Can You Microwave Totino’s Pizza? 6 Things You Should Know

When it comes to pizza, there are a lot of different ways to make it. You can order it from a pizza place, make it at home with fresh ingredients, or even microwave frozen pizzas.

Some people might scoff at the idea of microwaving pizza, but is it really that bad? So I decided to put Totino’s pizzas to the test and see how they compare to homemade and delivery pizzas. Here’s what I found.

Can You Microwave Totino’s Pizza?

Totino’s Pizza has several different products under the “Totino’s” brand. These include pizza rolls, mini snack bites, party pizza, party pizza multi-packs, and pizza stuffers.

For mini snack bites, pizza rolls, and pizza stuffers, the manufacturer has clearly stated that you can cook these in the microwave. As for party pizzas and party pizza multi-packs, Totino’s only recommends cooking them in the oven and toaster oven.

When most people ask the question, “can I microwave Totino’s Pizza?” I assume that they are talking about party pizzas.

The short answer is you can microwave Totino’s party pizzas but just know you will be sacrificing some quality. I found that microwaving this product made the crust soggy, although this doesn’t mean the result is inedible.

The taste is still fairly good, and depending on how you microwave it, there are a few tricks you can try to help retain the crust’s crispiness.

Why Do Microwaves Make Food Soggy?

There is a scientific reason why using a microwave is not the best tool for cooking Totino’s party pizzas.

When you cook anything in the microwave, electromagnetic radiation causes water molecules inside the food to vibrate rapidly. This causes friction, and this friction causes heat, which heats up the food.

As the water molecules move more and more, steam is created. This steam tries to escape, but it can’t. Eventually, because the moisture or steam is trapped inside the microwave, it starts to collect, and the only move is to go back down to the food. This is what makes your food soggy.

In a nutshell, when you cook food in the microwave, it’s not really cooking from the outside in like when you use a convection oven; instead, it’s more like steaming from the inside out.

With a regular oven or convection oven, the heat is created from the outside and then transferred to the inside. This allows the surface of the food to get crispy and brown while the inside is evenly heated.

And if you’re alarmed about the electromagnetic radiation part, don’t. Microwave radiation is completely harmless. It’s no different than the light your remote control emits to get you watching.

Microwave Directions for Totino’s Pizza

Now we’re going to learn how to cook different Totino’s Pizza products.

I used 1000 watt microwave ovens. Your microwave wattage may vary so that cooking times will vary. I recommend checking your pizza after a minute or two and adding more time as needed.

Let’s start with the mini snack bites.

Totino’s Mini Snack Bites Microwave Instructions

You have two options when microwaving the mini snack bites. One option is to use an oven, and the other is to use a microwave. Both techniques yield similar results.

1. Place 13 snack bites on a microwavable plate.
2. Ensure them all in a single layer so that they cook evenly.
3. Microwave on high for 1 minute and 10 seconds.
4. Let stand in the microwave for 2 minutes.
5. Check the bites to see if they are hot and crispy. Be careful when you bite in because the filling will be extremely hot. If they need more time, continue microwaving in 15-second increments until they reach the desired crispiness.

Totino’s Pizza Rolls Microwave Instructions

For their pizza rolls, Totino’s recommends four different cooking options: oven, toaster oven, microwave, and air fryer. But in this article, we’re going to take a look at just the microwave directions.

1. Line up pizza rolls in a single layer on a microwavable plate.
2. For microwaving up to 6 rolls, microwave for 1 minute and 15 seconds. For microwaving up to 12 rolls, microwave for 2 minutes. Regardless of how many rolls you are microwaving, you need to microwave them on high.
3. Once all of your pizza rolls are microwaved, let them stand inside the microwave for 2 minutes to help spread the heat throughout the pizza rolls more evenly. Be careful on your first bite, as the insides will be very hot.
4. If you think your pizza rolls are not hot enough, you can put them back in the microwave for 15 seconds.

Totino’s Pizza Stuffers Microwave Instructions

Totino’s make their pizza stuffers only for the microwave. Here are the cooking instructions that you should follow when microwaving them.

1. Remove the pizza stuffer from its package and place it on a microwave-safe plate.
2. If you want to microwave 1 pizza stuffer, microwave it on high for 1 minute. Flip it over and microwave it on high for another 1 minute and 30 seconds.
3. If you want to microwave two pizza stuffers, microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Flip them over and microwave on high for an additional 1 minute and 30 seconds.
4. After microwaving, let the pizza stuffers stand in the microwave for 2 minutes. Be careful as they will be very hot.
5. If you think your pizza stuffers are not hot enough after following the above instructions, put them back in the microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time until they reach your desired temperature.

Totino’s Party Pizza Microwave Instructions

Keep in mind that Totino’s does not endorse nor support any microwaving method that is not included on their official website. All the methods that I’m going to present in the following section of this article are based on my own tests and from testing results that I have found at forums and other websites.

If you want to microwave your party pizza following the methods that I’m about to present, use your own discretion. Do it at your own risk and only if you’re comfortable with that.

On Totino’s website, they only recommend two different cooking options for their party pizzas: baking them in the oven or toasting them in the toaster oven.

They don’t recommend microwaving them for the reason that I have already explained above. So the question really shouldn’t be, “can you microwave Totino’s Pizza?” but should you?

If you just need something quick and warm to eat, and you don’t mind about a soggy crust, then feel free to heat your Totino’s party pizza in the microwave. In fact, many people like microwaving their party pizzas and eating them like a burrito.

