Reheating Pizza Hut Pan Pizza: Oven Style

Reheating pizza is a delicate art, and getting it wrong can result in a dry, chewy slice of pizza. However, there are several ways to reheat Pizza Hut pan pizza in the oven and achieve that hot, crispy slice you're craving.

Preheat the oven to 375°F

Preheating your oven to 375°F is the first step to achieving a hot and crispy slice of Pizza Hut pan pizza. This step is crucial as it ensures your pizza will heat up quickly and evenly once it's in the oven. No one wants their pizza to get slowly warmer and warmer, so make sure your oven is piping hot before you put your pizza in.

While your oven is preheating, you can prepare your pizza. If you're reheating multiple slices, arrange them on a large piece of foil, or a baking sheet. If you're using foil, you'll place this directly on the oven rack once your pizza is inside. If you're using a baking sheet, put it in the oven while it's preheating so that it's hot when the pizza goes in.

If you're reheating a whole pizza, you can place it directly on the oven rack without a pan. This will help you achieve a crispy crust. Alternatively, you can place the pizza back into its pan and pop it in the oven that way.

Once your oven is preheated and your pizza is prepared, you're ready to move on to the next step of reheating your pizza.

Line a baking tray with foil

Lining a baking tray with foil is a handy trick to ensure easy cleanup and to make lifting your pizza out of the pan cleanly easier. Here is a step-by-step guide to lining a baking tray with foil:

Step 1: Prepare the foil

Start by tearing off a sheet of aluminium foil that is larger than your baking tray. The foil should be long enough to go up the sides of the tray and leave a good-sized overhang. This overhang will serve as handles, allowing you to easily lift the pizza out of the tray once it's cooked.

Step 2: Shape the foil

Turn the baking tray upside down and place it on a flat surface. Take the sheet of foil and smooth it over the outside of the tray, shiny side down. Gently press and mould the foil to contour it with the corners and edges of the tray. Be careful not to tear the foil, especially if your tray has sharp edges.

Step 3: Fit the foil into the tray

Once you have shaped the foil to fit the outside of the tray, carefully lift it off and turn the tray over. Now, gently press the foil into the inside of the tray, smoothing it into the corners and edges. Ensure that the foil is snugly fitted to the tray, with no creases or tears.

Step 4: Grease the foil (optional)

Depending on what you are cooking, you may want to grease the foil with a small amount of shortening, butter, or non-stick spray. This will help your pizza lift off the foil more easily once it's cooked.

Now that your baking tray is lined with foil, you can place your Pizza Hut pan pizza on it and reheat it in the oven!

Place pizza in the oven for 10 minutes

Now it's time to place your Pizza Hut pizza in the oven. Remember, you've already lined a baking tray with foil and placed it in the oven to heat up. You've preheated your oven to 375°F and you've carefully taken the hot tray out using an oven mitt.

Place your pizza on the hot tray and put the tray back into the oven. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on your pizza while it's in the oven—you don't want it to burn. The end result should be a hot, crispy slice of pizza.

If you're using a toaster oven, you won't need to keep your pizza in the oven for as long. Three to four minutes should be enough to reheat your pizza.

If you're reheating multiple slices, you might want to use a baking sheet instead of foil. Put the baking sheet in the oven while it's preheating and place the pizza slices directly on the hot pan. You can also place an oven-safe cooling rack over the sheet pan to lift the pizza off the pan's surface.

Add a mug of water to the microwave

When it comes to reheating pizza, the microwave might not be the ideal option, but sometimes it's the only one available to you. If you're going to use the microwave, it's important to know how to do it right to avoid a soggy, chewy crust. The secret weapon? A mug of water.

Here's how to reheat your Pizza Hut Pan Pizza in the microwave and avoid a less-than-ideal slice:

Place your slice of pizza on a microwave-safe plate. This is an important first step to ensure your pizza doesn't stick to or melt onto the plate.

Now, fill a mug with tap water. It's best to use a microwave-safe mug, such as one made of Corelle or Pyrex. Avoid using stoneware, as it can get extremely hot. Place this mug of water right next to the plate in the microwave.

The magic of the water is that it acts as a "microwave sink" or a "dummy load." This means that it absorbs some of the microwaves, moderating the reaction and allowing the water and oils in your pizza to heat at a more uniform rate. This way, you avoid the issue of the cheese remaining solid while the crust becomes tough and chewy.

With your pizza and mug of water in place, it's time to heat. Heat your pizza in 30-second to 45-second intervals on high power. Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't overcook. The goal is to heat it until it's nice and hot, with the cheese melted and the crust still crispy.

Once your pizza is heated to your liking, carefully remove the plate and mug from the microwave. Remember, the mug will be hot, so handle it with care. Allow your pizza to cool slightly before digging in—this will ensure you don't burn your mouth and give the cheese a chance to reach the perfect level of meltiness.

And that's it! By following these steps and including a mug of water, you can transform your microwave into a pizza-reheating machine, ensuring a slice that's hot, tasty, and with a crust that's crispy, not soggy.

Use an air fryer instead

Using an air fryer to reheat your Pizza Hut pan pizza is a great alternative to using an oven. It's quicker, easier, and will still give you a hot, crispy slice. Plus, you won't have to worry about your pizza drying out or becoming soggy.

Here's how to do it:

Preheat Your Air Fryer

First, preheat your air fryer to 350°F (160-180°C). Preheating is important as it ensures your pizza will heat evenly and quickly.

Arrange Your Pizza Slices

Place your pizza slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure they don't overlap. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to heat the slices in batches. You can use a basket-style air fryer or an oven-style air fryer, depending on what you have.

For oven-style air fryers, you can place multiple slices on a baking sheet, but make sure there's space between them for air circulation.

Optional Step

If you want to avoid any mess from melting cheese, you can place a piece of parchment paper, aluminium foil, or a silicone liner under the slices. This also makes for easier cleanup!

Air Fry

Close the basket and set the timer for 3-4 minutes. Check on your pizza after 3 minutes. If it needs more time, add an extra minute or two. For thin-crust pizza, 2-3 minutes should be enough, while thicker crusts may need up to 5-7 minutes.

Remove and Serve

Carefully take out your reheated pizza using tongs and enjoy!

Bonus Tips:

• If you're reheating thick-crust pizza, preheat your air fryer to a lower temperature (around 300°F/150°C) to ensure the middle gets hot without drying out the crust.
• For extra crispy slices, spray them with a little olive oil before cooking.
• Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket to ensure even cooking and crispiness.
• Don't stack the slices, and reheat in batches if needed.
• If your toppings are prone to burning, remove them before reheating and add them back in during the last 1-2 minutes.

Frequently asked questions