Pizza Hut likes to do things differently. In the past, they’ve been known to shove hot dogs inside of their pizza crusts, or even decorate the perimeter of a pie with cheeseburgers. It seems that Pizza Hut has once again decided to deviate from the traditional pizza crust formula with the introduction of the new Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza, which was launched in the United States on April 3 and will be available for a limited time only.
The Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza encircles a pizza with cheese pockets containing a blend of five different cheeses: asiago, fontina, mozzarella, provolone, and white cheddar. For just $12.99, hungry citizens all over the US can purchase a single topping Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza. Today, I was one of those citizens.
As my stomach growled with unimaginable voracity, I picked up the phone and dialed my nearest Pizza Hut. The exchange went something like this…
Pizza Hut Employee: Pizza Hut. How can I help you?
Me: Hi, I’d like to order a Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza.
Employee: …a what?
Me: A Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza.
Employee: Do you mean…a Stuffed Crust Pizza?
Me: No, I mean a Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza.
Employee: *silence*
Me: It’s a new pizza that was released yesterday. Do you have it?
Employee: Oh, umm…please hold.
After being placed on hold for a short while, the employee returned and allowed me to finish my order, assuring me it would be thirty minutes until my pizza arrived. I was nervous, worried that the delivery person would hand me a pizza box containing a normal, non-crazy pizza.
I can only imagine the chaos that occurred at that Pizza Hut when I hung up the phone: employees running every which way, knocking over boxes of crusts, cheeses, and sauces, searching for some sort of clue to help them learn what exactly a “Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza” is, and exactly how one can be prepared. Soon, a riot begins, and a few unfortunate individuals lose their lives while searching for the Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza recipe.
(A moment of silence for the victims of the Great Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza Massacre of 2013.)
The thirty minutes I spent waiting for my pizza were long and trying. Eventually, the delivery person arrived, and I gave him the cash in exchange for his Cheesy Crust. I opened the box, and found myself standing before a pizza somewhat shaped like a chrysanthemum. Extending from the main body of the pizza were sixteen cheesy prongs, begging to be devoured. I could wait no longer; I picked up my first slice and took a bite.
The main pizza portion of Pizza Hut’s new Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza offers few surprises. The sauce is Pizza Hut’s usual sweet tomato sauce, and the cheese provides a pretty standard mozzarella taste. The crust, however, is noticeably thinner than a standard Pizza Hut pizza’s crust, providing a bit less support, which leads to a sagging slice. However, this might not be deemed an issue for fans of Domino’s and Papa John’s.
The real difference shines through with the pockets of cheese. Whether eaten before the rest of the slice or after, the five cheese blend tastes noticeably different compared to the rest of the pizza. The lack of sauce in the pockets really serves to highlight the flavor of the cheeses. I was unable to identify the unique flavor of any of the five cheeses. Instead, the five cheese flavors blend into one uniform taste, which comes through as slightly sharper than the standard Pizza Hut mozzarella.
The texture of the cheese inside the pockets is nearly identical to the texture of the cheese in the main body of the pizza, though slightly more spongy. I was hoping that the crust surrounding the pockets would be crispier than the rest of the crust, but it was softer than expected, most likely moistened by the cheese that sat inside of the pockets.
The pizza, though slightly overcooked, was still pretty satisfying. I imagine it would be best eaten straight out of the oven, with the cheese inside of the pockets still slightly melted from the heat. As the pizza cools down, the cheese becomes more spongy and less appealing in general.
Overall, the Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza was a pleasant deviation from the standard pizza offered by Pizza Hut, but I feel like the inclusion of the cheese pockets was not enough to warrant a repeat purchase of this pizza. Its flavor is not a significant improvement over the standard pizza’s flavor, and in my opinion, Stuffed Crust is a much better option for those pizza fans looking for that extra cheese kick. All things considered, I encourage any cheese-lovers out there to try the Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza while it lasts!
This review is dedicated to the victims of the Great Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza Massacre of 2013: Michael “Cheesy Crust” Robinson III, Edward “Big Eddie” McPizzaPants, and Sergeant Tony O’Sauce. Our love goes out to their friends and family.
(Nutrition Facts – Not available on website.)
Item: Pizza Hut Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza
Purchased Price: $12.99
Size: Large
Purchased at: Pizza Hut
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: An enjoyable pizza. Five cheese! Cheesy prongs.
Cons: Sagging slices. Five cheese flavors blend into single flavor. Unappetizing when cooled down. Cheesy massacres.
Yawn. Still waiting for hot dog stuffed crust pizza in the US.
The clueless-ness of the Pizza Hut employee is SO typical of my experiences with most restaurants whenever a new, highly-publicized food item is introduced. Is it just the public who hears about the new things, and the employees are left in the dark??
maybe a good valentines or mothers day option with that heart shaped slice
Very nice review, except for that pizza-memorial biz.
Yes, because there are so many real pizza tragedies and there is the constant threat of even more of them, we should never joke about imaginary ones.
Those potential screw-ups are why I like to order online, whenever possible. I remember my gut reaction to the picture of this pizza was “how am I supposed to eat that?” Slicing the pizza into disproportioned hearts seems to be the answer.
There are 16 cheese pits and 8 slices. They should have been able to slice it with 2 per. Instead, it looks like he got at least one slice with 1.5 pits and one slice with 3.
MANNN does that pizza look so much different than the picture Pizza Hut Shows.
I think this would be fun for kids. Looks like it could use a dipping sauce for the cheese cups, though.
In Quebec we have the crown pizza or something like that from PH. It’s got similar little pockets for crust except they’re alternatively filled with cheese and a meatball. And it’s 20 $ for a large one. I haven’t tried it since usually when I get the munchies for such weird food my local PH is closed. I’m still curious though.
I imagine Pizza Huts will have to start dedicating entire walls to cheese flow charts so their employees will know what to do.
GCCCPM 2013. Never Forget. I’m wearing a a mozzarella string cheese stick I bent to look like a ribbon.
Sorry you didnt seem to enjoy the pizza. The one in the picture is normally not what it looks like. That was over cooked and seemed smashed in the box. The employee at the store must have horrible management. My empployees were all trained how to make the new pizza and make it right. What you should do is go eat it fresh outta the oven then rewrite your review. Im a manager at a pizza hut .
Wow,something looks really wrong with the pizza they gave you.My pizza didn’t look anything like that and I also didn’t run into the problem of sagging slices.
Normally Pizza Hut is last on my list of pizzerias but thecrust looked interesting. I was pleasantly surprised. Not the same dogfood quality they usually have. Sigh I just wish they used this 6 cheese blend on all their pizzas from now on. This is Pizza Hut so I doubt it. They never stick with good ideas like their old Priazzos .
You should have gotten the ones with the meat in the ends.
http://www.thefatcanadian.com/2013/04/what-food-is-pizza-hut-crown-crust-pizza.html
I’ve never heard anyone complain about a saggin’ slice, or slice of pizza in general; or anything that “sags,”
Cheese blend is cheddar, asiago, romano, mozzarella, smoked pprovolone.. I am currently a manager at pizza hut.. It is an amazing pizza for those of you who haven’t tried it! I apologize for the poor customer service experiences for those of you who had them. My store does not get those complaints!
I hope they bring this over to the North; they already brought over the Garlic Bread Meat Pizza.
Good review, Matt!
LOVE your review!
Tony O’Sauce was a good friend of mine, and a great man, I am pleased to see him mentioned in your very serious review. Pizza was his life and I’m pretty sure he’s having fun in that Pizzeria up in the sky now. Rest in slices Tony. *dumps a can of pizza sauce into the ocean*