Whether homemade using your favorite pizza dough recipe or from the local Italian restaurant, stromboli pizza is delicious and for good reason. Crisp and golden on the outside and ooey-gooey with melted mozzarella cheese on the inside, it's a great way to enjoy pizza night.
While leftover stromboli can be eaten cold (you might like it this way if you love cold pizza), it is tastier when warmed up. The method you choose to bring back the perfect crispiness to your stromboli is important.
The best way to reheat next day, leftover stromboli for an easy lunch is in the air fryer. Using the air fryer is beneficial because it's quick, does not use a lot of energy like a conventional oven, cleans up easily and the best part is that the stromboli keeps its crispy crust and is as delicious as the day you made it.
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What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a small countertop appliance or miniature oven that works as a convection oven by circulating hot air in a small area.
The air fryer has a heating element or coil, as seen on an electric stove. This heating element generally operates at medium heat to high heat and cooks and reheats food until the perfect amount of crispiness is achieved, all in a short amount of time.
The best thing about the air fryer is that it heats up very quickly compared to a regular oven, and the good news is that it is more energy efficient.
Air Fryer Reheating Instructions
The air fryer is my go-to method to reheating stromboli and bringing it back to life.
- Slice the leftover stromboli into 1-inch thick pieces for best results when reheating. Do not place the entire stromboli in the air fryer because this will prolong the reheating time and dry it out.
- Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil or avocado oil. Or, for an easier clean-up, line the bottom of the air fryer basket with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Select the 'reheat mode' on your air fryer and heat it to 280 degrees Fahrenheit, and select 8 minutes as your total reheating time (though it may take up to 10 minutes to reheat).
- When the air fryer is ready, carefully place the stromboli slices on the bottom of the air fryer basket. Ensure you leave enough space between each slice's surfaces so that they all heat up evenly.
- At the 8-minute mark, open the air fryer and check that the stromboli is not drying out or burning. Adjust the cooking time at this point and add another minute or two if necessary.
- And that's it! The delicious stromboli is ready to eat when it has a golden crust, and the cheese is melty and oozing out.
- Serve with your favorite marinara sauce or pizza sauce.
Toaster Oven Reheating Instructions
If you don't have an air fryer, the toaster oven would be the next best method. Its small cooking area is similar to an air fryer and it is a quick and efficient appliance.
- Bake the sliced Stromboli (1-inch pieces), at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 10 minutes, until crispy and the cheese has started to melt.
Conventional Oven Reheating Instructions
A conventional oven is likely available to most and is also a great way to reheat stromboli. While it does a nice job at reheating, there are better options.
The disadvantage of the oven method is the time it takes to preheat the oven and the oven heats up ambient air. This might not be a great idea if you don't have air conditioning and it is summer where you are!
- Bake the sliced stromboli (1-inch pieces) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the middle of the oven for up to 10 minutes, until crispy and the cheese has started to melt.
Skillet Reheating Instructions
Choose a non-stick skillet to reheat stromboli instead of a stainless steel pan. Adding oil to the non-stick pan won't be necessary because the fat from the cheese and meat will contribute to frying the stromboli until it is golden brown.
- Fry the sliced stromboli (1-inch pieces), in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, flipping the slices every couple of minutes until crispy and the cheese has started to melt.
Microwave Reheating Instructions
In a pinch choosing the microwave method to reheat stromboli is an easy way to turn cold stromboli into a delicious meal. Though it will not have a crispy texture as the other reheating methods, it will still be tasty, and its surface will be soft and squishy.
- Place the stromboli slices (1-inch pieces) onto a plate and cover it with plastic wrap, leaving a gap between the plastic wrap and the edge of the plate for the steam to escape.
- Reheat at high power, at 30-second intervals until the cheese has melted and it is hot to the touch.
Secrets for Success
- Slice the stromboli into 1-inch slices before reheating.
Conclusion
Reheating stromboli in the air fryer is the best and easiest way to enjoy leftovers that won't taste like leftovers.
Your stromboli will be as crisp and tasty as the day you made it.
Next time you find yourself with leftovers, don't hesitate to reach for the compact but mighty air fryer.
FAQs
The best way to reheat stromboli is in the air fryer because it's quick, does not use a lot of energy, cleans up easily and it keeps the stromboli crispy.
Yes, always refrigerate leftover stromboli. Food spoils quickly and harmful bacteria can flourish at room temperature.
Use your hands! When cut into even slices it makes a great finger food and party appetizer. I recommend you have a marinara or pizza sauce on hand when serving because it's delicious dipped in a tomato based sauce.
A calzone, originated in Naples, is a folded pizza that looks like a half-moon or turnover. It is made by folding the pizza dough and filling it with ingredients such as ricotta cheese and cold cuts. Calzones are usually smaller, and each calzone is an individual portion.
On the other hand, stromboli, an Italian-American creation, is rolled up like a burrito, typically stuffed with drier cheeses like mozzarella and includes Italian meats as well. Strombolis are larger and are cut into slices, making them a shareable finger food.
📝 Recipe Card
How to Reheat Stromboli in the Air Fryer (easy)
Equipment
- 6 quart air fryer, I love my Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart air fryer (with clear cook cooking window)
- parchment paper, or aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 stromboli, leftover
- olive or avocado oil, to spray air fryer basket
Instructions
- Slice the leftover stromboli into 1-inch thick pieces for best results when reheating. Do not place the entire stromboli in the air fryer because this will prolong the reheating time and dry it out.1 stromboli
- Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil or avocado oil. Or, for an easier clean-up, line the bottom of the air fryer basket with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Select the 'reheat mode' on your air fryer and heat it to 280 degrees Fahrenheit, and select 8 minutes as your total reheating time (though it may take up to 10 minutes to reheat).
- When the air fryer is ready, carefully place the stromboli slices on the bottom of the air fryer basket. Ensure you leave enough space between each slice's surfaces so that they all heat up evenly.
- At the 8-minute mark, open the air fryer and check that the stromboli is not drying out or burning. Adjust the cooking time at this point and add another minute or two if necessary.
- And that's it! The delicious stromboli is ready to eat when it has a golden crust, and the cheese is melty and oozing out.
- Serve with your favorite marinara sauce or pizza sauce.
Michael says
Just as good the day after !
Donna Poirier says
Yes, the air fryer is great for reheating leftovers.