How to Keep Pizza Warm at a Party

Written by

How to Keep Pizza Warm at a Party
Who doesn’t love pizza at a party? You can never go wrong with a pepperoni or cheese pizza at a party — adults love it, and kids beg for it. But how do you keep pizza warm throughout your event? In this post, we’ll travel with your pizza and provide tips on how to keep it warm from the first moment you pick it up to the last minute your guests leave. As a bonus, some of these suggestions make great ways to heat up the pizza for tomorrow’s leftovers!

1. On Your Way Home

Our journey starts at the restaurant. If you choose to have your pizza delivered, you can skip this step. Otherwise, a tip on how to keep your pizza warm while traveling is to use a heated seat.

Though heated seats are typically used for keeping you warm during the colder months, they work great at keeping your pizza warm, too. On your way home, put your pizza on a heated seat and cover it with a blanket to trap the warmth. If you don’t have heated seats, put the pizza on the passenger side floor and crank up the heat in the floor vents. It may sound comical, but whatever works, right?

2. Indoors

Tips to keep your pizza warm for three or more hours

Once your pizza has safely made it to your home, your next goal is to keep it warm throughout the duration of your party. Some tips on how to keep your pizza warm for three or more hours at your party include:

In Aluminum Foil

If you’re still waiting for guests to arrive, start plating your portions. Wrap each slice in aluminum foil so the pizza can hold its heat. If the slices get cold by the time your guests arrive, pop the pizza — still wrapped in foil — into the oven at 400 degrees for around 5 minutes to 10 minutes. After it’s heated, remove the aluminum foil and serve the pizza to your guests.

In Your Oven

Most people rely on their ovens to reheat pizza. There are two ways you can keep your pizza warm in the oven:

  • In the box: Don’t panic! Pizza boxes won’t catch fire until they reach over 400 degrees. For this method, set your oven at the lowest temperature and slide your pizza, still in its box, onto the middle rack. If you’re short on time, you can crank the heat up a bit.
  • Out of the box: This method works best if your pizza is cooler and you want to reheat it, rather than trying to keep it warm. Preheat your oven to about 350 degrees and place your pizza directly onto the middle rack. The higher temperature will keep your crust crispy and any sauces or toppings warm.

You can use a toaster oven, too, if your oven is full of other party snacks. Follow the same principles of heating your pizza at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time, and your pizza will turn out perfect every time.

In a Frying Pan

Are you running out of space in your oven and toaster oven? If so, try heating up your pizza in the frying pan. This method isn’t ideal if you’re heating up whole pizzas at a time, but it does work well when reviving the last few slices from your event.

On your stovetop, heat a non-stick frying pan on high heat. Once heated, place your pizza in the frying pan and let it heat up for about two minutes. These two minutes will allow the bottom of the pizza to get nice and crispy. Then, place a lid over the pan and continue heating for another minute or two, allowing for the cheese, sauce and toppings to warm.

In the Microwave

Running out of stovetop space, too? In a quick pinch? Use your trusted microwave. Make sure your microwave is wide enough for your pizza slices. Then, place your pizza on a microwave-safe plate. Separately, fill a shallow, microwave-safe bowl 2/3 full of water. Place the bowl inside the center of your microwave, and place your plate of pizza on top of the bowl.

The water inside of the bowl will evaporate and prevent the pizza from getting soft and mushy. Microwave your pizza at half power for about a minute. Check your pizza, and microwave for another minute or two if needed.

3. Outdoors

Some methods to keep your pizza warm at an outdoor party

Hosting an outdoor event can be a bit more tricky when it comes to keeping your pizza warm. At your concession stand, some methods on how to keep your pizza warm at an outdoor party include:

In a Portable Oven

On your concession table, keep your pizza warm by using a portable oven. You can easily find a portable oven online, and most aren’t too expensive. Portable ovens look like a large lunchbox that heats up. Place your pizza inside of the portable oven to keep it warm, or turn up the heat and leave them in longer when reheating slices. The instructions may vary depending on the portable oven you buy.

