If you ask most people, they would likely say that pizza is an Italian food. And that makes sense. After all, it’s a food that originated in Italy, and to this day, pizza is considered one of the greatest culinary contributions of that country. Even so, it would also appear that pizza has become a staple of American cuisine.

There are not only a wide variety of different types of pizzas available all across the United States, but pizza also happens to be one of the most popular foods in the U.S. Yes, its popularity even exceeds that of the humble hamburger.

How did pizza become so popular in the U.S.? It started with the surge of Italian immigrants to the U.S. in the late 19th and 20th centuries. They brought pizza to the U.S., and pizza parlors soon sprang up in Italian communities located in Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia.

However, it wouldn’t immediately become a popular food. It would take a world war for that to happen. During World War II, American soldiers stationed in Italy developed a taste for pizza—a taste that they brought home with them after the war. This led to an increased demand and acceptance of pizza.

This factor, combined with the developing fast-food culture, the customization of pizzas to local tastes, and the fact that pizza could be delivered to people’s homes, led pizza to become America’s favorite food. That’s probably why there are so many pizza holidays to celebrate in the U.S.

It gives everyone a chance to enjoy their favorite types of pizza. It also gives us an opportunity to not only introduce these holidays to people but to pair them with some useful pizza hacks that will allow people to get more out of their pizza-enjoying experience. With that said, allow us to introduce the best pizza hacks to pair with pizza holidays.

Great American Pizza Bake (February 6th)

This holiday attempts to encourage people to make homemade pizzas instead of cooking frozen pizzas. In almost all instances, homemade pizzas are far superior to frozen ones. Now, don’t get us wrong, we’ve popped a frozen pizza (or two) into the old oven for a quick meal, but let’s face the facts. Frozen pizzas just aren’t as good as homemade ones.

Pizza Hack For This Holiday:

Make your own “Pizza Dust.” This is basically grated Parmesan cheese that contains oregano and basil. For every cup of grated Parmesan cheese, add 1 tablespoon of dried oregano and 1 tablespoon of dried basil. Sprinkle this mixture on the pizza before cooking.

National Deep Dish Pizza Day (April 5th)

For anyone who hasn’t tried deep-dish pizza, this is a holiday you may want to try—at least once in your life. Deep-dish pizza is believed to have been invented in Chicago during the 1940s, and at one time, it was the most popular pizza in the city. Nowadays, many Chicagoans consider deep dish to be a pizza reserved for tourists as the tavern pizza (thin-crust pizzas) has surpassed this pizza in popularity.

Pizza Hack For This Holiday:

Adding a tablespoon of sugar to pizza sauce will reduce its acid levels and make it a smoother sauce. Of course, if you don’t want to add sugar to your sauce, you can always boil your sauce for 8 hours to make it smooth and more balanced.

National Pizza Party Day (Third Friday of May)

Who doesn’t love a good pizza party? This holiday is perfect for bringing pizzas to your child’s school or to an office party. Everyone loves pizza. It’s easy to eat, and cleanup is minimal. Just make sure to provide a wide variety of different pizzas for everyone to enjoy.

Pizza Hack For This Holiday:

What most people don’t realize is that the average pizza delivery box can be turned into serving plates in a pinch. All you have to do is remove the lid, tear it into four parts, and now you have four individual plates for four individual slices of pizza. The rest of the pizza can then be stored in the bottom half of the box by folding it over to create a new lid.

Cheese Pizza Day (September 5th)

Although some people might think that cheese pizza is plain, we think that it’s one of the most underrated pizzas in the world. It’s simple, chewy, and cheesy deliciousness.

Pizza Hack For This Holiday:

If you take two slices of cheese pizza and a waffle iron, you can make a special pizza grilled cheese calzone. Stack two slices of cheese pizza together, crust sides out and cheese sides in. Then place this “sandwich” in a waffle iron and grill it for a minute or two. Now you’ve turned ordinary cheese pizza into something wonderful.

National Pepperoni Pizza Day (September 20th)

We believe that pepperoni pizza is one of the most popular types of pizza in the U.S. And really, it’s no wonder. Melty cheese paired with a zesty sauce and crisp pepperoni is a winner in our book!

Pizza Hack For This Holiday:

To keep your pizza crust from drying out while reheating pizza in the microwave, place a cup of water in with the slice of pizza while microwaving. The water will absorb some of the extra microwaves and keep the pizza’s crust from becoming overcooked.

National Sausage Pizza Day (October 11th)

This is another great pizza holiday. It’s a day that celebrates sausage pizza—another great American pizza staple. A sausage pizza is always great, especially when paired with peppers and/or onions. Yum!

Pizza Hack For This Holiday:

The problem with most store-bought frozen pizzas is that they lack the fresh taste that homemade pizzas do. However, there is a hack to fix that. You can add a squeeze of lemon juice to the top of the pizza before cooking. That will add brightness to the pizza and fix that store-bought taste.

National Pizza With The Works Except Anchovies Day (November 12th)

The last holiday we’re going to discuss is National Pizza With The Works Except Anchovies Day. This is a holiday that shows that people like their pizza stacked high, but many people still can’t wrap their heads around the taste of anchovies. That’s okay; we’re not big fans of this fish either.

Pizza Hack For This Holiday:

Add olive oil to the crust of a frozen pizza. It will help to lubricate the crust and make it more pliable. That will solve another problem store-bought frozen pizzas have: a stiff crust. The olive oil will also add a layer of flavor to the pie as well. So it’s a win-win all around.