How to Reheat Lou Malnati’s Pizza

This Chicago-style pizzeria has become a household name in America. On the menu, Lou Malnati has everything from Cheese Deep dishes to the Chicago Classic and the Lou. Gluten-free pizzas, thin-crust pizzas, and numerous sides and dishes are all available.

This large variety is part of what has made Lou Malnati’s pizzas one of the most popular in America. However, it is possible to buy excess pizza without being able to finish it. But what do you do if you don’t want all that pizza to go to waste?

You can reheat Lou Malnati’s pizza. There are a few ways to do this, including baking and cooking. Let’s get into how to reheat the popular pizza styles from Lou Malnati without losing the taste or texture.

Table of Contents

How to store Lou Malnati’s pizza properly

If you want to reheat the pizza, it is important to store it properly. Here are the steps to store leftover pizza:

Separate it into individual slices and wrap each one in plastic wrap.

Bring the wrap around twice to make sure it’s extra secure.
Add a layer of aluminum foil, pressing down lightly to prevent gapping.
Stack the slices on top of each other in the freezer.
Don’t stack other food items either on top of or beneath them, as this may cause taste transfer.

You can also keep the Lou Malnati leftovers in the fridge for a few hours if you plan to eat them soon.

How to reheat Lou Malnati’s pizza

It is possible to make leftover pizza taste nearly as perfect as it tasted on the first day. There are three different ways to do this, including an oven, a toaster oven, a microwave, and a stovetop. Let’s start with the oven.

Using an oven

This is arguably the best way to reheat pizza. However, it takes a little longer to cook than the other methods. Also, the oven is best for many slices, rather than if you have to reheat just one.

Follow these steps to reheat Lou Malnati’s pizza in the oven:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Place the pizza on a piece of foil and put it directly on the rack for even heating on the top and bottom.
Add the pizza to the hot pan.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until warmed through and the cheese is melted.
If you’d like your pizza crispier, bake for longer.

Using a toaster oven

The toaster oven is the second-best method of reheating Lou Malnati’s pizza. As long as you resist the urge to blast on high heat, you’ll be good to go with the toaster oven. Here are the steps:

Start by adding the leftover pizza slices to a pan in a single layer.
For a crisped crust, place the pizza directly on a pan.
Next, adjust the toaster oven rack placement to the middle or lower position.
If you’re using the Air-Fry function, refer to your manual for the recommended rack placement.
Select your preferred function and set the temperature to 325°F with the convection fan on (if your oven has one).
Pop the pan in the toaster oven, and press Start.
Heat until the cheese and toppings are warmed and the crust is crisped in about 5 to 8 minutes.

Using a stovetop

This is a great method, especially if you have only a few slices and you don’t want to use an oven. Here are the steps:

Heat the skillet over medium heat.
Add the pizza slices and cook for a couple of minutes, uncovered.
On the side of the pan (not on the pizza), add a few drops of water.
Immediately cover the pan with a lid and cook the pizza for a few more minutes
Wait until the cheese is melted and the pizza is heated through.

Using a microwave

This can be a very quick way to reheat leftover Lou Maldini’s pizza, which often leaves the pizza soggy. While it is best to never use the microwave, it could be your only choice. So here are the steps to reheating your slices with a microwave:

Put the pizza slice on a plate in the microwave.
Next to it, place a microwave-safe mug or cup of water.
This will absorb some of the microwaves, allowing the pizza to heat up slightly more evenly so the cheese re-melts before the crust loses all of its moisture.
Heat on high for 30 to 45 seconds, and keep a watchful eye on it to check on the progress.

With the microwave, you still won’t achieve the crispness that comes with the oven. However, you’ll end up with not-so-soggy pizza.

How to reheat Lou Malnati’s Chicago-style deep dish pizzas

Similar to the normal pizzas, you can use an oven, skillet, or air fryer to reheat the deep dish pizza.

Using the oven

If you have a lot of pizza leftover, an oven would be your best bet.

Turn on the oven and preheat it to 350-450° Fahrenheit.
Your deep dish pizza will get burned if you fail to preheat the oven.
Take out a cooking sheet and wrap it with a layer of aluminum foil. If you have cooking water, spray some on the wrapped sheet.
Place the deep dish pizza slices on the cooking/baking sheet, spare some space between them.
Spray some water on them to prevent them from drying out.
Make sure the slices are not too moist. Otherwise, they might become quite sloppy.
Cover the sheet again with a layer of aluminum foil and put it in the oven.
This layer will protect the slices from being burned and from moisture loss.
Wait for 10-15 minutes.
When you see that it is ready to eat, turn off the oven and take it out.

Using the skillet

This is best for when you have just a few slices, so you can reheat one slice at a time. Here are the steps:

Take your deep dish pizza out of the fridge or freezer to thaw it.
Cut your deep-dish leftover pizza into equal slices if you haven’t.
Choose a suitable skillet to reheat deep dish pizza
.You should choose the one that best fits the slices. Whenever possible, use a nonstick skillet.
Set the stove at medium-high temperature, and add some olive oil.
Do not pour too much oil or your deep dish pizza will come out greasy and non-crispy.
Place the slices In the skillet and cover the pan.
After 1-2 minutes, arrange the slices in the skillet.
It is best to place them along the wall of the pan.
You may want to add some water around the slices to add moisture to them
Next, turn the stove to medium heat and put the lid on the pan.
Covering the slices prevents them from losing moisture and keeps the cheese, meat, and other toppings warm.
Keep an eye on your deep dish pizza for 4-5 minutes until it is ready to serve.

