Friday Night Pizza Just Got A Huge Upgrade Thanks To These Leftovers

Somewhere in the back of your fridge lies a container of leftovers from a meal or two ago. It holds some roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots, maybe a few slices of caramelized onions, or an abundance of potato cubes, still beautifully browned around the edges. Why waste away all that potential when there are so many creative ways to use leftover roasted veggies and possibly upgrade other dishes at the same time? Pizza, in its infinite adaptability, is one of the best revivals roasted veggies could ask for.

It's quite an effortless process. No chopping. No seasoning. Just scatter the leftover roasted veggies all over the dough and save the energy for other parts of the preparation. Using them up allows you to kickstart your Friday night pizza without a fuss — and it just happens to be wildly delicious, too.

Vegetables as a pizza topping is nothing new, but you don't always encounter ones that carry flavors of their own. Not only the seasoning, but roasting also has a way of deepening the veggies' natural flavors even further. Those little earthy, savory, and subtly sweet notes, maybe with a kick of spice, add exciting nuances to the pizza's overall taste profile. They pop up in between all the chewy edges, soft centers, and the occasional charred crisp. It's a shortcut to complexity that works wonders both on frozen pizza as well as anything you make from scratch.

Some of the best vegetables to roast in the oven also happen to make frequent appearances on pizza, namely Brussels sprouts, broccoli, bell peppers, onions, and zucchini. If you have them, all that's needed left is a hearty tomato sauce, a generous pile of cheese, fresh herbs, and, optionally, a protein. Bacon and sausages are common choices, but you can also have fun with leftover charcuterie and use it to dress up your pizza. Friday night pizza has never been easier.

If you've got other types of veggies, take the opportunity to experiment with other pizza recipes beyond the few conventional ones you keep returning to. Herb-roasted root vegetables, starring carrots, radish, sweet potatoes, and beets, make a phenomenal base for vegetarian pizzas. Add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and suddenly, you've got an effortless masterpiece. When fall rolls around and squash of all varieties end up on your pizza, it only makes sense to make a fall-themed pizza. Seasonal fruits like pear and apple bring a sweet-tart charm you can't find elsewhere, enhanced by maple syrup and finished off with the playful crunch of chopped nuts. Roasted potatoes, with their starchy base, would make a great spin on the classic twice-baked potatoes when you pair them with bacon, chives, cheese, and a creamy dressing. No matter the veggies, there's always something fun you can do.