Have you kept your tasty Cheese Pizza in the freezer long enough? If you don’t want the dish to go to waste, it’s essential to reheat it and serve it again. But how can you make it as fresh as the day it was prepared? We’ll help you. Find out in our blog how to oven leftover pizza.
The first step to warming the leftover pizza is reheating the oven and waiting for the pizza slices to warm up a bit at room temperature. Once the oven is ready, place the pizza on a baking tray lined with foil and put it in the oven. Bake the slices for about ten minutes.
How to Oven Leftover Pizza?
Have you tried to reheat a leftover dish and failed miserably? Most leftover meals can never taste the same as the day they were made. When it comes to pizza, reheating it incorrectly will only cause it to taste like cardboard, while the toppings would become soggy and the pizza sauce would dry out.
If you want to bring back the original taste of your Domino’s Chicken Taco pizza or the appetizing Papa John’s pizza, follow these simple steps:
- Heat up your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit – Don’t attempt to slide your dish into the oven before it reaches the desired temperature. There is nothing worse than leaving it to warm up gradually. You will end up with a disastrously tasteless cardboard crust. Therefore, make sure that you wait for the perfect time to put the pizza in the oven.
- Add some fresh ingredients – Turn your leftover pizza into a fresh new dish by adding a couple of ingredients from your fridge. In case you are reheating Pizza Hut Garlic Parmesan pizza, sprinkle some Parmesan on top. But, if you are reheating a California Kitchen Cauliflower pizza, add a bit of cauliflower, mozzarella, and onions.
- Take your baking tray and line it with foil – A great hack that would ensure your dish turns out crispy and tasty is to ensure that the baking tray is lined with foil and placed inside the oven for a couple of minutes. You want to get your baking tray extremely hot before you put the pizza on it.
- Take the tray out of the oven – Use oven mitts and carefully take the baking tray out of the oven after a few minutes. It will be piping hot for sure, so don’t waste time, immediately slide the pizza into the tray.
- Place the dish in the oven – Once you place the pizza inside the oven, it will take approximately ten minutes for it to regain its freshness and appetizing appearance. But don’t leave the dish inside for too long. Keep checking whether the crust gained a golden brown color. In case it starts to burn, take it out of the oven right away.
Why Is Reheating a Dish in the Oven the Best Option?
Reheating the pizza in the oven is the ideal method since the crust can easily harden up when it loses moisture. Once the pizza is made and left at room temperature for some time, the starch will undergo retrogradation which is a process when the molecules crystallize since they begin to absorb all the moisture. The crust will then dry out.
However, if you make sure that the pizza is correctly stored in a freezer, retrogradation can be reversed when you reheat it. The starch crystals will release moisture when exposed to high temperatures.
Make sure that you put the dish on the bottom rack since the crust will be more exposed to the heat, and the toppings won’t burn.
What Are Other Methods of Reheating a Leftover Pizza?
One doesn’t always have to use the oven to warm up a dish. Other methods have proved to be useful as well. Even though the oven is the best option, one can use a pan, microwave, or air fryer instead. Choose the option that would be the most suitable for you. Follow our guide on how to reheat the leftover dish using all the methods mentioned above.
How Should You Reheat the Dish in a Pan?
Bear in mind that warming up a pizza can be easily accomplished on the stove as well. This option is great if you want to get a crispy crust and cheese to bubble. The first step is to take one non-stick skillet and heat it up. Use only medium heat. We recommend avoiding pouring oil in the pan since the oil from the dish is going to be enough.
Slide the slice of pizza into the pan and cook it for approximately two minutes. Flip the sides until you see that they are properly cooked. Then, sprinkle some drops of water into the pan and cover your pan. Let the pizza cook a bit on its own, about five minutes. Finally, remove it from the stove and serve it.
How Should You Reheat the Pizza in an Air Fryer?
A high-quality air fryer can ensure that the leftover pizza doesn’t dry up. The process is truly easy since all one needs to do is warm up an air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, take one slice and put it in the basket in just one layer. Wait for it to air fry properly for about 3 to 5 minutes.
How Should You Reheat the Dish in Your Microwave?
The microwave should be your last option since the dish cannot be easily restored to its original freshness. The only thing that you can accomplish is making it hot. But, if you are adamant about using this method, make sure that when you place a slice on a plate inside the microwave, put a mug filled with water next to it. Heat the dish for about five to 8 minutes. Make sure that you check every 30 seconds whether it is heating up evenly.
How Long Can You Keep Your Leftover Pizza and Still Eat It?
Whether your pizza is still edible or not depends on the way you store it. It is different if you simply put it in the fridge or you wrap it and leave it in the freezer. Check out our table, and you’ll find out how long you can keep a delectable pizza.
| Pizza Stored at Room Temperature | Pizza Stored in the Fridge | Pizza Stored in a Freezer |
| It is edible for a maximum of two to three hours. | It won’t spoil for three to four days. | You can keep it wrapped in the freezer for two to three months |
Prepared to Reheat Your Leftover Pizza?
Have you got any leftover pizzas in your fridge or freezer? Don’t let them go to waste. Reheat them in the oven in case you want them to be crispy and tasty just like when you purchased them. In case you want to opt for different methods, you can always use a microwave, pan, or air fryer. You will be surprised just how fresh and tasty a leftover dish can be.