The Best Ways to Store Leftover Pizza

Whenever we get pizza delivered for dinner, we always order a larger one than we’ll be able to eat in one sitting. Why? Simply because we want leftovers. Once we discovered how easy it is to reheat a slice of pizza on the stove, having a few extra slices around means an easy lunch or snack.

But what’s the best way to store leftover pizza? Can you just shove the pizza box into the refrigerator?

I used to do the whole shove the pizza box wherever it fits method when we had a refrigerator that had a freezer on the top or bottom. It generally did the job, although sometimes it sat at an awkward angle if we stacked it on other things. But then we moved into an apartment with a side-by-side refrigerator and freezer, and suddenly the fridge wasn’t wide enough to fit most pizza boxes.

To be honest, I never liked just putting the box in the fridge anyway. Every time we opened the fridge it would smell vaguely like old pepperoni, the pizza became dry and tough after a few days, and the box was annoying to shift around constantly, especially if there was only a slice or two left.

Now we ditch the pizza box entirely when we put away our leftovers, and I’m much happier since we don’t congest the fridge up and our pizza seems to stay fresher. What’s the key to storing leftover pizza? Stack and seal!

Once we’re done eating, we let the remaining slices cool down and then evaluate. If it’s a pizza that’s not too saucy, we just stack the slices into a resealable bag and call it a day. The cheese has hardened and cooled off enough that the slices don’t stick to each other, and the whole packet can just go right on the refrigerator shelf. (If you have an airtight container large enough to hold the slices, you can use that too.)

If you have pizza that is saucy on top or seems to have a lot of loose toppings, take this approach instead: Place a single layer of slices on a dinner plate, top with a layer of wax, freezer, foil, or parchment paper, and keep stacking, alternating pizza and paper, until all the pizza’s on the plate. Wrap the whole thing tightly up in plastic wrap before placing in the fridge. Voila! Leftover pizza that doesn’t take up a lot of space and won’t dry out.

It’s not as easy as just throwing the box in the fridge, but trust me, this little bit of work saves a lot of frustration, and you’ll end up with tastier leftover pizza!