How To Turn Leftover Pizza Crust Into An Ingredient A Lot Of Dishes Call For

There are two types of people in the world: those who eat their pizza crusts and those who don't. I fall into the first camp and am used to being offered people's barren crusts. I decline because it's too much bread at a time, but I feel guilty when the excess crusts slide into the trash. Not anymore, though, because leftover pizza crust can be transformed into an important pantry staple, with nary a crumb going to waste: breadcrumbs.

To make homemade breadcrumbs from pizza crust, you need to cut away any leftover sauce or baked-on cheese so you're left with just the crust. Then cut it into chunks and throw those in a food processor or blender. The amount of pulses you do depends on how big and thick you want your breadcrumbs to be — longer grind time means finer breadcrumbs. Toss them in some olive oil and any seasonings you want (optional) before spreading them out on a sheet pan and baking at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for around 15 to 20 minutes to dry out. Remember to mix them halfway through so they toast evenly.

While these pizza crust breadcrumbs won't be successful in recipes that specifically call for panko breadcrumbs (yes, there's a difference), you can use them however you'd normally use breadcrumbs, like in meatballs or on top of salads. If you don't have a need for breadcrumbs but do for croutons, prepare them the same way, just don't pulverize them and tack on a few more minutes to their baking time.

If you don't have a use for breadcrumbs, people across the internet have come up with countless crust concoctions you can try, like making more pizza, just in a different form. For instance, combine cut-up crusts with eggs, cheese, seasonings, and, if desired, any pizza toppings like pepperoni. Scoop the mixture into lined muffin tins and bake. You can also make breadsticks or garlic parmesan bites by tossing the crusts in garlic butter and parmesan before baking (wet the crusts beforehand to refresh them so they're not crunchy). Dipping sauces for pizza muffins and garlic parmesan bread are required, like this copycat Papa Johns garlic sauce you can make at home, ranch, or pizza sauce. 

Panzanella salad, or bread salad, is another option. Toss oven-toasted crusts with tomatoes and a delicate vinaigrette. If you want to double down on emanating pizza, try a meat lovers' panzanella, the pizza disguised as a salad. Going in another direction, Redditors love using the crusts to make egg dishes. Pizza eggs are like matzo brei, just with pizza crust instead of matzo. Wet the crusts, toast them in butter, and scramble eggs on top of them. You can use salt and pepper to keep it classic or add sugar to make it sweet. Pizza dough is a neutral dough, made savory only but the flavors that surround it, so think outside the box. TikTok users even make French toast sticks with leftover crusts. The possibilities for recycling pizza crust are endless.