Here’s one YouTube video that shows one guy microwaving his Totino’s pizza and then eating it like a burrito:

All you gotta do to microwave your party pizza, like in the video above, is just to take it out of the box and put it on a microwavable plate, then microwaves it for 3 to 4 minutes, and you’re done.

If your pizza is frozen, you’re going to need to defrost it first. You can defrost it by letting it thaw on the counter for an hour or so. Or by microwaving it on a defrost setting or until it’s not frozen anymore.

How to Microwave Totino’s Party Pizza Without It Getting Soggy

The good news is after searching through different sources and testing out different methods; I found out that there are few ways that can allow you to microwave a Totino’s party pizza while still keeping the crust relatively crispy, albeit it is not as crisp as it would be if you were baking or toasting it.

Here are some of the methods that I’ve found.

1. Putting a Cup Of Water in The Microwave

The first method that I will present to you is probably the easiest and most simple one, but it still works very well. All you need to do is place a mug of tap water next to the pizza in the microwave and then heat it in short increments.

Corelle or Pyrex mug is the best pick as those materials can handle the high temperature. Don’t use a stoneware mug because it gets very hot and puts you at the risk of burning yourself.

You don’t want to heat your pizza with the mug of water in it for too long, or it’ll fill bring the water to a boil and fill your microwave with water vapor that could sog the crust.

Slice the pizza into four pieces before microwaving it and then heat in 35 to 45-second intervals. In between intervals, take out your pizza, rotate each slice so that the outside part facing the microwave wall gets turned to face the middle. Then put it back in for another 35-45 seconds and repeat until your pizza is heated to your taste.

If you are curious about why microwaving a pizza with a cup of water next to it helps keep the texture of pizza, you may want to read this article from Science Notes (1).

2. Using Stove First and Then Microwaving

This dual cooking method is also quite popular and is favored by many who want to cook frozen but don’t have an oven.

You start off by microwaving the pizza on a defrost setting for 2 to 3 minutes. During that time, preheat a large cast-iron pan on the stove at medium heat. You want the pan to be warm enough but not too hot.

Spray on or brush in on some oil so that the pizza doesn’t stick to the cast-iron pan.

Then take your microwaved pizza out of the microwave and put it in the preheated pan for a few minutes. This will caramelize the crust. After the crust has caramelized and the pizza has become a bit stiff again, you can take it out of the pan and put it back in the microwave.

Resume microwaving the pizza for another 2 to 3 minutes to cook the toppings and melt the cheese. With this method, you will notice that it is significantly more crisp than if you microwaved it without first cooking it on a stove.

3. Using a Crisper Pan

The last and probably the most proven method to crisp up your Totino’s party pizza in the microwave is to use a crisper pan or a crisper tray. It is designed specifically to keep the outside crispy by having your microwave heat your pizza from the bottom of the pan.

If your microwave has a crisp setting, the chance is that it also comes with a crisper pan. If it doesn’t, you can buy one separately at your local store or online. I recommend the Maconee 10inch Universal Microwave Crisper Pan for its versatility and effectiveness in crisping up your pizza. Use it even if your microwave doesn’t have a crisp setting.

Here’s the step-by-step guide on how to cook a Totino’s party pizza in the microwave using a crisper tray.

1. Defrost your frozen Totino’s party pizza by microwaving it on defrost setting for 2 to 3 minutes. Take it out.
2. Place the crisper tray into the microwave and preheat it at high for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Take the tray out of the microwave and spray with some no-stick cooking spray.
4. Gently place your Totino’s party pizza on the crisper tray.
5. Put the tray in the microwave and cook it at high for 2 to 4 minutes.

Can You Store Leftover Totino’s Pizza?

You can keep your leftover Totino’s party pizza in the refrigerator or in the freezer. Just be aware that it’s never a good idea to store leftover frozen pizza no matter the brand because it would never taste and feel as fresh as it would be when you first cooked and ate it.

The best way to store your leftover Totino’s pizza is to stack and wrap. Place a single layer of Totino’s pizza slices on a plate and then cover it with another layer of wax, foil, or parchment paper.

Keep stacking like this, alternating slices with papers, until all the remaining slices are stacked. Then wrap the whole thing tightly with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator.

Properly stored, leftover Totino’s pizza could last for as long as 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.

How Do You Reheat Leftover Totino’s Pizza From the Refrigerator?

You can reheat your leftover Totino’s party pizza in the microwave using one of the methods I’ve outlined above or in the oven for the best result.

However, since reheating is not the same as cooking it from scratch, I will recommend reheating it in short increments of no more than one minute at a time. The reason behind that is that your leftover Totino’s pizza needs to be heated just enough to reheat it and not overcook or dry it out.

Final Thought

If you’re in a hurry or don’t have an oven, you can definitely use the microwave to make your Totino’s party pizza. Although it may turn up soggy or not crispy enough for your taste, it will still be decent enough to serve. You can eat it like you eat a burrito or wrap of sorts.

However, if you’re willing to spend a little more time and effort, I would really recommend that you use a dual cooking method or microwave your Totino’s party pizza with a microwave crisper pan.

It is very simple and requires just a bit extra effort, but it will ensure that you get a crispy crust and thoroughly heated toppings and cheese every single time.

If you’re looking for more tips on microwaving pizza, be sure to check out our other posts on microwaving pizza rolls, microwaving frozen pizza, and thawing pizza dough in the microwave.

Sources

Totino’s Pizza – Home

(1) Why You Should Microwave Pizza With a Glass of Water?