Using an air fryer or sandwich maker

These are very helpful devices for reheating deep-dish pizza, but they will require a little extra effort. Here are the steps:

Preheat the air fryer or the sandwich maker to 300-350° Fahrenheit for roughly 10 minutes.
Put the slices in the air fryer basket or the sandwich maker plates. And turn it to medium heat.
Set the timer to 3 minutes.
If they are not crispy after 3 minutes, fry them for another 2-3 minutes.
Next, turn off the air fryer or sandwich maker and take them out.
Let it cool at room temperature for 10 minutes and enjoy.

How to keep Lou Malnati’s pizza warm for parties

Keeping pizza warm for all your guests to arrive can be a task if you don’t know what to do. It’s one thing to reheat the pizza, but keeping it warm is a different case. You can use aluminum foil, a skillet, a pizza stone, and other methods to keep Lou Malnati’s pizzas warm.

How to use aluminum foil

This is a great way to keep pizza heated. Aluminum foil has an insulating effect, which means that the pizza can keep the same temperature for a long time. Here are the steps:

Wrap as much as you want to serve in aluminum foil.
Don’t pile them all up on each other, or else the cheese will make them stick together.
Turn the oven to 400°F as the recommended temperature.
Too high and you may burn or overcook the pizzas. You can set the temperature lower but it will take longer.
Place the pizza slices into the oven.
Remember to put some distance between them for the steam to pass.
You can place them right on the grates or use a baking sheet instead.
Wait for the pizzas to be baked.
It takes about 8-12 minutes.
When the cheese starts to bubble, it’s the sign to take out your pizza slices.
After removing them from the oven, just let them stay in the aluminum foil.
Since aluminum foil can insulate the heat, it can keep the pizza slices warm for up to three hours.

This method is great for deep dish pizzas like Lou Malnati’s because it won’t easily dry the pizzas out.

How to keep pizza warm with the oven

The oven is a great place to keep your pizza warm. It has a hot environment, and it doesn’t have to be too hot so it doesn’t keep cooking the pizza. Here are the steps:

Preheat the oven.
Even when preheating, you should not set the temperature too high. Keep it around 170-200 degrees F.
It’d be better if you preheat in advance while waiting for your pizzas to be delivered if you don’t have them already.
Slide the pizza, without the box, onto the middle rack of the oven.
Be careful not to drop any toppings or cheese.
Let the pizza sit inside until the cheese melt or the party starts.
Do not turn your oven higher than 200 degrees F.
If you worry about the spilled toppings, set a baking tray beneath the pizza to catch them.

Using a pizza stone

This brilliant tool keeps your pizza warm without getting it too soggy or too crispy. If you have one at home, it would certainly help to keep your pizza warm. Here are the steps:

Place the pizza stone inside the oven and turn the temperature up to 200°F.
Keep it going for about half an hour until it’s hot enough for the heat to spread to the entire pizza.
Put your pizzas on top of the pizza stone, mostly one or two each time.
Then, turn off the heat and it’s all done.
You can let them sit still inside the oven or pull them out.

The pizza stone has holes all over its surface which circulate the heat and can keep your pizza warm and fresh.

You can combine aluminum foil and the pizza stone to keep the pizza warm and fresh for a long period.

Using a skillet to keep pizza warm

If you need to keep a few slices warm, a skillet is your best bet. You can also use a non-stick frying pan.

Here are the steps:

Place the skillet, best with a stainless steel pan, on the stove at high temperature for roughly two minutes.
Pour some water to check whether it’s hot enough. If the water sizzles and evaporates, it’s the right temperature.
Put your pizza on the pan and let it sit for nearly two minutes. This will make the crust crispy without scorching it.
Turn down the temperature to the lowest and put a lid on the pan.
Wait for the cheese to melt and the sauce to turn warm.

You can pour a few drops of water into the pan as well. But make sure it won’t touch the pizza, or else all you get is a soggy pizza.

Using a microwave to warm pizza

Only use this method if your microwave is big enough for the pizza. Compared to the other options, this is the least ideal method. However, if your choices are limited, you can use a microwave.

Here are the steps:

Find a ceramic, or microwave-safe, bowl and pour water until 2/3 of it is filled.
Place the bowl inside the microwave.
Set the pizza slices on a microwave-proof plate with some distance between them, then put the plate in the bowl.
Set the power of the microwave to only half the normal.
The microwave process may take about one minute, but you should set an interval in-between to control the process better.

The water bowl keeps the pizza from getting mushy and chewy. If you want to have your pizza warm up fast, then this can be a good choice.

In conclusion

There are many ways to reheat Lou Malnati’s pizza. Whether you’re getting thinner crusts or deep dishes, you have quite a few routes to try. You can also keep the pizza warm for hours in case you have a party.

Enjoy your pizza!