Who doesn't love pizza? It is the perfect food to eat after a hard day at work. When it comes to most people's perfect weekends, pizza has to be a part of it.
So whether it is a Netflix binge weekend or a treat to yourself after a crappy day, Pizza is just about everyone's favourite thing to eat. But that doesn't mean you won't end up with leftovers after your dinner! What to do then?
If you are among those people who store leftover pizza by just keeping it in the same box it came from, then you are missing out and spoiling your fresh pizza.
The pizza will just end up rubbery as an eraser and absolutely hard as a plate of brick if not stored properly.
But don't worry just yet, as we are here with our guide to storing pizza to ensure that never happens!
Just follow some easy steps below and you will be having leftover pizza the next morning so good that you'll wonder if it was even a leftover in the first place!
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Jump to:
📝 Easy Steps to Storing Pizza
Stack it up in an airtight box
- You will be using an airtight container to store your pizza.
- You can either plastic or a glass container, but we really suggest you go with the glass one as plastic containers carry the risk of making your pizza smell like plastic.
- Now that your container selection is done, slice up your pizza, so that they can fit in your container.
- Slice them small enough that it still retains its shape inside the container and doesn't get cramped by its walls.
Line with Parchment Paper
You cannot put your pizza slices inside the container just yet.
- You need to first line up the container's walls and bottom with parchment paper.
- This way your pizza will still retain its texture and taste very near to its original fresh state.
- Also make sure to not stuff the container with too many slices as it will just get frozen into one giant layered slab.
- Just 2-4 slices in an average sized container is more than sufficient. You can now place this leftover pizza in the air tight container in your refrigerator and consume it within the next four days!
Now, this method is time consuming as you would have to line up the container with parchment paper, not to mention having to wash the container too after you're done with your leftover pizza.
But it also has the added benefits like protecting your pizza from absorbing other strong smelling foods flavours, like melon for instance.
It also makes sure that your fridge will not smell like pepperoni or whatever pizza you ordered!
And lastly, this airtight container method keeps all the outside air away and locks it in, which ensures your leftover pizza lasts longer.
But we understand if you are a busy person and just don't have the time for the hassle of using an air-tight container.
Or maybe you just don't have an air-tight container at the moment! Then don't fret because we have an easier and as efficient method of storing that even the most laid-back person can do!
Stack it up on a plate!
1. Take a plate that's not too big, but enough to carry one slice of pizza. Now, place a paper towel on the surface of the plate.
2. Place your slice of leftover pizza on this layer of paper towel. Then cover it up with another paper towel. Then place another slice of pizza. Just keep doing this until you have created a stack, with a paper towel between each pizza slice. We are using paper towels here to keep the slices separate so that they don't stick together. So make sure to not skip paper towels. Alternatively you can use Parchment Paper as well.
3. Now cover this plate in a plastic wrap and it is good to go in the fridge! Just remember to finish the leftover pizza within 2-3 days as they will not last any longer then that!
You can freeze this Pizza Stack wrapped with Plastic wrap in the freezer for upto 3 months.
Remember to label it and thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven before serving.
🍕 Reheating Stored Pizza
There's just one more thing left to do before you can enjoy your stored leftover pizza. And yes, we know it's tempting to just eat it straight from the Freezer, but you need to heat it first so that you can safely enjoy your pizza.
And a heated pizza is always better than a cold pizza right?
While heating leftover pizza seems overly simple, many still manage to mess it up by either:
(1) Overheating it which ends up in a dried out, hard as rock pizza
(2) Or under heating it which ends up in a soggy and mushy pizza.
To avoid the above scenarios, just read our simple steps to heating your stored pizza and you'll get the crispy crust you want!
1. First step is to preheat your oven to 350°F (180 °C).
When that's done, place your pizza inside the oven in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for about five minutes, or just until you see the cheese bubbling.
2. Use parchment on the baking sheet for easy clean up. Also make sure to pick off any extra toppings that look soggy before placing the Pizza in the baking dish in the oven.
3. When your pizza is done, pull out the baking sheet and plate it up. You're now ready for another pizza party!
🥘 Why use an oven for heating instead of a microwave?
If you want your leftover pizza to taste like the original state it came in, then oven heating is the way to go.
Microwave might give you melted cheese, but it will not give you the crispy crust that an oven will give you.
So if you are looking for a wholesome pizza experience just with your leftovers, using the oven is your best bet!
🙋♀️ Why can't I just put the Pizza inside it's box when storing it?
Because your pizza will become a dried out cardboard tasting mess!
The box that your pizza comes in is made of cardboard, and if you let your pizza sit in it for too long then it will absorb the taste of cardboard, making it almost inedible!
The crust will go dry as the Sahara desert as well thanks to the free airflow that will happen through the gaps in the cardboard box! So unless you want to eat a completely ruined pizza, just store it properly in the steps we outlined for you!
Whether it's a freshly baked pizza out of the oven or it's last night's leftover pizza from last night's dinner, we all love pizza.
But that's no excuse to eat mediocre leftover pizza just because you didn't know how to store it properly!
🍕 Gimme some Pizza Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza
- Mushroom Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
- Pesto Caprese Pasta Pizza
- Keto Cheesy Pizza Sticks
- The Best Homemade Pan Pizza Recipe (No-Yeast)
- Keto Cheesy Pizza Sticks
- Butter Chicken Pizza
We guarantee you that with our guide you will be able to enjoy leftover pizza so good that you'll think it came out new from the box!
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