I don’t know about you, but I love stromboli.
Whether it’s homemade stromboli or Italian stromboli purchased from a pizza shop, you just can’t go wrong.
Nothing can compare to that golden brown crispy crust filled with mozzarella cheese or ricotta cheese, and all of the meats that your heart desires.
Problem is, my eyes are bigger than my stomach.
I usually only end up eating about a third of my strombolis that I get before I succumb to my fullness and try to eat it all on another day as a delicious treat.
But the issue is, it’s almost never as good heated up. Especially if you’re using a microwave, it can be really hard to achieve that perfect crispiness with your stromboli leftovers when heated up the next day.
Lucky for you, there’s this phenomenon known as the air fryer that will solve all of your problems when it comes to leftover stromboli.
What is an air fryer?
Working kind of like a convection oven, an air fryer blasts hot air at your food from all angles.
You start by placing your food in the air fryer basket, making sure to never crowd anything.
Then, you turn on your air fryer, and wait for your food to be done cooking.
That’s literally it. That’s all you need to do.
There’s nothing like hot oil, cooking spray, aluminum foil, or anything else that a traditional deep fryer may need to get your food nice and crispy.
All you need is a regular old air fryer and something delicious that needs cooking.
If you want to make some practice, here are some of our best air fryer recipes:
- Garlic Parmesan Air Fryer Pizza Rolls: From TikTok
- Air Fryer Calamari
- Air Fryer Sausage Recipe
- Air Fryer Frozen Wings
What’s the difference between stromboli and calzone?
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
A calzone is typically made from a circular piece of dough that’s folded in half and sealed by crimping. No hole is cut in the top to allow steam through, and before baking, it’s brushed with egg wash and cheese to make it turn golden brown.
Though a stromboli is extremely similar, there are some differences here too.
For one, it’s made over a rectangular piece of dough and rolled up lengthwise like a cylinder. Slits get cut in the top to allow it to breathe, and typically, a stromboli contains way more toppings.
Calzones also don’t get baked with pizza sauce or marinara sauce, where stromboli does. Instead, you might find sauce on the side of a calzone in a little container, strictly for dipping.
Despite these differences, both are just as good, and can actually be reheated in the exact same way using these methods.
How to reheat stromboli in the air fryer?
Though it might seem quite simple, there are a few things you need to know before reheating stromboli in the air fryer.
First, to get the full effect, you’re going to want to make sure your entire stromboli is cut up into little pieces, in order to get fully heated all the way through.
This will prevent you from overloading the air fryer basket, which is another thing you want to be mindful of.
If you overcrowd the air fryer basket, your stromboli won’t heat up evenly, resulting in cold, underheated, or even burnt sections of your food.
So if your stromboli is largely still in one piece, in order to get the best results, cut it into two-inch slices. It’ll heat up quicker and prevent the crust from burning. This will also save you the dirty work of cutting the stromboli while it’s still hot!
The next step is totally optional but one that I always like to incorporate: the cheese.
Personally, I like to sprinkle some mozzarella or grated Romano cheese on top of my stromboli before putting it in the air fryer.
It’ll melt into the golden crust very nicely, and add a whole new layer of flavor to your dish that you weren’t expecting. It’s a great way to elevate any dish that’s being reheated.
Next is all about the air fryer setting. You might be inclined to use the pizza setting, but don’t! The air fryer will work its magic as the convection oven it is by keeping it set to the normal “air fry” setting.
When heating your stromboli, make sure that the air fryer oven is set to 400° Fahrenheit.
This is the “sweet spot” temperature for getting the nice, crispy, fresh-from-the-oven sensation that you’re looking for.
Preheat your air fryer, and let fry for 7-10 minutes, checking frequently to make sure your food isn’t burning.
You’ll know your stromboli is finished when the crust is crispy and golden brown, bubbling, and you can see the cheese start to bubble up.
Let sit for up to 5 minutes, and enjoy!
Other ways to reheat stromboli:
Though the air fryer is our preferred method of reheating stromboli, there are many other ways that you can reheat this classic Italian American dish. Check out some of our different methods.
