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Top 10 Discontinued Pizza Hut Items We Miss
Whether you’re just a fan of not-so-authentic Italian pizza or just enjoyed some of these menu items as a kid, we’re all still mourning the loss of some of these iconic Pizza Hut foods and can’t help but wish they’d come back, if only for a limited time. Grab some tissues and prepare for a trip down memory lane with this list of the Top 10 Discontinued Pizza Hut Items We Miss!
10. Sicilian Lasagna Pizza
In case you were ever debating whether to eat lasagna or pizza for dinner, this pizza had you covered. The Sicilian Lasagna Pizza was an amalgamation of, you guessed it, pizza and lasagna, which made it fit the tastes of those who liked both traditionally Italian dishes. Though it didn’t contain the flat pasta that is synonymous with lasagna, the Sicilian Lasagna Pizza did come topped with ricotta cheese, which gave it an interesting and more authentic flavor profile. If you had a mom or dad who didn’t let you get pizza for dinner often — or just wasn’t a fan of Pizza Hut — when the Sicilian Lasagna Pizza was around, they may have taken a second look because of the fact that it claimed to be halfway between something traditionally considered by parents to be unhealthy (pizza) and something considered to be a homemade favorite (lasagna). Released in 2006, the Sicilian Lasagna pizza claimed to be the perfect choice for families who were searching for an easy meal to share that tasted as delicious as homemade Italian cooking. With claims that lofty, it’s no wonder that the Sicilian Lasagna Pizza was discontinued shortly after it arrived on the scene, but that doesn’t mean we don’t think about it on those days when we’re craving some cheese and carbs slathered in tomato sauce.
9. Priazzo
Okay, so this one might have been a bit of a hot mess, but we can’t help but think about what could’ve been when it comes to this pizza. The Priazzo was Pizza Hut’s attempt at a more authentic Italian dish, and it featured an ingredient list that was absolutely massive: featuring spinach, pepperoni, mushrooms, ham, onions, not one, but two layers of dough, and just about a pound — yes, a whole pound — of cheese. When you talk about the Priazzo out of context, it sounds more like a quiche or a mishmosh of Italian flavors into one big, messy dish, but Pizza Hut actually marketed the Priazzo as a pizza pie when it was released in 1985. Pizza Hut apparently thought that making a family-sized version of their successful pan pizzas would be a good idea to boost sales, but the Priazzo’s release only brought about the opposite effect. With employees citing that this huge pie took forever to make and with Pizza Hut only being able to offer the Priazzo after a certain time on weekdays, the Priazzo singlehandedly took the “fast” out of Pizza Hut’s “fast food” restaurant status. Even though it was a market failure — and even though the Priazzo’s name itself is nothing more than Italian-flavored gibberish created by a Pizza Hut marketing exec — the Priazzo still sounds like a deliciously heavy pan pizza that we’d love to share with our friends and families someday.
8. Quepapas
Any true Pizza Hut fan knows that the Hut offers far more than just pizza. They’ve dipped their toes in other classic American and Italian-American foods, like chicken wings and pasta dishes. But if you’re a Pizza Hut fan, you’ll know they’ve also tried their hand at making Mexican — or, at least Mexican-inspired — foods. Quepapas were an odd mix of jalapeno poppers and tater tots: small, bite-sized bits that were filled with jalapeno and cheese, giving them a tasty and unexpected kick. Though they were discontinued in recent years, all hope is not lost: some eager customers report a few Pizza Hut locations still carrying these addictive appetizers. With most of Pizza Hut’s side dishes being things like breadsticks, fries, or P’zones, the Quepapas appeared to be a step in the right direction, but were discontinued after what only appears to have been a very short time. We’re still not entirely sure if quepapas are even a real thing outside of Pizza Hut — and after some Googling, it doesn’t seem like they are — but they were still a new and different addition to the menu that made Pizza Hut a bit more worldly.
