How to make leftover pizza taste like it was just delivered.

Pizza is one of few foods for which I will risk third degree burns of both the mouth and esophagus.  As soon as I open the box and locate the slice with the most ample crust, I’ve got it dangling above my mouth, scalding cheese be damned.  The crust is by far my favorite part, and it alone can make or break a pizza.  I cannot fathom why some people think of the crust as merely a handle used to transport the pizza to their mouths, ceasing to eat once they reach that sweet spot where sauce and cheese meets bready bliss.

Pizza delivered to your door is one of life’s simplest pleasures, but leftover pizza can leave a lot to be desired.  There’s always the option of eating the leftovers for breakfast, cold and straight from the box, but I crave the smells and textures of a freshly delivered pie.  When years of college dorm living taught me that microwaves turn pizza crusts to rubber, I found my solution in the oven.

STEP ONE:  Freeze leftover pizza in foil or zip top bags.  Make sure to freeze the slices in single layers so that the slices don’t get stuck together.  [reader tip: place the pizza on a cookie sheet, freeze, and THEN bag]

how to reheat leftover pizza

STEP TWO:  Wrap frozen crust in foil.  If you are a crust junkie like me, this is a KEY step in making sure you preserve the texture of the crust.

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STEP THREE:  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of the slice.  (This was a large slice, and it was perfectly done in 15 minutes)

how to reheat leftover pizza 3

Worth the time.  Way better than the microwave.  AMAZING crust, every time.

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27 Comments

  1. Next time I order pizza, I’ll have to refrain from eating the whole thing so I can freeze a slice–you make leftover pizza sound delicious!

  2. So excited to try this! Had a deal where we got a second pizza for $.30 last time we ordered and we are trying it from frozen for lunch today. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  3. Fixing to try this for dinner! This is my first time attempting to save my pizza by freezing it. How long will it keep in the freezer and still turn out ok when I reheat it? I have it frozen by twos in zip locks in my deep freeze.

  4. Thank You! I reheated pieces from the freezer in the oven in 15 minutes, warm and tasted great! I am trying to use a microwave less and less.

    1. hi foodie, I wanted to know if I purchase a pizza from pizza hut . and put foil on top of the pizza in the box and put in fridge until I eat it in about 5 hours will that work. or should I put in freezer with foiled each piece. thank you benny g. have a nice new year.

  5. I found that if you freeze slices beforehand without any covering, you can then seal them in vacuum bags without flattening. They will last for months and when reheated like it says here will come out almost as good as the day they were bought!

  6. What do you place it on? Cookie Sheet or directly on rack w something on bottom rack to catch the melts~ making this now. Preheating oven. Thanks 😊

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