Got a hankerin' for Little Caesars, but bored of eating the same old pizzas? Don't fret — these upgrades will turn your next take-out into a slice of heaven.
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00:00Gotta hanker in for Little Caesars, but bored of eating the same old pizzas?
00:04Don't fret.
00:05These upgrades will turn your next takeout into a slice of heaven.
00:08Here's a useful rule of thumb for the kitchen.
00:10The more cheese you use, the tastier a dish becomes.
00:13And there's no rule, either, that says you have to settle for the cheese that Little
00:16Caesars puts on your pizza.
00:18So if you're a fromage connoisseur who loves cheese more than anything, you might want
00:22to exercise your freedom to fine-tune your pizza by piling on more of the shredded stuff.
00:27I can't ignore the cheese!
00:29Yeah, a lot!
00:30I'm sorry, y'all!
00:32And no cheese brings a basic pizza closer to the heart of Italy than a mix of mozzarella
00:36and parmesan.
00:37Fresh mozzarella may come as standard with your order, but adding even more wouldn't
00:41be a mistake if you're looking for bigger flavor.
00:44Not only does it up the cheese factor exponentially, but it may also refresh a pizza that's been
00:48sitting in the shop, in the car, or on the counter before making its way to the dinner
00:53table.
00:54The springing for fresh parmesan rather than the shakable green craft stuff will make a
00:57clear difference in quality, too.
00:59Simply add your desired quantities of each cheese to your pizza and apply extra heat
01:04in a 250-degree oven for a few minutes to make it melt.
01:08Little Caesars probably isn't the first place that springs to mind if you're thinking about
01:11a more elegant pizza creation.
01:13This means you'll have to take matters into your own hands if you want something a little
01:17more upmarket.
01:18Luckily, easy-to-reach options such as artichoke hearts and spinach add an exquisite stroke
01:23to an ordinary pizza.
01:24All you need is a few store-bought items and an extra minute or two before serving.
01:28It shouldn't be too pricey, either.
01:30In some places, for example, you'll find a can of artichoke hearts for less than $3.
01:35Fresh spinach is best for the purpose of pizza primping, but you can go with canned or frozen
01:39if you prefer a more kitchen-handy version of this sturdy green.
01:42Create an even distribution of both elements over your chosen pizza.
01:45If your finished creation still needs a little more oomph, try a light drizzle of olive oil
01:50to make things glossier, or a few spoonfuls of garlic for a powerful punch that'll meld
01:54perfectly with the other ingredients.
01:57A pizza can never be too Italian, especially one from a chain named for one of the world's
02:01best-known Roman emperors.
02:03"...et tu, Brutus?"
02:07Choosing the toppings that'll take your Little Caesars selection into more Mediterranean
02:11territory is as easy as grabbing a few sun-dried tomatoes and green olives.
02:15You probably won't have sun-dried tomatoes just sitting around the house with your usual
02:19grocery fare, so you might want to pick up a pack for the occasion.
02:22With a bit of luck, you'll find a can at Walmart for around the $5 mark, while green olives
02:27tend to go for a little less.
02:28And of course, if you do have these ingredients in your kitchen, you're already ahead of the
02:32game.
02:33Once you've got your pizza, put as much or as little of each as you like.
02:36You'll be doing its heritage proud.
02:39Few ingredients provide as bright a blast of flavor quite like roasted red peppers and
02:43pesto.
02:44The exciting dance between smoky sweet and zesty zing is a party for pizza lovers who
02:49need a slice with a little something extra.
02:50You can find jarred red peppers in chain stores or specialty shops, though they may exceed
02:55your pizza build-out budget.
02:56Instead, you'd probably be better off picking up a few whole red peppers, slicing them up
03:01and laying them on a baking sheet brushed with oil.
03:04After that, stick them in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes until they soften and
03:09the skin starts to char.
03:10Take them out, let them cool a bit, and pop them on your pizza.
03:14Pesto is easy to rustle up at home, too.
03:16All you need is a green base such as cilantro or basil, a bit of olive oil, garlic, and
03:20pine nuts, plus some Parmesan and salt.
03:23Blitz everything in the blender until it turns into a paste, then spoon it over your pizza
03:27so that every slice gets a generous portion.
03:29Hey pesto, a pizza that tastes as fresh as it is delicious.
03:34Veggie pizza is usually made by slicing up fresh vegetables and throwing them on as toppings
03:39to cook in the oven.
03:40Sadly, this isn't an ideal method of preparation, as it often results in soggy bits that don't
03:45have as much flavor as they should.
03:47If your Little Caesars order needs a big step up in the taste department, sizzling up some
03:51sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions will best the usual veggie selections by a
03:56country mile.
03:57Even better, this topping trick fills your house with the fragrance of a luxury pizzeria,
04:01which may just fool your family into thinking you've become a gourmet chef in your free
04:05time.
04:06A carton of fresh mushrooms will run you between
04:13$3 and $5 at many major stores, though it's likely you already have some on hand.
04:18Meanwhile, you'll want to use a large yellow onion to get the flavor just right for your
04:21pizza.
04:22Drizzle a bit of oil in a frying pan and add the onions, heating them on medium until they
04:26turn translucent.
04:27Then, toss in your sliced mushrooms and continue cooking until they soften while the onions
04:32become fully caramelized.
04:34A sprinkle of salt or garlic powder will help here, too.
04:37Spread the finished blend over your pizza as desired, and enjoy.
04:41Sometimes you only need a little more of the flavors that are already present in a Little
04:45Caesar's Value Pizza.
