9 Ways to Actually Enjoy Leftover Pizza

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Pizza. It's awesome. Whether you enjoy it hot and fresh when it arrives at your table, or cold the following day, most people in America can't get enough of it.

However, suggest leftover pizza as a meal to some people, and they just look at you like you're not even trying. But it can be delicious, and surprising, if you use your imagination and are prepared to experiment. Here are eight ways to prepare leftover pizza that you may never have considered.

1. Chinese Pizza Rolls

You wouldn't think they'd go well together, but the Cooking Channel did a little experimentation and came up with this bizarre but beautiful pizza and Chinese food concoction. Start with leftover pizza slices, and leftover Chinese food. Sprinkle the Chinese food evenly over the pizza slice, top with your favorite grated cheese, and then roll it up and bake it for 10 minutes. Try it. Seriously!

2. Pizza Waffle Hot Pockets

If you have a waffle iron and a few slices of leftover pizza, you can combine them to make a hot, crispy, cheese-filled snack of awesomeness. Simply fold the slice of pizza (hopefully it's not deep dish; that won't work) and trim it to the size and shape of your waffler. Most are square, but you may have a round one, or a fancy heart-shaped machine. Then, seal it and wait for a few minutes. You'll have a snack that's a bit like a calzone, but way more crispy and easy to handle.

3. Quick and Easy Quiche

Some people may look at pizza and eggs as a bizarre combination, but in many countries (including my home of England), it's customary to crack an egg on a pizza a few minutes before it's finished cooking. So, to take this idea one step further, why not cover the whole pizza in eggs? A pizza quiche is much like a regular quiche, only way more flavorful (especially if your pizza was covered in awesome toppings like Italian sausage, pepperoni, bacon, sundried tomatoes, and other groovy ingredients). Check out this terrific recipe for "quizza" — just tweak it to suit your tastes.

4. Scrambled Eggs a la Pizza

Another take on pizza and eggs, but this one is much easier to prepare (and yet, still just as tasty). First, you need to prepare your pizza. Cut off the crusts, and dice the pizza slices into very small pieces. Roughly dime-sized. Next, whip up your eggs in the usual way, adding salt, pepper, and other seasonings. When you add them to the hot pan (always add a little butter) wait for the eggs to turn from a runny consistency into something more like pudding, then quickly fold in the pizza pieces. Serve as is, or with a little hot sauce for added zest.

5. The Best Salad Croutons — Ever

You know what makes a salad tastier? PIZZA! You can choose how you want to prepare the pizza croutons, but whatever you do, you're adding pizza to salad, and that means all kinds of tasty is coming. The easiest way is to simply cut off the pizza crust, slice it into crouton-sized pieces, and sprinkle liberally over greens. If you prefer, go the hot crouton route: Slice and dice as usual, then place on a baking tray and pop them in the oven until they reach the desired crispy level. You can even flavor the croutons before you reheat them, adding barbeque sauce, buffalo sauce, or other flavors. And remember, ranch goes well with both pizza and salad. You can also use the same croutons in a hearty soup.

6. Pizza Lasagna

Both pizza and lasagna are Italian dishes, and so both share similar flavors and textures. You can already make a twist on traditional lasagna by adding a little pepperoni or sausage to your recipe, and exchanging regular tomato sauce for pizza sauce. However, if you have a bunch of leftover pizza, be it plain cheese, or something more adventurous, layer it into the lasagna. It's quick, it's tasty, and it may just surprise you and your friends and family.

7. Pizza Dipping Strips

This pizza dipping strip idea comes from Yelper Brent R., and I've used it several times. It's easy, it's fast, and it's delicious. Slice the pizza into thin strips and put them into a hot iron skillet that has been sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil. Crisp it up on both sides, then remove it and sprinkle on some sea salt, a dash of balsamic vinaigrette, and some Pecorino Romano cheese shavings (or Parmesan if you prefer). Served on top of a bed of arugula, or another simple salad, it's even tastier than the pizza it started life as.

8. Create an EPIC Sandwich

Bread. It's good for sandwiches. But when you want to pull out all the stops and have a sandwich that Chuck Norris would have trouble finishing, you swap out the bread for slices of pizza. Check out this triple-decker, diet-buster of a sandwich that is layered as follows:

• 1 slice of leftover pizza (hot or cold)
• 3 slices of spicy Italian sausage, pan-fried
• 1 slice of leftover pizza (hot or cold)
• 1 hot and juicy burger
• 1 slice of American cheese
• 1 slice of leftover pizza (hot or cold)

The trickiest part is finding a way to open your mouth wide enough to eat it. And as for calorie count, this monster is not for the squeamish.

And finally…

9. Make a Pizza Shake!

Simply take a slice of leftover pizza, and throw it in a blender with milk and ice cream, and a dollop of… actually, no. Just kidding. Don't try this at home. (But if you do, please report back!)

But if you have any more leftover pizza ideas you love, let us know. Are we missing something delicious or mind-blowing?

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