Don't Throw Away Leftover Pizza Crust – Use It For Breadcrumbs Instead

There's a good portion of the pizza-eating community (i.e., everyone) that doesn't like the crust. Instead of throwing it out, you can actually recycle it into something new and tasty: breadcrumbs!

Homemade breadcrumbs are the second life for stale bread, and pizza crust can work just as well. Place your leftover crusts into a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. If you see the crusts turning brown before this, it's better to take it out early. All you want is a nice golden-brown color and firmer texture, so don't risk burning them by keeping them in too long.

Conventional wisdom shows that the best place in the oven for a crispy crust is as close to the heating element as possible. Once they are out, let them cool and then place them into a food processor. If you don't have one, you'd be surprised just how much you can do with a grater. From here, you just pulse until it reaches your desired size. Cutting the crusts into smaller chunks will make the whole process a lot faster and more even. 

There's no need to add anything extra into the food processor, as seasoning can come later. In fact, it's actually better to only include the pizza crusts since anything more can increase the amount of moisture, which will throw off the texture.

When seasoning your crust breadcrumbs, you can lean into their original flavor. Add some grated parmesan and Italian seasoning or oregano, and it will taste like you've sprinkled pizza itself onto your meals. If you want to create a whole new entity, then paprika, garlic powder, and salt are the perfect mix. Frankly, any way you season your crumbs will work in most dishes, so get creative and make your perfect mix.

Now the big question: What to do with them? These crumbs will amp up soups and mac and cheese, and they can also be used to coat homemade chicken tenders or fried fish. They add a delicate extra crunch to salads, and you may already have experience with pizza croutons, so you know that pizza and salad aren't as diametrically opposed as they sound. Homemade casseroles will benefit from a generous coating as well. You can also incorporate them into meatball recipes instead of regular crumbs. This swap will add more complexity to the meatballs, plus you'll be combining two classic Italian dishes.

You can store your pizza crust crumbs in an airtight container for a few weeks in your pantry. Take advice from Italian nonnas, and keep a bay leaf in the container, as folk wisdom says that will keep the bread from going stale. They also stay well in the refrigerator for up to a month, though do be aware that more moisture may enter this way. Unlike regular pizza, it's not a good idea to freeze breadcrumbs as they'll just become soggy and lose their flavor, unless you can ensure that all the air has been squeezed out in a resealable plastic bag.