18 Creative Ways To Use Leftover Pizza
There's no shame in indulging in a takeout pizza. And since many pizzerias only do full-sized pies, you can rarely order a single slice shipping straight to your door. Instead, you'll end up with a half-eaten pizza in your fridge and a waning desire to eat cold, leftover pizza for breakfast every single day until it's gone. It's important to note that leftover pizza has gone bad when it emits a foul odor or has visual discoloration, which can occur between three to five days after it's made. This gives you an even stronger imperative to finish off your slices before you have to toss them in the trash.
But, instead of settling for lackluster leftover pizza, you'll need to find a way to upgrade your slice and transform it into something creative and delicious. We've gathered some of our favorite ways to upgrade a leftover pizza, many of which require few ingredients besides those already in your fridge.
Make it into pizza fries
Pizza slices are already easy to eat, but chopping them up into thin strips and making them into pizza fries? Now that's a great idea.
Start by warming up your pizza slices in the oven until they're pliable. Then, slice them into long strips using a sharp knife. In order to keep the cheese gooey, we recommend inverting the slices so they form a sandwich. From there, you can bake your fries on a sheet pan in the oven or pop them into your air fryer for a crispy fry experience sans added oil. We recommend topping your homemade pizza fries with chopped bacon and melted cheese, but you can also play on the pizza theme by adding some jarred pasta sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni. These fries are bound to be a hit at a party or for kiddos who love finger foods.
Add it to a savory bread pudding
If you think about pizza as bread, you have tons more opportunities to cook with it than if you just think of it as a boring leftover slice of pizza. Naturally, one of our favorite ways to use bread that's on its way out is to add it to a bread pudding. Instead of mixing this bread with sweet seasonings like cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup, you'll want to stick to the savory side of things for this Italian rendition of the classic dish.
Start by slicing up your pizza into small cubes and soaking it with eggs, milk, and Italian seasoning. You can also add other flavorful additions to your pudding, like cooked bacon, olives, and cheese. After the mixture has been allowed to soak (this is important for rehydrating the bread), you can bake it until golden. Deep-dish pie is our go-to for this recipe, but you can really use any type of pizza with any toppings on it.
Use your slices as bread for a sandwich
When you think about it, pizza is just an odd type of sandwich bread. It has a crispy crust and a soft interior, which makes a good vector for sandwiches when you run out of your favorite slices. The first thing you'll want to do to craft your sandwich is to warm it up. The best way to reheat pizza is on your stove rather than an oven or a microwave. Place the slices in a skillet on low and cook covered for a few minutes until the pieces are soft. You can also add a teaspoon of water to help reheat your pizza to perfection.
Once your pie is soft, you can pile it high with your favorite toppings. We recommend picking pizza-friendly toppings, like sliced ham, cheddar, and bacon, but you can also add crunchy elements with iceberg lettuce or peppery arugula.
Chop and bake it into croutons
We unashamedly admit to eating croutons straight out of the bag as a snack. And, luckily, our salads, soups, and snacks are about to get an upgrade with leftover pizza.
Start by slicing your leftover pizza slices into small cubes; there's no need to warm it up beforehand. Then, you can cook it in a skillet with a scant amount of oil until the pieces start to crisp up. We recommend slicing the pizza pieces on top of one another to avoid having the pieces stick to the bottom of the pan and get the cheese all over. This recipe also really only works for plain cheese pizza because the other toppings tend just to get lost in the sauce.
Our favorite pairings for your pizza croutons are on top of a roasted tomato soup. And, although it might seem a bit unconventional, we like these toppings on a Caesar salad, too, because the tomatoes in the sauce contrast the umami and saltiness of the other salad components.
Stuff it with cheddar for an upgraded grilled cheese
There's no better pairing than tomato soup and grilled cheese. And if you want to make your grilled cheese extra special and use up those leftover slices from last night's dinner, you can make an amped-up grilled cheese with leftover pizza. Once you have your warmed slices ready, sandwich them with copious amounts of your favorite cheese and cook them with the crust side facing outward. We recommend doing a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar to get the perfect cheese pull on your sandwich. You can also add an extra schmear of tomato sauce on the slices to bring out the umami flavor of the tomatoes a little more.
There is a ton of room for customizing your grilled cheese recipe. Add some sweet, crunchy apple slices, or stuff it with your favorite Hawaiian medley of ham and pineapple. You can also cook your grilled cheese on the panini press for a crispier crust.
