Why You Need A Little Leftover Pizza For The Best Salads

Pizza is one of those dishes where pretty much anything goes. The mix of toppings is endless, ranging from the familiar tomato-based cheesy varieties to dessert pizzas made with chocolate, marshmallows, strawberries, caramel, cookies and cream, and more. Even leftover pizza can be repurposed — from making pizza fries to a kick-butt grilled cheese sandwich.

And then there are pizza croutons. These babies can take a salad from simple to sensational, adding a different flavor and texture profile to your bowl of healthy greens. Simply take your leftover pizza, remove the crusts, then cut the remaining pizza portions into 1-inch pieces. Toss them in a bit of olive oil –- not too much or they'll turn out a bit oily – then bake them in an oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about five to 10 minutes, depending on how crisp and crunchy you like your croutons. For chewy bites, leave them in for a shorter amount of time, and for crunchier ones, leave them in the oven a bit longer.

Croutons go well with most salads, though the usual suspects are your Caesar salad, Italian salad, a simple green salad, or a Panzanella salad (also called a crouton salad). Simply replace the bread-based croutons with your pizza-based ones.

Any type of leftover pizza can make great croutons, but be aware of your pizza flavors when pairing them with your salad. If you have a seafood pizza with your Caesar salad, for example, be prepared to have that oceany flavor pulling through. The same thing with a meaty pizza like salami or chorizo. You also don't want to have too many flavors vying for your tastebuds' attention in one dish, so if your salad is quite a fancy one, say with pomegranates, fried shoestring onions, prosciutto, cranberry jelly, and feta, it's best to use plain pizza croutons like those you'd make from a margarita or Neapolitan.

Also, consider your salad dressings. Balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze is quite a potent dressing, so plain margarita pizza croutons will pair well here. But if you have a simple Greek salad dressing, a pizza topped with olives, feta, artichokes, red pepper, and basil will make a great pairing. The thing to keep in mind is what flavors generally work well together — either flavors that are similar, like your seafood pizza croutons with a shrimp salad; or different flavors that are complementary, like spicy Mexican pizza croutons atop a Mexican salad containing chipotle, black beans, corn, peppers, jalapeños, avocado and cherry tomatoes.