7. P’Zolo
If this list has taught us anything, it’s that Pizza Hut likes to make up ridiculous names for some of their menu items. The P’Zolo came on the scene in 2012 and was Pizza Hut’s try at making sandwiches in an attempt to rival Subway. With Subway’s $5 Foot-longs being extremely popular, it’s no wonder that Pizza Hut would want to steal Subway’s thunder and try their hand at making a sandwich of their own, and try they did with the P’Zolo. These short-lived sandwiches were made of pizza dough that was folded into a sub shape and loaded up with toppings. What you got in the sandwich depended on which variation of the P’Zolo you wanted: with flavors like Italian Steak, Meat Trio, and Buffalo Chicken, it’s safe to say that Pizza Hut’s P’Zolos had the potential to be seriously tasty as a standalone product. Sadly, Pizza Hut and sandwiches just didn’t seem to mesh well together; the P’Zolo never really kicked off, and it was eventually discontinued. We understand Pizza Hut’s decision to keep their focus on pizzas, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t want them to try this little venture again. Making sub sandwiches that are pizza-inspired by using pizza dough would be a good way to distinguish Pizza Hut’s sandwiches from Subway’s, so we think the P’Zolo is worth a second try.
6. The Big Italy
This is it. The main event of so many birthday parties, high school hangouts, and peewee baseball wins. In case you don’t remember, the Big Italy was a two-foot pizza with hand-stretched dough, which was perfect to share with your hungry friends or family. Since the pizza was so huge, there was lots of room on its surface to put on as many toppings as you could handle. If you were picky about toppings, you could ask your Pizza Hut employee nicely to put the toppings on a certain section of the Big Italy, so you could avoid the ones you didn’t like. A former Pizza Hut employee recalled the initial steps to prepare the pizza: brush the pan with oil instead of spraying it, then sprinkle it with the seasoning Pizza Hut usually uses on their breadsticks — yum! The Big Italy may have just been a huge pizza, but it makes us miss those triumphant nights after a big game, or fun evenings spent with close friends or family members. Its smaller, 16 inch cousin, the Big New York Pizza, sparked enough grief from customers when it was discontinued that a change.org campaign was launched to bring it back to Pizza Hut’s menu, proving that people have a soft spot for Pizza Hut’s bigger pizzas. The love for the Big Italy stems beyond pizza and into what everyone misses about being young – being able to eat as much pizza as you wanted without a single touch of guilt. Since it was there for us through so many memorable life events, it’s no wonder that the Big Italy holds a big place in our hearts.
5. Tuscani Bacon Mac and Cheese
In 2008, Pizza Hut announced to its customers that they would be releasing a line of Tuscani pastas that would be right at home in any Italian restaurant. Though we’re pretty sure we’ve never seen bacon mac and cheese in any Italian restaurant, Pizza’s Hut release of this pasta dish was exciting for people obsessed with this notoriously tasty meal. The pastas were advertised as able to feed a family of four, which meant they could easily be shared with other people for a low price. Better yet, you could take what you didn’t finish home and save it as leftovers for when you get hungry again. We were incredibly sad to see the Tuscani Bacon Mac and Cheese go, especially because its Chicken Alfredo and Meaty Marinara cousins are still on Pizza Hut’s menu. We’re guessing Pizza Hut may have removed it because Mac and Cheese isn’t all that Italian, but it’s safe to say that no Pizza Hut aficionado is going to be ordering from the Hut expecting real authentic Italian dining. It was a shame to see the Tuscani Bacon Mac and Cheese disappear, and we can only hope that Pizza Hut notices how sad many people were to see it go.
4. Hershey’s Chocolate Dunkers
We have to give it to Pizza Hut for coming up with creative dessert items that still fit their entire theme of Italian-American foods. The Hershey’s Chocolate Dunkers were clearly inspired by Pizza Hut’s iconic breadsticks, but were sprinkled with chocolate instead of seasoning and could be dipped in a chocolatey icing instead of marinara sauce. This sweet counterpart to a famous side dish was perfect if you wanted a bready dessert to go with your pizza or even just an alternate version to a normally salty breadstick to satisfy your sweet tooth. They were likely discontinued due to their lack of popularity and how difficult it was to keep them fresh. Many former employees on the Pizza Hut subreddit, cite that Chocolate Dunkers were only good when fresh out of the oven, with one employee saying that they can barely remember making the Dunkers at all. Despite some former employees saying they were unpopular, the discontinuation of the Hershey’s Chocolate Dunkers in 2016 still sparked outrage from die-hard fans on Twitter. Though they may have been hard to keep fresh, we’ll still miss the feeling of getting a box of these sweet treats fresh from the oven and eating them while they’re still warm. Luckily, Pizza Hut still has a plethora of desserts to choose from, like mini Cinnabon rolls, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, and other Hershey’s cookie products. Though they all sound tasty, nothing will ever be able to mimic the iconic chocolate breadstick combo that were the Hershey’s Chocolate Dunkers.