Transform it into pizza French toast
Eating leftover pizza for breakfast? Bad move. Transforming your pizza into another breakfast food so it's more socially acceptable to eat before 9 a.m.? That's a better idea.
Transforming your pizza slice into a delectable French toast version is not only easy but doesn't require any odd ingredients that you likely wouldn't already have in your fridge. You can also use any type of slice for this recipe, whether it's plain cheese or meat lovers. Start by coating both sides of the pizza in the custard mixture and popping it on a skillet or a griddle. Once you pull your slices off the skillet, you can top it with extra fresh toppings to reflect whatever your go-to slice is or add an extra sprinkle of shredded mozzarella on top. It's a breakfast favorite that children and adults of all ages will love to eat for breakfast — or dinner.
Swap it for lasagna noodles
Lasagna is a Sunday night staple. But instead of opting for lasagna noodles, which you always manage to overcook without fail, stick to your leftover pizza.
You can slice your pizza into strips or leave it whole for your pie. Thin-crust pizza works best for this recipe because it creates a better balance between the other layers of tomato and cheese rather than just tasting like a deep-dish pizza with extra toppings. We also recommend using cheese besides mozzarella to bake this pie; ricotta will give it a creamy flavor and soft texture. You can also add a sprinkle of Parmesan on top for a bit of umami boost.
Many different flavors of pizza work well for this recipe, including pepperoni and plain cheese. But regardless of your topping, we recommend adding an extra layer of toppings, like veggies, crumbled cooked sausage, or ground beef, to give your lasagna a Sunday boost.
Stick it in a waffle iron
Bored with your regular pizza? Stick it in a waffle iron. This appliance could change the way you reheat pizza. Rather than a microwave, which tends to concentrate the moisture in the dough and renders it soggy, the hot iron will crisp up the edges and give you the perfect portable pizza slice with a funky shape to boot. When you're using this appliance, just be sure to add a swatch of oil or cooking spray to the iron to prevent anything from sticking. You should also invert the pizza together so that the cheese is touching and the cheese won't scald and adhere to the iron.
Rotating your iron once or twice while the pizza waffle is cooking will also ensure that all of the sides get crispy. Before adding the slice to the iron, you can add a bit of extra cheese, meat, or veggies to make your slice more flavorful.
Roll it around a hot dog
No summer barbecue would be complete without a tray of hot dogs. But if you forget to grab a pack of buns at the store, what are you going to do? Use up your leftover pizza, of course.
You can wrap up your boiled or grilled hot dog in a warmed slice of leftover pizza. The cheese on the pizza will pair well with the texture of the hot dog, while the tomato sauce will envelop the slice in savory flavors. It's one of those don't-knock-it-until-you-try-it recipes. You can also smother it with extra cheese or scoop in a layer of chili for a filling meal. We also recommend serving your hot dog pizza hybrid with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.
Deconstruct the toppings for your eggs or omelets
When you see pizza, you probably don't think "scrambled eggs." But after seeing this hack for leftover pizza scrambled eggs, you just might. It's the deliciously bizarre way to use leftover pizza and is relatively simple to make. There are two potential avenues to make your pizza scrambled eggs. You can scrape all the toppings off your pizza and discard the crust (or repurpose it). Or, opt to cube the pizza slice into bite-sized pieces and add it to your eggs once they have sufficiently cooked.
The trick with the latter whole-pizza method is to cut off the large pieces of crust that are lacking in the sauce and cheese department. If you want a balanced bite, you should also heat your pizza in a pan before adding it to your eggs. After all, nobody wants a bite of soft eggs with slightly stale chunks of crust mixed in.
Use it as a starch for your casserole
Midwesterners love their casseroles, and we do, too. Instead of opting for a layer of potato hash or tater tots in your casserole, use your leftover pizza instead. One of our favorite ways to use up leftover pizza is in a breakfast casserole. Cube up your pieces of pizza (any slice variety will do, but bonus points if it has bacon) and submerge it in a casserole dish covered with egg, cooked breakfast sausage, cheese, and veggies like peppers and onions. Once you've baked your dish, you can serve it with your other breakfast favorites.
Alternatively, you can also use leftover pizza for occasions other than breakfast. Toss the cubes of bread in a dish with savory ingredients like Italian sausage, mushrooms, pizza sauce, and cheese, and make a delicious casserole that you can eat for dinner any night of the week.
