The Trader Joe's Frozen Pizza You Should Avoid At All Costs, According To Reddit

Trader Joe's has a lot of hits on its hands. Its affordable Apple Blossom dessert? Hit. Its customer-favorite sourdough bread? Another hit. Basically its entire cheese section? Mega-hit. But TJ's has to miss occasionally, as all supermarkets with private labels must do. And one big miss, in the broad opinion of Redditors on the r/TraderJoes subreddit, is its Spicy Meat Pizza.

With a promising name that includes words like spicy, meat, and pizza, you would think Trader Joe's couldn't possibly mess this up, right? You would be wrong. "Why in gods [sic] name is the Spicy Meat Pizza literally as sweet as a dessert[?]" one OP asked (while presumably shaking their first to the sky). They went on to say it tastes like meat dessert, it was disgusting, and they actually threw it away. Many comments echoed OP's sentiments, including one who described it as tasting like it was "doused in maple syrup." One respondent pointed out, accurately, that the second ingredient in the pepper sauce is actually sugar, which could explain the pizza's unappetizing sweetness.

But the sugary flavor isn't the only reason Redditors think this pizza is to be avoided. Many also called out the lack of spiciness, an essential element if you're going to put the word "spicy," in the product's name. "It was the sweetest red sauce and almost no heat," one commenter described it.

Uh oh — do you already have a Trader Joe's Spicy Meat Pizza hanging out in your freezer, because you were lured in by the promise of a savory sauce, and meats that would bring the heat? If you can't bring yourself to throw it out, the Redditors on an r/TraderJoes thread dedicated to how not good this pizza is had some suggestions for how to make it, if not great, at least palatable. "I add chèvre goat cheese and Trader Joe's meatballs quartered," one commenter said, telling their fellow TJ's fans that it helps them not mind the sweetness so much, because they're adding more savory elements. And to address the lack of spiciness, another shared that they add extra jalapeños and drizzle chili oil over it.

Another tip Redditors shared was to not follow the instructions on the pizza box, as it can lead to soggy crust. One helpful commenter went into detail with how they avoid the Spicy Meat Pizza turning out soft and undercooked in the middle, saying they put a pizza stone in the oven and preheat it to as high as their oven will go, which in their case is 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Then they let it heat up for 20 minutes before putting the pie in to bake.