3. Triple Decker Pizza
There’s something about the unhealthy food you ate in the 1990’s that makes you feel nostalgic and slightly nauseous all at once, and Pizza Hut’s Triple Decker Pizza is no exception. This cheese bomb was a nightmare for anyone who was lactose intolerant: a pizza with an extra layer of cheese stuffed in between two crusts. This made the Triple Decker appear to be like a Neopolitan pizza of sorts, with the layers being clearly visible in each bite. Pizza Hut didn’t stop there, though: they also introduced the Triple Deckeroni Pizza, which was the same thing but with pepperoni in every layer. If you were alive when the Triple Decker or its pepperoni cousin were released, you probably remember those commercials featuring kids happily biting into it and pulling the cheese right off the slice. Seeing how unhealthy this thing looked, it’s no wonder our moms were mortified when they saw those advertisements! Though the 1990’s are making a comeback in other facets of our lives right now, the Triple Decker Pizza from Pizza Hut probably won’t be one of them, seeing as stuffed-crust pizzas already offer more than enough extra cheese for us to handle. Plus, now that we’re older, wiser, and probably have slower metabolisms, it’d be better to leave this artery-clogging pizza in the past instead of campaigning to bring it back permanently. That doesn’t mean we won’t fantasize about having a slice while binge-watching our favorite show on Netflix, though.
2. Twisted Crust Pizza
If you thought Pizza Hut’s menu items couldn’t have packed on the carbohydrates any more, you probably got a run for your money when this thing came out in 2008. The Twisted Crust pizza was a combination of pizza and breadsticks, and came served with dipping sauce that was often used for the latter. Though Pizza Hut is infamous for stuffing their crusts with cheese or subbing them out entirely for garlic knots, the Twisted Crust Pizza was a different take on this trend that may very well have been what pioneered crazy crusts in the first place. The breadstick part of the crust could easily be pulled off for individual dipping, revealing a thinner crust underneath that would still manage to support the pizza. With the seasoning of a breadstick, the detachable crust was delicious when combined with the dipping sauce options, which added flavor that was more dynamic and interesting than your average, run-of-the-mill pizza crust. The Twisted Crust Pizza wasn’t only delicious, but genius: combining breadsticks and pizza, two elements that were often ordered separately, allowed customers to get an appetizer and entree in one box. The dipping sauces meant that you could add some ranch or marinara flavor to both the breadstick and pizza parts of the Twisted Crust. Fun, delicious, and convenient, no Pizza Hut fanatic goes a day without missing the Twisted Crust Pizza.
1. The Big Dipper
If you’ve been following Pizza Hut news for a while, you’ll know that the Big Dipper was one of their original menu items that got discontinued seemingly for no reason. The Big Dipper was a huge rectangular pizza that could be either simply cheese and pepperoni, or half-and-half. The selling point was that the Big Dipper pizza came sliced in dippable rectangular pieces instead of the traditional triangular shape of a pizza slice. You could order it with three different sauces: honey BBQ, ranch, or marinara. The Big Dipper wasn’t only a huge success commercially, but a win in terms of pizza design: it saves so much time to offer dipping sauces as a topping instead of sprinkling them onto a pizza, and also manages to add an additional gimmick of sauces to an otherwise traditional pie. The consumer can also control the amount of dippage they want into the sauce, taking as much or as little as they’d like in one bite, which can suit nearly every different taste out there. With all of this in mind, it doesn’t seem like there is any good reason for the Big Dipper to be discontinued. Pizza Hut must agree, because they announced plans to bring the Big Dipper back to stores a few months ago. The news spread like wildfire on Twitter, with many fans expressing their excitement to try the Big Dipper again. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get our hands on this massive masterpiece again soon.