04:47Fire-roasted tomatoes and basil are sure to turn a bland bit of pizza into a festival
04:51of flavor.
04:52You'll find cans of fire-roasted tomatoes at most major grocery chains for as low as
04:56a dollar a pop, which should provide you with enough to top a few pizzas.
05:00If you're feeling ambitious, you can roast fresh tomatoes by brushing the tops with a
05:04little olive oil, giving them a sprinkle of salt and sliding them onto the grill or into
05:08a 450-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until you see the skins have browned to your
05:13liking.
05:14If you've got a basil plant at home, you should be able to take off a handful of leaves for
05:17use here.
05:18If not, you'll find packets of basil in the produce section, which should have enough
05:22to bring a flavor boost to your Little Caesar's Starter Pizza.
05:25Lay them on whole or snip them into ribbons to make them go even further, then dig in.
05:31Turning a cut-rate cheese pizza into a genuinely hearty dish can be as simple as recreating
05:36a pizzeria-style barbecue chicken pizza with your own home-based components.
05:40If you have a bottle of your preferred barbecue sauce in the fridge, give your Little Caesars
05:44a swipe of it right over the cheese, as it'll complement both the tomato sauce and cheese
05:48with no effort at all.
05:50And the chicken won't hurt, either.
05:51You already know you can find rotisserie chickens waiting to fly the coop at Costco, Walmart,
05:56and grocery stores in your area for just a few dollars.
05:59Grab one of those on your way home from Little Caesars and shred it into bite-sized pieces
06:03to distribute over your pizza.
06:04Make sure each bite has enough of each additional topping before reheating the pizza in a 250-degree
06:10oven for a few minutes to freshen it up, then dig into a slice and watch the sparks fly.
06:15Maybe you have some Little Caesars leftover from the night before that, by morning, is
06:19calling your name once more.
06:21Turning your leftovers into a breakfast pizza will give you the chance to finish it off
06:24before it sits too long in the fridge, and allows you to reinvent a supper standard as
06:28a morning morsel with just a little extra fuss in the kitchen.
06:31You're likely to have eggs in your fridge door already, but swing by the store if you
06:35need to stock up.
06:36They're not exactly hard to find.
06:39A bag of frozen shredded hash browns, meanwhile, can be found for as little as $3 at some stores,
06:45and it'll last you through your next few breakfasts, too.
06:48Fry up the hash browns per the package instructions first, then use the same pan to sizzle up
06:52some scrambled eggs.
06:54Don't forget to sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper, too.
06:56Once they're ready, scatter the hash and eggs over your pizza as you see fit and take a
07:01slice or two for the ride to work.
07:03Best of all, this works as a breakfast-for-supper situation if you'd rather flip your day on
07:07its head.
07:09Let's be real.
07:10Not everyone wants to spend extra to get their pizza up to speed.
07:13You're already eating cheap and easy with a pizza from a discount chain as it is, and
07:16any extra cash doled out to dress it up could end up netting you in the negative.
07:20But you may have a few possibilities in your fridge and freezer already, staple items that'll
07:25afford you an opportunity to bring your pizza up a notch or two.
07:28And since ranch dressing is a kitchen staple and bacon may be a part of your regular diet,
07:32you're likely to have a dynamic duo that's ready to go at a moment's notice, without
07:36having to spend another cent.
07:37You probably already know how delicious ranch dressing can be on a pizza, no matter which
07:41chain you grab it from, so jazzing up Little Caesars with a blast of buttermilk-based bliss
07:46is a no-brainer.
07:47You can also fry a little bacon in a pan, or zap it in the microwave and break it into
07:51whatever size pieces you like best.
07:54If you're a real fan of ranch, feel free to drop a little dressing in a dish for dipping.
07:57The sky's the limit, really.
07:59Pizza?
08:00Now that's what I call a taco!
08:02The flavors of the Southwest belong on a Little Caesars pizza just as much as any others.
08:07After all, a pizza's savory mix of cheese and tomato sauce is just the basics of taco
08:12culture laid out on a chewy crust instead of folded into a shell.
08:16All it takes to turn your pizza into a giant open-faced taco is a bit of kitchen time,
08:20a few extra ingredients, and a sense of curiosity.
08:23You can use leftover ground beef from a previous meal spiced up with a bit of cumin, onion,
08:28and garlic powders, as well as a little chili powder for an extra kick.
08:32If you're starting from scratch, brown a package of ground beef or beef substitute and flavor
08:36it with the same seasonings.
08:38Spread the beef crumbles over your pizza, then apply the usual taco fixings — grated
08:42cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and a few dollops of sour cream.
08:47Crumble a handful of tortilla chips to give the dish some welcome crunch.
08:50Voila!
08:51The ultimate combination of Italian and Mexican flavors.
08:55Few kitchen gadgets are more useful than the Crock-Pot, as slow-cooking a hearty meal can
08:59often be a one-way ticket to gastronomic bliss.
09:02And the best part?
09:03You can use these nifty devices to spruce up your next pizza, too.
09:06It might sound crazy, but next time you know you're gonna be stopping by Little Caesars,
09:11you could take the time to slow-cook a pork roast beforehand.
09:14Add some green chilies to the pot to flavor the whole recipe, or offer them afterwards
09:18to give you better control of the combo.
09:20Then, make sure the two elements are shredded and cut into bite-size morsels to make for
09:24easy assembly and clean consumption.
09:26After that, simply add them to your pizza for a truly unique takeout upgrade.
09:30You might also want to provide a dish of Monterey Jack nearby to offer the option of a final
09:34cheese topper that matches the mode of the pork and chilies.