Why Aren't You Reheating Pizza In The Waffle Iron?
If necessity is the mother of invention, then ravenous hunger has to be the inspiration behind new recipes. There is no singular path to a good meal and that will never be more evident than the next eight words you're about to read: Put your cold pizza on a waffle iron. It's nearly impossible to return a leftover slice to its original warm and gooey state. But this unconventional method will restore as much of that cheese-melted toastiness, while replenishing its saucy vigor.
The key to this experiment is simple — do two slices together. Lay one slice on the waffle iron's bottom plate crust down and align the other on top so both pieces are pressed together cheese to toppings. If you aren't blessed with two slices, fold the tip of the one you do have to the crust and cut off the uncovered sliver to form a triangle. Preheat the waffle maker and warm your slice(s) for about five minutes.
The end result in a panini-like, waffle-dimpled creation so good that even cold-pizza lovers will appreciate it. The cheese pressed against one another melts to your liking and the crust turns crispy again. This isn't a grilled cheese sandwich, however, so don't hesitate to pull the slices apart after you remove from the iron grates and eat them like you would a single pizza slice.
Here's the do's and don'ts
In the movie "Boomerang," one of my favorite comedic actors, John Witherspoon, reminds us that you can't stop at a mushroom shirt: "You got to keep going," he stressed. That spirit of forging ahead can also be applied to two-day-old waffle pizza.
For those who have no qualms with a pizza quesadilla, add more ingredients like extra mozzarella, veggies or pepperoni between the slices before you reheat. Brush both sides with some olive oil, then close the waffle maker and press down every 30 seconds or so. remember to spray your iron plates with butter or cooking oil to keep the cheese and toppings from sticking.
Thinner slices tend to work better with this simple hack, and deep dish is a no-go. The two-inch layered pan slices are too thick to stack or fold over; added to that, they're too thick to heat through from just the bottom (you'd need a cast iron skillet and a lid to get that job done), and closing it will just leave a lot of cheese on the top plate.