Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., Bloomington, Minn., created new Big Daddy’s Primo varieties of pizza for school lunch menus nationwide, available in Buffalo Chicken and Four Meat Pizza.

“After talking extensively to foodservice directors and to students, we believed there was an opportunity to expand our offerings in our ultra-premium Big Daddy’s^® brand,” says Helene Clark, vice president of sales planning and K-12. “The popularity of buffalo chicken pizza is on the rise. Over the past four years, the variety’s appearance on restaurant menus has increased 34%, reflecting consumers’ growing preference for bolder, spicier options.”

The new Big Daddy’s Primo Buffalo Chicken Pizza is a 16-inch round pie with the brand’s signature four whole-grain crust and a sauce blend made with Franks REDHOT Sauce and ranch dressing. Seasoned white meat chicken, mozzarella and cheddar cheese top the new offering. For a bit more kick, Schwan’s Food Service chefs recommend serving the slices with sides of the popular hot sauce or ranch dressing.

Big Daddy’s Four Meat Pizza consists of a 16-inch round signature four whole-grain crust pie topped with beef, ham, turkey sausage and pork pepperoni, as well as mozzarella cheese and a pizzeria-style red sauce.

In keeping with its legacy of leadership in K-12, Schwan’s Food Service also has plans to expand its premium pizza portfolio to include two varieties of 16-inch round par-baked pizzas, available in Big Daddy’s Primo Par-Baked Cheese and Big Daddy’s Primo Par-Baked Pepperoni in early 2017.

“We’ve applied our expertise in this channel to create par-baked pizzas, designed with student input, that fully deliver on our standards of culinary excellence and nutrition,” says Clark.