The Old-School 'Instant' Pizza That '80s Kids Ate After School

Kids of the 1990s and 2000s are well-familiar with pizza being an after-school treat. There have been Totino's Pizza Rolls, Hot Pockets, and Bagel Bites to nourish children for decades. There's also some popular, store-bought frozen pizzas that taste like they could be delivery. However, these newcomers aren't the first easy pizza product created to give youngsters a quick fix. In the early 1970s, Buitoni began offering an Instant Pizza which has an avid cult following to this day, despite being discontinued.

What made these pizzas so unusual at the time is that the dough completely surrounded the toppings and was meant for a toaster. They were built much like a calzone, but were perfectly round. Initially only containing cheese and sauce, later versions (dubbed "Toasterinos") included ground beef for the Pizzaburger and Sloppy Joe flavors. Commercials explained that they were so easy, a kid could make one by themselves. Just put one into an upright toaster and when it gets golden brown, it's done! Inside, you'd get melted cheese and potentially mouth-scorching pizza sauce that was deliciously craveable.

Kids who enjoyed this snack during their upbringing fondly remember these little round pizzas. The nostalgia still carried by these children of the '70s and '80s rings out strong whenever they speak of the fabled food. One Redditor said, "I still dream of tasting one of these again. Pop one in the toaster and you had a tasty snack. The crust was crispy and the insides had a great blend of cheese and tomato sauce." A comment on the thread said, "I used to fight my twin brother for the last one every time."

Unfortunately, you can't buy these anymore, and haven't been able to for a while. At some point, Buitoni quietly discontinued the puck-like pizzas, so they went the way of many other once-popular pizza styles. There's no official reason why these toaster delicacies were given the boot. In 1988, Buitoni was acquired by Nestlé which made some big changes (it's possible Toasterinos had already been discontinued before this). Instead of instant foods, Buitoni began focusing more on fresh and frozen pastas, sauces, and traditional Italian fare.

Just because these pizza snacks are gone, however, doesn't mean they are forgotten. Folks across the Internet have called for the toaster pizza's return for over a decade. Change.org petitions have been put together, and there are Facebook groups entirely devoted to bringing back this cult classic. Unfortunately, Buitoni has given no indication it will be bringing the instant pizzas back, and has even gone so far as to block the Facebook group asking for the product's return. In other words, these pizzas will likely remain a discontinued '80s snack that many have forgotten.

If you're one of those dying of nostalgia and want to make your own, there are a few recipes out there you can try which are similar. It's also worth noting that Buitoni now sells Piccolinis in some regions, which are basically oven-cooked mini-pizzas. These aren't the same as the pizza pockets of the '70s and '80s, though, so Toasterino-faithful will still be left hungry for the foreseeable future.