Pizza and tray combination and methods

Abstract

A frozen pizza and tray combination includes a bakeable single-used disposable tray including a holding surface and a frozen pizza. The holding surface has a substantially flat cooking side and an opposite oven-engaging side. The frozen pizza includes a crust and toppings on the crust. The crust has a bottom surface positioned on and against the cooking side of the flat holding surface of the bakeable tray. The frozen pizza includes a cut arrangement extending through a thickness of the crust. The cut arrangement includes a cut line having uncut portions of the crust along the cut line. A method of making a combination frozen pizza and bakeable tray includes slicing the pizza with at least one cut line into individual serving pieces and leaving uncut portions along the cut line such that no individual serving piece is disconnected from a remaining portion of the pizza, and placing the sliced pizza into a bakeable tray to form a sliced pizza and tray arrangement, and then freezing the sliced pizza and tray arrangement. A method of making a pizza includes taking a frozen pizza and tray combination including a bakeable single-use disposable tray, wherein the frozen pizza includes a cut arrangement including a cut line having uncut portions along the cut line and putting the combination into an oven. Next, the combination is baked to result in a cooked pizza on the tray. Next, the tray holding the cooked pizza is removed from the oven, and the cooked pizza is divided into individual serving pieces by breaking the uncut portions of the crust. The tray is then disposed.

1 . A frozen pizza and tray combination comprising:
 (a) a bakeable single-use disposable tray including a holding surface; the holding surface having a substantially flat cooking side and an opposite oven-engaging side;   (b) a frozen pizza including a crust and toppings on the crust; the crust having a bottom surface positioned on and against the cooking side of the holding surface of the bakeable tray; the frozen pizza including:
 (i) a cut arrangement extending through a thickness of the crust; the cut arrangement including a cut line having uncut portions of the crust along the cut line. 
   
   
   
       2 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according to  claim 1  wherein the cut arrangement includes at least one cut line extending through the thickness of the crust and dividing the frozen pizza into individual serving pieces; the at least one cut line having uncut portions along the cut line such that no individual serving piece is disconnected from a remaining portion of the pizza. 
   
   
       3 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according to  claim 2  wherein the at least one cut line is one of: water-jet formed cut lines, ultrasonic formed cut lines, or blade formed cut lines. 
   
   
       4 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according  claim 2  wherein the pizza is circular, and the individual serving pieces formed by the at least one cut line includes at least 2 sectors of the circular pizza; between adjacent ones of the sectors are uncut portions. 
   
   
       5 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according to  claim 4  wherein each of the uncut portions has a length no greater than 1 inch. 
   
   
       6 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according to  claim 2  wherein each of the uncut portions has a length of ⅛ th -¾ th  inch. 
   
   
       7 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according  claim 2  wherein the individual serving pieces are formed by a plurality of cut lines. 
   
   
       8 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according  claim 7  wherein the pizza is circular, and the individual serving pieces formed by the plurality of cut lines includes at least 6 sectors of the circular pizza; between adjacent ones of the sectors are uncut portions. 
   
   
       9 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according to  claim 1  wherein the bakeable single-use disposable tray comprises at least one of: paperboard, crystalline polyethylene terephthalate (CPET), aluminum, and corrugate. 
   
   
       10 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according to  claim 1  wherein the bakeable single-use disposable tray cooking side comprises polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) polyester. 
   
   
       11 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according to  claim 1  wherein the bakeable single-use disposable tray further includes a perimeter side panel extending vertically from the holding surface to form a perimeter border. 
   
   
       12 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according to  claim 11  wherein the bakeable single-use disposable tray is circular having a diameter of 4-20 inches, and the perimeter side panel extends 0.25-1.0 inch. 
   
   
       13 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according to  claim 11  wherein the bakeable single-use disposable tray is circular having a diameter of 5-18 inches, and the perimeter side panel extends 0.25-0.75 inch. 
   
   
       14 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according to  claim 1  wherein the crust is formed of a dough comprising about 55-65% flour, 25-30% water, 3-8% yeast, and 1-4% shortening. 
   
   
       15 . A frozen pizza and tray combination according to  claim 1  wherein:
 (a) the cut arrangement includes a plurality of cut lines extending through the thickness of the crust and dividing the frozen pizza into individual serving pieces; the cut lines having uncut portions along the cut line such that no individual serving piece is disconnected from a remaining portion of the pizza;   (b) each of the uncut portions has a length of ⅛ th -¾ th  inch;   (c) the bakeable single-use disposable tray is circular having a diameter of 5-18 inches, and includes a perimeter side panel extending 0.25-0.75 inch from the holding surface; and   (d) the crust is formed of a dough comprising about 55-65% flour, 25-30% water, 3-8% yeast, and 1-4% shortening.   
   
   
       16 . A method of making a combination frozen pizza and bakeable tray; the method comprising:
 (a) providing an uncooked and unfrozen pizza including a crust with toppings;   (b) slicing the pizza with at least one cut line into individual serving pieces and leaving uncut portions along the cut line such that no individual serving piece is disconnected from a remaining portion of the pizza;   (c) placing the sliced pizza into a bakeable single-use disposable tray such that a bottom of the crust is oriented against a substantially flat cooking surface on the bakeable single-use disposable tray to form a sliced pizza and tray arrangement; and   (d) freezing the sliced pizza and tray arrangement.   
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein:
 (a) the step of slicing includes using at least one of a water jet cutter, ultrasonics, or a blade to slice the pizza.   
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein:
 (a) the step of providing an uncooked and unfrozen pizza includes providing a circular pizza; and   (b) the step of slicing includes slicing the pizza into at least 2 sectors and leaving uncut portions along the cut lines; each uncut portion having a length no greater than 1 inch.   
   
   
       19 . A method of making a pizza; the method comprising:
 (a) providing a frozen pizza and tray combination including a bakeable single-use disposable tray including a holding surface with a substantially flat cooking side and an opposite oven-engaging side; a frozen pizza including a crust and toppings on the crust; the crust having a bottom surface positioned on and against the cooking side of the holding surface of the bakeable tray; the frozen pizza including a cut arrangement extending through a thickness of the crust; the cut arrangement including a cut line having uncut portions of the crust along the cut line;   (b) putting the frozen pizza and tray combination into an oven;   (c) baking the frozen pizza and tray combination to result in a cooked pizza on the tray;   (d) removing the tray holding the cooked pizza from the oven;   (e) dividing the cooked pizza into individual serving pieces by manually and without a use of a cutter breaking the uncut portions of the crust; and   (f) disposing of the tray.   
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein the step of dividing includes pulling by hand an individual serving piece away from a remaining portion of the pizza and breaking at least one uncut portion having a length of not greater than 1 inch.