This week I reached out for a Smokehouse Pizza from Little Caesars … you know, the “Pizza Pizza” and “Hot-N-Ready” pie maker.

The Smokehouse Pizza is a carnivore’s dream, piled high and wide with meat, meat and more meat. So it’s got the goods, all right. Here’s the question, though: Is this a pizza? Just because it’s round and red and has meat and cheese … doesn’t make it a pizza. Marie Callender’s doesn’t call its chicken pot pie a pizza. Well, huh?

I’m not picking on Little Caesars for stretching the pizza franchise. I had the same knock against Pizza Hut’s barbecue pie, inspired by country superstar Blake Shelton, in 2014. Not to drift off topic, but Shelton and girlfriend Gwen Stefani’s “aren’t we an adorable couple” bit is growing puke-worthy on NBC’s “The Voice” this season. I’m one duet from switching over to ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.” (If I could tell who’s the star and who’s the dance instructor.)

Here’s the Smokehouse Pizza breakdown: beef brisket, pulled pork, Applewood-smoked bacon, mozzarella and Muenster cheeses, and barbecue sauce on Little Caesars’ thick-ish crust.

Because this is a limited-time-only special, Little Caesars doesn’t list its nutritional numbers. But here’s the count for Little Caesars’ similar 3 Meat Treat pizza: Total calories: 330 (per slice, 1/8th of a large pie). Fat grams: 16. Sodium: 720 mg. Carbs: 31 g. Dietary fiber: 2 g. Protein: 16 g. And I like this — it’s only $9 for a large Smokehouse Pizza.

Back to: Is this a pizza? Where’s the tomato-based pizza sauce? Nada. Where’s the traditional Italian-style cheese and seasoning? Nope. Where are the familiar meat toppings, like pepperoni and sausage? You tell me.

Instead, Little Caesars has loaded this baby with meats usually found at your local barbecue joints. So I’m not calling this a pizza. Consider it a round, open-faced BBQ combo sandwich with brisket, pulled pork and bacon.

That sounds freaky good, and I admit, this whatever-it-is delivers. While the meat is trucked in from off campus — you won’t find huge smokers in the back of the Little Caesars in the strip center — the brisket and pulled pork have legit, slow-smoked barbecue flavor. The bacon adds a salty lick. But the sauce is the real surprise — it’s got an adult, spicy knockout punch.

Odd, Little Caesars paints the outer crust with barbecue seasoning. If you’re one of those scavengers who waits for others to throw their crusts (called “bones” in the biz) back in the box, you’re in for a BBQ bonus.

There’s nothing bare bones with this heavy-duty, meat-laden pie.