating a full package at once, you’re looking at 640 calories (260 from fat), which isn’t a light meal by any stretch of the imagination. That also takes the sodium level from a somewhat reasonable 740 mg to a whopping 1,480 mg. Whoooooieeee, that’s a lot of sodium!
Trader Joe’s Spizzico di Pizza makes a great snack, though we definitely recommend using an oven rather than a microwave to cook these. These mini pizzas aren’t our favorite pizza-themed item, but they kill a pizza craving and the small size makes them fun to eat.
To learn more about the nutrition info or ingredients in this frozen meal, check out our package scans below.
These are my favorite! I eat a box a week and love then in the microwave.