The Best Chef-Approved Midwestern Pizza Comes...From This Gas Station?
From New Haven clam pizzas to Chicago deep-dish and Detroit-style pan pizza to the oh-so-controversial Hawaiian, everyone has a different regional claim to what the best pizza should be. And Midwesterners are no exception.
If you crave a solid pizza in the heartland (outside of Chicago), there's a high chance you'll get in your car and head straight to the bright red-roofed building of your local Casey's gas station.
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Founded in 1959, Casey's is the third-largest convenience store retailer and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States. Casey's has a devout following, and for good reason. Chief among them? Casey's iconic made-from-scratch Midwestern-style pizzas.
Ask anyone who's road-tripped through Kansas or Iowa and they'll tell you a pizza pit stop at Casey's is a must. Even celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern is a huge fan of Casey's pizza. 'I love gas station food and have tasted three lifetimes' worth throughout my travels, and Casey's pizza rises to the top,' Zimmern told Parade in an exclusive interview. And Zimmern is far from the only fan. The pizzas are so beloved that in 2024, Casey's sold 45 million pizzas.
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Casey's pizza isn't just regarded as the best gas station pizza in the Midwest. It's regarded as the best pizza in the Midwest—full stop. And like any good pizza, the magic comes down to the dough, which is made fresh every morning by the kitchen team working at every Casey's location.
"Pizza comes down to the crust. If the crust isn't good, there's no saving the pizza," Zimmern explains to Parade. "You can put the most artisanal, glorious stuff on there and I would say you're ruining those glorious artisanal ingredients because the platform isn't right. It's like having bad rice with sushi."
The love and attention to detail Casey's puts into every pizza is why it stands out in a noisy market of mass-market chain pizzas. As a Casey's fan and brand collaborator, Zimmern has visited Casey's locations to see how the pies are made. "They (the kitchen team) are docking the dough (putting holes in it) and what that does is promote even cooking. Better ingredients, smarter cooking. It's really a Midwestern icon," he says.
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Casey's offers a variety of classic pizza toppings, like sausage and pepperoni, plus specialty pies, including BBQ Chicken and Taco Pizza, but the Breakfast Pizza is probably the pizza the chain is most known for. It's a fan favorite and comes loaded with scrambled eggs and cheese, topped with your choice of bacon, sausage or vegetables.
Every so often, Casey's will also offer limited-edition pizzas. And this year, just in time for National Barbecue Day, the regional chain is bringing back its beloved BBQ Brisket Pizza.
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Casey's BBQ Brisket Pizza features their signature made-from-scratch dough topped with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, jalapeños, red onions and a creamy ranch dressing drizzle. The star of the pie is the double-hardwood, pit-smoked beef brisket that's dry-rubbed, slow-smoked for up to 16 hours, hand-trimmed and piled high for a smoky, savory bite in every slice.
'Their homemade pizza is packed with big flavors, unique textures and fresh ingredients. The BBQ Brisket Pizza is a perfect example of that," says Zimmern. "I can't wait for their guests to rediscover it this summer. Gas station pizza is my guilty pleasure—been saying it for about 20 years—and Casey's is simply the best.'
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