This Aldi Flatbread Restored My Faith In Store-Bought Pizza

Store-bought pizza always seems better in theory (read: when you're standing in a grocery aisle, starving, and realize you've blown your takeout budget for the week) than in practice (like when you promptly realize that spending extra on takeout would have been worth it). I've tried an array of store-bought pizzas over the years, including all of the Red Baron pizzas my local Walmart offered — and I've never been impressed by any of them. Until, of course, I tried Aldi's Mama Cozzi's Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Flatbread. 

Truthfully, the only reason I added this refrigerated flatbread, which I found in the grab-and-go section of the store, to my cart is because I didn't want to spend the money on a full-sized chicken, bacon, and ranch pizza from my go-to local pizzeria. At first, this flatbread didn't look like anything noteworthy. But once I baked it, I realized its potential. The crust baked up perfectly; it was almost as crisp as a flatbread you'd pay $20 for at a fancy happy hour. The toppings, which included plump chicken and crispy bacon, were generous — more generous than its measly $5.39 price tag would lead you to believe. While this product is also topped with green onions and ranch sauce, those flavors were secondary to the salty meats and ample cheese — which is exactly the balance I look for in this type of pizza. I've never had a flatbread that was this good, and I was sad that I didn't buy three of them.

I was enamored with this Aldi product, and I suspected that it would have more positive press on social media than it did at the time of writing. But it seems like these Mama Cozzi's flatbreads, as a whole, are gaining traction. One excited Reddit user shared a photo of the Pepperoni & Mozzarella Flatbread, saying they "100% suggest this," especially with a drizzle of hot honey post-bake. Others suggested adding Italian seasoning to this particular pie. Other customers have really liked the Smoked Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese Flatbread variety, with one Redditor saying, "This is literally one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten."

The only gripe that customers seem to have with the flatbreads is that they want more pizza for the price, but I do think that the listed price (around $5) is more than fair. The Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Flatbread was very filling for what it was, and it can be shared among many people for a simple appetizer or paired with a side salad for a more filling dinner. I was really impressed by it, and it's clearly better than Aldi's frozen pizza options (which we've tried and ranked). If you see this flatbread (or really, any of the flatbread varieties) at your local Aldi, I wholeheartedly recommend adding them to your shopping cart and giving your normal take-and-bake pizza night a facelift.