In an Insulated Bag

While guests are enjoying the beginning of your party or event, keep pizzas warm by storing them in an insulated bag. This is actually how most pizza delivery companies keep their pizzas warm during the ride to your home or business. You can find pizza-specific insulated bags online. They may not be able to keep your pizza warm for three hours, though, so this method is best combined with other heating methods.

Hosting an Event in the Larger Metro-Detroit Area? Choose Green Lantern Pizza

Are you hosting an event soon? We may be biased, but we believe pizza is the best cuisine to serve! After all, who doesn’t love a fresh slice of pepperoni pizza? When you’re choosing a pizza place, opt for Green Lantern Pizza. We’ve been in the business since 1955, and we’re proud to hold the title of King of Pepperoni.

Browse our location finder to find the nearest Green Lantern Pizza location, and order straight from our online menu. Have any questions? Contact us online or give your location a call today!

What is Detroit-Style Pizza?

Written by

What is Detroit Style Pizza? Header Image

Detroit is a strong city known for many things, namely cars, music and pizza. Known as the Detroit-style square, Detroit’s pizza has earned its reputation as one of the best slices around. With its distinct rectangular shape, light and airy dough, crispy caramelized cheese perimeter and delightful crunch, Detroit-style pizza was built for savoring.

But what exactly makes a pan pizza Detroit-style, and why is a hearty Detroit slice so highly sought after? In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about this delicious Detroit dish from what qualities define a Detroit-style pizza and how a Detroit-style pizza is made to what separates a Detroit-style pie from other types of deep-dish pizza. If you’re looking for a pizza unlike any other, learn more about Detroit-style!

What Are the Defining Characteristics of Detroit-Style Pizza?

Detroit-style pizza is a thick, square-cut pizza with a crunchy, fried bottom layer of crust overflowing with delicious melted cheese. Like most rectangular pan pizzas served in America, Detroit-style pizza is a variation of the Sicilian pizza. Originally called “sfincione,” which means “little sponge,” Sicilian pizza has a fluffier bread base than most U.S. pizzas.

Detroit-style pizza sets itself apart from Sicilian pizza with its cheese-covered crust, which is typically so crispy that the cheese is slightly burnt, and its long, vertical streaks of sauce on top of the cheese. The result of this unique pizza style is a gooey, doughy center with a crunchy outer crust and caramelized cheese hugging its edges.

The traditional topping for a Detroit-style pizza is pepperoni, but Detroit-style pizza doesn’t use just any pepperoni. Instead of the large, flat circular pepperoni that comes on most ordinary pizzas, Detroit-style pizza features smaller, thicker slices of pepperoni that curl up into miniature cups as they cook. These cute little pepperoni cups hold onto their fat and enhance the pizza during the baking process.

How Is Detroit-Style Pizza Made?

Making Detroit-style pizza starts with the dough. Because Detroit-style pizza is known for its more airy center with a crusty outside, the dough must be hydrated just right, which means achieving the perfect ratio of water to flour. To create its crust’s famous open, fluffy and chewy center with a crisp exterior, Detroit-style pizza uses a wetter dough.

The next all-important factor for making a flawless Detroit-style pizza is the pan. As a deep-dish rectangular pizza, Detroit-style pizza is best cooked in a steel industrial pan with sides angled outwards to make the area at the top of the pan greater than the area at the bottom. A 10-by-14-inch pan with black surfaces is ideal for ensuring the dough fills the entire pan and its sides get a nice crisp.

Unlike most other pizza styles, Detroit-style pizza layers the crust with cheese and toppings below the sauce. Traditionally, Detroit-style pizza uses Wisconsin brick cheese, a mildly flavored semi-soft cheese with a high fat content, as opposed to the usual mozzarella. The fat from Wisconsin brick cheese lends the crust some mouth-watering buttery flavor, while the cheese itself stays gooey in the center as it spreads toward the edges of the pie to caramelize into a golden, cheesy crust.

