There are numerous ways to enjoy a wonderful pizza. You can order frozen pizzas, take-and-bake pizzas, or even make your own pizzas, in addition to traditional delivery.
Whatever type of pizza you love, there are a number of tips and tactics that can help you make it exactly the way you want it! Here are 9 inventive and useful pizza hacks to help you elevate your next pizza night!
1. Frozen Pizza Portions
At the risk of sparking a contentious debate about the merits of hot pizza versus cold pizza, some people just don’t enjoy reheated leftovers! And when it comes to cooking up a frozen pizza, you may wind up with leftovers that you’re not thrilled about eating.
But there’s a simple solution to this conundrum—cut the pizza before cooking it! That way, you can cook only as much as you’ll eat and keep the rest in the freezer for another time.
(If your pizza is frozen solid, leave it out on the counter for a few minutes before cutting. The job will be much easier once it’s softened up a bit!)
2. Use A Pizza Screen
If you like the crust of your pizza to be crisp and evenly cooked, cook it on a pizza screen! The mesh pan will increase the amount of airflow underneath the crust.
You can also use a pizza stone to achieve similar results. Pizza stones are quite heavy though, while a pizza screen will be relatively light and easy to store.
3. Crispier Crusts
For crispier crust around the edges of your pizza, use olive oil! Use a pastry brush to brush a little olive oil onto the outside edges before baking the pizza.
4. Better Microwaved Pizza
When reheating pizza leftovers, using the microwave can alter the texture. For better texture in a flash, place a glass of water in the microwave along with the pizza.
5. Keep It Warm
When you’re driving home with a carryout pizza, turn on the seat warmer on the passenger side and set your pizza there! The seat warmer will help keep your pizza nice and warm on the journey home.
6. Crust Croutons
Don’t want your uneaten crusts to go to waste? Chop them up, toss them on a sheet tray, and toast them for a few minutes in your oven. Voila, you’ve got pre-seasoned croutons you can add to your next salad!
7. Extra Crispy
For fans of extra crispy pizza crust, there’s a simple way to ensure crispiness for pizza you bake at home! Before baking the pizza, grab a fork and use it to poke holes in the bottom of the crust.
The holes in the crust will allow more steam to escape, drying out the crust and making it extra crispy. (Cooking a frozen pizza? Letting it thaw out for a few minutes will make it much easier to poke full of holes!)
8. Add Some Greens
Looking to make pizza night a little bit heathier (or at least slightly more nutritious?) Top your finished pizza with a big handful of arugula!
Arugula has a peppery flavor that pairs perfectly with pizza, and it adds a bit of freshness too!
pizza hacks
9. Diplomatic Dining
When you’re feeding a group of people, it can be impossible to get everyone to agree on toppings. Instead, serve up a basic cheese pizza and make it a “top-it-yourself” pizza night!
Offer a variety of different toppings for your diners to choose from, like pepperoni, sliced peppers, sliced onions, and more. Cook them up beforehand so everything is ready to use when the pizza’s done!
Or better yet, start with a frozen cheese pizza. Then you can just pile the toppings on and throw it in the oven!
