I’ve always loved croutons: they’re an easy way to add salt, fat, and carbs to anything remotely healthy… like rich, creamy soups and overdressed salads and that weird, gray casserole my Grandma still force-feeds me whenever I visit. But instead of crusty old bread with a bit of parsley and Parm, I make my croutons out of what should be the obvious ingredient: pizza.

Rather than, you know, microwaving and eating leftover slices, you can smash those day-old pies together, slice and dice them, and fry up the little squares.

Ingredients

• 6 slices leftover pizza
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Stack two cooked pizza slices on top of each other with toppings facing each other.
2. Using a pizza wheel or knife, cut 1-inch-wide strips, following the straight edges of the slices. Cut the strips crosswise into 1-inch squares.
3. In a large nonstick pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pizza squares, and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 3 minutes.
4. Flip and cook just until the crust is crispy, about 2 minutes more.
5. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
6. Serve warm in soup, salad.