Method #1: The oven
That’s right, this will be just as good when heated in your normal, regular oven.
Preheat it to 425 degrees F, and loosely cover the pieces of stromboli with aluminum foil. Place Stromboli directly on the oven rack. Bake for 10-12 minutes, checking frequently.
If you’re using this method, it’s a good idea to keep the two-inch slices of stromboli as well, in order to thoroughly heat each piece.
You can also put each piece of Stromboli on a baking sheet and leave uncovered; if you use this method, just increase the cooking time by five or so minutes.
Method #2: The toaster oven
Before the wonderful world of air fryers, we had toaster ovens.
This is how I grew up reheating stromboli, and to be honest, it’s the same idea as the air fryer. It’s probably the best method to use if you don’t have an air fryer directly on hand.
Prepare these as you would with the oven method, by covering 2-inch slices with tinfoil, and bake at 400° for about 10 minutes, checking frequently.
Method #3: The microwave oven
Disclaimer: this is my least favorite way out of all the different ways to reheat stromboli and will not get you the fresh-out-of-the-oven crispiness that you want.
In fact, I never recommend using the microwave to heat up anything with a doughy base; including bread, pizza, or calzones.
But, I also understand that sometimes you’re in a pinch for time and need to get food on the table, and get it fast.
If you need to use your microwave to reheat stromboli, here’s how you should be using it.
Put your stromboli in a microwave-safe dish, covered loosely with a damp cloth. Alongside the dish, place a half-full glass of water in the microwave. This will work to keep the integrity of the crispy crust. Heat for a minute and a half to two minutes.
Again, this certainly isn’t the best option, but it’ll work if you need food on the table quickly.
Method #4: The skillet
This isn’t definitely the fanciest way on this list, but it’s fun and different all at the same.
Heat some butter up in a frying pan or skillet on medium heat, hit with a splash of water, and cover with a lid for a few minutes. Once you can see the cheese begin to melt, lightly sear the top of the crust on each side until crispy golden brown.
If you try out this method, leave a comment on the blog post below to let me know!
How to reheat calzone or pizza in the air fryer?
I’m sure this answer doesn’t come at much of a surprise to you, but the best way to reheat either a calzone or pizza in the air fryer is by using the same exact method as listed above.
Just cut your food into 2-inch thick slices, and place in the air fryer basket, being careful to not overcrowd your area.
You don’t even need to spritz them with olive oil or anything like that.
This method is foolproof and will work every time.
Again, I encourage you to use the traditional “air fryer” setting, rather than the pizza setting. Much like the “popcorn” sensor on the microwave, the air fryer won’t work the way you want it to when set to pizza.
To ensure the best results, always preheat it to 400° F on the air fryer setting.
How to store stromboli?
Room temperature: Keep this on the counter inside of a closed pizza box or covered with foil for about two hours. I’ve seen some websites say that this is good left out for about two days, and I couldn’t disagree more. Especially if this is filled with cheese, this needs to be refrigerated after two hours maximum.
Refrigerator: You can keep your stromboli in a container, ziploc baggie, or plastic wrap in the fridge for up to one week.
Freezer: Would you believe me if I told you that stromboli would be good for up to six months in the freezer? That’s right, this is perfect for storing if you want to wait to finish up your meal. For best results, I recommend using it within 3 months, but it can last anywhere up to 180 days past cooked when frozen. Store your frozen stromboli in an airtight container or freezer bag.
What to serve with stromboli:
Appetizer: Commit to the cheesy golden brown goodness and the use of your air fryer, and make some big fat homemade mozzarella sticks with your stromboli. Trust me, you’ll be thanking us later.
Side dish: It’s only appropriate to have SOME vegetables with this, right? Make a nice arugula salad! Toss some arugula with chopped celery, onions, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, basil, salt, and pepper, to make a simple but delicious salad.
Drink: A nice pale ale would be delicious with this. I recommend UFO White, or Sam Adams Cold Snap.
