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Will I Die If I Eat This Pizza Left Out Overnight? The Most Important Question We Ask Ourselves

We all know that leftover pizza never actually happens. But hypothetically what if you fell asleep while binge-watching The Great British Bake Off only to wake up to your pizza box as a pillow? Is pizza responsible enough to be left out all night without supervision? What are the best and most graceful ways to store those last slices?

For those A+ students who were in student congress, the lead in the school musical, and played on the varsity racquetball team:

This method will require a bit of hindsight and some leg work but storing it in the fridge is your best bet when it comes to leftover pizza. Wrapping each slice with aluminum foil, wax, or parchment paper will keep the slices from dehydrating considerably. Make sure the stack is also tightly sealed with plastic wrap or another eco-friendly alternative. Stacking them on top of one another serves as a practical way to keep from overcrowding your fridge with a large cardboard box.

For those who want to make a valiant effort but…

Throw those bad boys into a resealable bag or Tupperware container before the fridge. It’s the same concept as the “stack-and-seal” but a little more laissez faire. Either way, you’re giving your pizza a good home which is what really matters.

For those who need a “rainy-day-slice”

If you’re planning to keep the leftovers for more than a day or two, consider putting them in the freezer after stacking them with an airtight container lined with paper towels. The most important part is ensuring that the pizza is sealed properly which will allow you to save the slices up to a month (but hey, today works too).

For those who just couldn’t:

Listen, we get it: watching people make a seven-foot tall croquembouche is extremely entertaining. Pizza that’s been left out overnight isn’t the worst thing in the world and is part judgement call. And before you start Web MD’ing yourself, we know people who have consumed exposed slices and lived to share the tale. That being said, it’s recommended that pizza not be left unattended for more than two hours for the potential of bacteria.

Oh well, guess you’re just going to have to order another one!

— Amanda Yam

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