Detroit Style Pizza with Mild Brick Cheese

Sometimes the cheese is added first, and sometimes the toppings are placed directly on the crust, but the sauce is always ladled onto the pizza last as the finishing layer of flavor. A Detroit-style pizza features a tomato-based sauce that excellently complements the more mild brick cheese, which tastes similar to cheddar. The sauce can be applied as blotchy dollops or as thick lines called “racing stripes.”

Some recipes recommend adding the sauce after the pizza comes out of the oven, which is referred to as “red top” because the sauce is the final topping. By waiting until the last second to add the sauce, the crust is protected from ever getting soggy. Whether the sauce is added before or after it enters the oven, a Detroit-style pizza should be baked at about 440 degrees Fahrenheit for around 13 minutes to ensure a perfect pie.

Once the pizza is done cooking, it gets cut into squares to make it definitively Detroit-style. Because these square slices are served piping hot, many diners choose to eat Detroit-style pizza with a fork and knife, although some dedicated Detroit pizza fans do dare to brave the heat and go without utensils.

How Is Detroit-Style Pizza Different From Other Types of Pizza?

Typically, the image that comes to mind when someone says “pizza” is a round, thin-crust pie with stringy melted mozzarella cheese dropping off of flimsy triangular slices. Detroit-style pizza deviates from these conventions entirely with its rectangular shape, sauce-topped cheese and a crust so thick it would be impossible to fold.

Although Detroit-style pizza is completely different from conventional thin-crust pizzas like a New York slice, it does share some common features with other pan pizzas. So what separates a slice of Detroit-style pizza from a slice of any other Sicilian pizza descendant?

The most notable quality of Detroit-style pizza when comparing it to other pan pizzas is its cheese. A Detroit-style pie has cheese spread everywhere on top, which gives it a distinct crispy layer of burnt cheese around its edges. The fat drippings from the Wisconsin brick cheese used to top the pie also help to fry the sides and bottom of the crust as the pizza cooks.

While other pizza types may be considered deep dish, Detroit-style pizza sets itself apart with its soft inside and crispy outside. While Chicago-style pizza features a flakier, thin deep crust like a traditional pie, Detroit-style pizza stars a thick crust that closely resembles focaccia. The Detroit-style crust sets itself apart from a Sicilian crust with its airier texture, fluffy chew and crispy underside.

Similar to a Chicago deep-dish pizza, a Detroit-style pizza scoops its sauce over top of its cheese. However, a Detroit-style pizza doesn’t use nearly as much sauce as Chicago-style and stands out with its spotted dollops of sauce or sleek red racing stripes. In fact, the unique aesthetic of Detroit-style pizza’s tomato sauce artfully contrasting with its burnt cheese edges has made the food a social media hit.

Get the Best Detroit-Style Pizza in Town From Green Lantern Pizza

If you’re looking for the tastiest Detroit-style pizza in the Metro-Detroit area, Green Lantern Pizza is the place you’ve been searching for. Since the early 1950s, Green Lantern Pizza has been hand cutting each of its ingredients and making its delicious dough and sauce fresh every morning.

You can taste the difference these high-quality ingredients make in every single slice from Green Lantern Pizza. As the King of Pepperoni, Green Lantern Pizza is most well-known for its delicious pepperoni-topped deep-dish pies. To explore more toppings options, check out the full menu.

To experience the best Detroit-style pizza in the Metro-Detroit area, find the Green Lantern Pizza location nearest you or order a Green Lantern pie online. If you have any questions about the menu or Detroit-style pizza in general, contact Green Lantern Pizza today.

Best Pizza in Town with Green Lantern Pizza

How is American Pizza Different?