Add it to your stuffing instead of bread
Stuffing is an integral part of holiday meals and special occasions, but you don't always have a box of stuffing mix handy in your house. This mixture will work well for any type of meat or vegetable; we recommend stuffing it into a chicken breast and slathering the cut with tomato sauce and cheese.
Start by cubing your leftover pizza into small pieces and toasting them in the oven until they are slightly crispy and solid to the touch — almost like stale bread. Then, combine the pieces of bread with stock and vegetables and bake your stuffing in the oven until firm. This stuffing is an easy way to jazz up your Thanksgiving table and give new life to your leftover slices.
Stick it with other toppings for a pizza kebab
Sometimes, eating leftovers is all about giving them some rejuvenation and a new lease on life. Instead of snacking on a boring slice of cold pizza from the night before, transform your slice into a kebab. Start with a kebab stick and cubed pieces of pizza on a stick, alternating with other ingredients. You can pair your slices with sliced pieces of peppers, onions, and mushrooms for a veggie pizza or opt for some meaty accompaniments for a carnivore's dream pie.
Pizza kebabs are also an easy way to get kids on board with eating leftovers for lunch the next day. Stack your pizza kebabs with sliced cucumber, peppers, and cheese to create a balanced lunch and clear out your fridge in the process.
Roll them into pizza rolls
Making pizza rolls is a fun variation of leftover pizza slices and lets you get creative with filings. To make your recipe, start with a slice of slightly warmed pizza; this will make it easier to manipulate and move. Then, add any extra toppings on top of your slice — like if you felt the cheese was lacking when you ate a piece the night before. Then, gently roll up the pizza from the crust end down to the point so the shape forms a pinwheel. To keep the slices in place, bake them with a wet toothpick (which will prevent burning), adding extra cheese on top if desired.
You can serve your pizza leftovers with your favorite sauce, including extra marinara. Or, whip together a quick garlic butter sauce to make your rolls more sophisticated.
Use it as a breading for homemade mozzarella sticks
Mozzarella sticks are good on their own, but have you ever considered wrapping them in something else rather than breadcrumbs? Instead of making a conventional mozzarella stick, use your leftover pizza crust to wrap around the outside of your cheese. The result will kind of taste like a stuffed crust pizza — but will highlight the best part of the pie only.
The best type of cheese to use for gooey, stringy mozzarella sticks is a low-moisture block of cheese — not the stuff you find submerged in water in the fresh section of the grocery store. You can also take the easy way out and use a cheese stick for your creation; just be wary that it may not stretch as much.
Freeze your slices for another day
It's not realistic to think that you can eat an entire leftover pizza within a single day. Instead of putting it in your refrigerator, which will zap the moisture from the crust and make it stale faster, you can stash leftover pizza in the freezer. If it's properly stored, your pizza will last upwards of two months in the freezer.
We recommend storing individual slices of pizza rather than an entire pie. Take each slice and wrap it completely in a layer of plastic wrap before plopping it in the freezer. You should also keep the slices stored in a plastic bag for an extra layer of protection and to prevent the strange smells of your freezer contents from permeating into the pie.
Make toad-in-a-hole
We all love indulging in a slice of cold pizza for breakfast while nursing a hangover. But to make your pizza taste even better, consider using it for a delicious breakfast treat: egg-in-a-hole. This self-explanatory dish is an easy way to get some extra protein in while also using your leftover pizza. This recipe works best with a sturdy slice, like a Sicilian or a deep dish, but you can also use a flimsy piece of takeout pizza, too.
Start by slicing a hole in the leftover pizza with a cookie cutter or by using the rim of a glass to trace it out. Then, bring the pizza up to temperature in a skillet for five minutes. Once your slice is tender, place it on a baking sheet and gently plop in your egg without breaking the yolk. After about four minutes, your breakfast will be ready to go.
Use the crust for avocado toast
Move over trendy avocado toast on sourdough — this new recipe rendition will change the way you think of pizza leftovers forever. We love using leftover pizza slices for this recipe because the crust has the perfect amount of pull to it that makes it unique.
There are two ways you can go about this recipe. You can strip the pizza of its toppings entirely and just use the crust or the pie in its entirety. If you go the latter route, we recommend sticking to a white pie to avoid obscuring the flavors of the fresh avocado on top. Bring your pizza up to temperature in a skillet before schmearing on your avocado or adding whole pieces. Decorate your slice with a soft-boiled egg or sprinkle of salt and pepper.