Pizza is a mainstay at our house. Typically on Friday nights mom pronounces the kitchen “CLOSED” and we have pizza. Lately, as my kids appetites have increased, so has the amount of pizza consumption and the pizza bill. Sometimes after an evening of Netflix bingeing, mom and dad want a late night pizza snack, too. For the sake of money and convenience, our family has been scouring the area for the best take and bake pizzas. Here is a list of our top 10 favorite local take-and-bake pizzas:
1. Aldi (see their website for your nearest location): For a measly $5.99 you can get a loaded, giant 16″ pizza. Their topping options include pepperoni, sausage, meat lovers, supreme, and occasionally Mexican (which is amazing).
2. Giordano’s:
1388 S. Route 12, Fox Lake | (847) 973-9506
7105 Grand Ave., Gurnee | (847) 856-6100
701 N Milwaukee Ave., #348, Vernon Hills | (847) 362-1200
483 S Rand Rd., Lake Zurich | (847) 726-1500
Famous for their Chicago deep dish pizza, you can also ask them to make your pizza pie “half-baked.” Then take it home and finish baking it when you are ready for piping hot pizza.
3. Lou Malnati’s:
34500 US-45, Third Lake |(847) 231-5550
1436 S. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville | (847) 362-6070
1225 Rand Rd., Lake Zurich | (847) 550-8800
840 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest | (847) 735-1515
Also famous in the area, they also offer half-baked, pizza to-go. And, if you are a Peapod customer, you can order frozen Lou Malnati’s pizza to stash in your freezer for those late night Netflix binges.
4. Capri Deli:
1625 N. Rand Rd., Palatine | (847) 359-9106
Although it’s not advertised, Capri Deli in Palatine will create your dream pizza for you and let you take it home to cook it when you’re ready.
5. Jewel-Osco (see their website for your nearest location): Jewel has a modest selection of take-and-bake pizza in the deli section. It’s great to pick up while you do your shopping since you know you won’t want to cook when you get home.
6. Costco:
680 S. Rand Rd., Lake Zurich | (847) 540-3050
25901 Riverwoods Rd., Mettawa | (847) 235-1300
We are HUGE fans of Costco’s pizza because they are HUGE. We can literally cut them into quarters and freeze them for a later meal.
7. Bill’s Pizza and Pub: A local institution in Lake County since 1957, you can now buy their world famous pizzas in the freezer section at Sunset Foods in Lake Forest and Libertyville, and Whole Foods Market, Deerfield.
Sunset Foods
825 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest | (847) 234-8380
1451 W, Peterson Rd, Libertyville | (847) 573-9570
Whole Foods Market
760 Waukegan Rd., Deerfield | (847) 444.1900
8. The Fresh Market:
20771 N. Rand Rd, Kildeer| (847) 719-1305
475 Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire | (847) 793-0926
850 N Western Ave., Lake Forest | (847) 482-0643
With locations in Kildeer, Lake Forest, and Lincolnshire, The Fresh Market has the most diverse topping options, including a Mediterranean and a mac n’ cheese. They also have little personal pizzas too. And if you ask, they will even let you purchase just the plain crust to take home and make your own pizza!
9. Pizzeria DeVille:
404 N. Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville | (847) 367-4992
Although it’s not on the menu, Pizzeria DeVille will make your pizza and let you cook it at home, or they will par-cook it in their brick ovens and you can finish it in yours!
10. Your own! We love stocking up on frozen dough (Rhodes is our favorite brand) and doing a weekly “clean out the fridge night.” We roll out the dough, add some tomato sauce, and throw on whatever is leftover from the week: grilled veggies, baked chicken, deli ham, and whatever else is hiding in your fridge.
Make your life simpler and try out some take-and-bake pizza this week.
Editor’s Addition:
Bake425
268 East Deerpath Road, Lake Forest | (847) 615-6000
479 Central Avenue, Highland Park | (847) 681-9700
This chain is solely dedicated to hand-crafted, bake-at-home pizza using farm-to-table ingredients. They even grow their own herbs. Choose from one of their artisanal pizzas or pick your own toppings.
Which take-and-bake pizza is your family’s favorite?
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