Written by

One of the most delicious dishes that you will ever get to enjoy in your life is pizza. This incredibly delectable dish is something that all restaurants and cooks strive to get perfect. It can take decades to get the recipe just right, but when it is, you and everyone else will know. The traditional dish was initially created in Italy and brought over to the United States after World War II. The servicemen who spent their time in Italy fell in love with the dish and could not wait to bring it over to their home country, the United States. Today, the United States is famous for its pizza. We have the most unique and varying options that anyone has ever seen. (more…)

Lift Your Mood with Pizza from Green Lantern Pizza!

Written by

Green Lantern Pizza started 55 years ago when a couple bought a farmhouse with a green lantern. Their names were Thomas and Irene Vettraino. The green lantern in prohibition times meant that customers could purchase alcohol there.

Our restaurant has a full-service bar and a casual atmosphere with tables and chairs and art pieces hanging on the wall and sports memorabilia. The first restaurant opened in 1955. It is one of the best pizza restaurants in Detroit and has been voted the best pizza in Detroit.

(more…)

FAQ about Vegetarian Pizza

Written by

Everywhere you look these days. Various vegetarian options are popping up on menus and at the grocery store. As a vegetarian or curious about the trend, you do not have to ask where the best veggie pizza is nearby. Green Lantern Pizza has you covered with the best veggie options available.

Maybe the idea of veggie pizza doesn’t get you super excited, but we ask that you give us a chance to change your mind with our delicious line of veggie options. 

(more…)

Best and Worst Pizza Toppings in 2020

Written by

Everyone has their idea of a perfect pizza. There are some things that all pizzas need to have, which includes good crust, sauce, and cheese. Other toppings are based on personal tastes and preferences. Here in Green Lantern Pizza in Royal Oak Mi (Michigan), we make pizza just the way a person likes it. We have many different toppings to make the best pizza. When looking for pizza in Royal Oak Mi, a person should be sure to stop by Green Lantern Pizza to experience the delicious fresh pizza. 

(more…)

Best Pizza Option For Your Winter Holidays 2019-20

Written by

With the holiday season in full swing, the majority of us can be quite busy. There can be quite a large number of reasons why this is the case. Many of us might still be doing some present shopping in the last-minute. And often there’s quite a large number of parties and other functions that we often need to get to. This could be quite tricky because some of us also still have work when getting all of this done.

(more…)

Your Ultimate Christmas Celebrations Pizza List

Written by

‘Tis the season for fellowship with friends and family, which is why Green Lantern Pizza has some of the best Christmas pizza offers on the market. Keep all the little elves in your life feeling festive with some of the best and quickest pizza delivery in Detroit. 

Green Lantern Pizza is a Detroit staple, specializing in pizzas of all sizes, huge salads, subs, and sandwiches piled high with toppings. If your merry band of holidaymakers is still hungry, try on some of our sweet and satisfying cinnamon bread or crispy chicken tenders.

So Many Convenient Locations

Green Lantern Pizza has a ton of different locations, making them the best choice for pizza delivery across Detroit. Your meal will always arrive on time, hot, and delicious. Order online!

Green Lantern Pizza

Green Lantern Pizza Locations

(more…)

Explore The Insights of Your Favorite Pizza in Detroit [Infographic]

Written by

Did you know?

What’s inside your pizza?

Apart from the dough, cheese, and the toppings a slice of your favorite pizza typically contains

272 calories– calories to keep you running throughout the day.
12.7 grams of protein– the food for your muscles.
1.8 grams of fiber – the appetizers for your body.
9.8 grams of fat – the storage room of your energy.

A great healthy option, after all. You can have pizza while maintaining that enviable physique. Also, there are a lot of options to choose from. Whatever your taste might be, there is a pizza for you.

(more…)

Best Fillings For Deep Dish Pizza

Written by

Everybody that you can think of loves pizza, it is an American staple that you just cannot go wrong with. Traditional thin crust pizza is absolutely delicious in and of itself. It oozes with cheese and is topped off with the delicious toppings of your choice to make it even better. But, as good as thin-crust pizza is, there is another type of pizza out there that takes it from good to absolutely mouthwatering. 


(more…)