pizza

The Best Papa Johns Leftovers for Lunch Boxes

06.10.2026

3 MINS 50 SECS

There are two types of packed lunches: the one you planned, portioned, and proudly packed the night before, and the one you suddenly remember you need about seven minutes before leaving the house.

The latter category is where leftovers really earn their keep.

A few slices from last night’s Papa Johns order can make tomorrow’s lunch considerably more exciting than another emergency sandwich, provided they’ve been stored safely and you have somewhere suitable to keep them refrigerated until lunchtime.

So, if you’re looking for some of the best leftovers for lunch, we’ve picked six Papa Johns favourites that are well worth saving for round two.

What makes good leftovers for lunch?

A good leftover needs to tick a few simple boxes:

It should be easy to portion
It needs to be straightforward to pack.
And, most importantly, it’s got to be something you’ll still be looking forward to when lunchtime rolls around.

Pizza already has a head start. A couple of slices are easy to separate from the rest of the order, while plenty of Papa Johns sides arrive in conveniently snackable portions. When you’re choosing the best dinners to turn into lunch leftovers, having tomorrow’s meal practically portioned for you is a definite advantage.

Keeping your leftovers food safe

There is one important practical point before we start raiding the menu, though: Papa Johns recommends keeping leftovers refrigerated before reheating. Allow your leftovers to cool naturally, then refrigerate them within two hours of receiving your order. Leftover pizza should be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours before reheating.

For packed lunches, that means these ideas are best suited to somewhere you can keep your food refrigerated until lunchtime and safely reheat it before eating.

With that sorted, what deserves a spot in tomorrow’s lunch box?

Six Papa Johns favourites worth saving for tomorrow

1. Cheese & Tomato Pizza

Sometimes the classics make the best comeback. Papa Johns Cheese & Tomato keeps things simple with tomato sauce and mozzarella, making it an easy choice when you want to save a slice or two for the next day.

There are no towering toppings trying to make a break for freedom inside your lunch box. Just a familiar favourite ready for another outing.

2. Double Pepperoni Pizza

If finding leftover pizza in the fridge doesn’t improve a Monday morning, we’re not sure what will.

Double Pepperoni gives you exactly what the name promises: plenty of pepperoni with mozzarella, so each slice still feels like a proper lunch without lots of loose toppings to contend with.

It also requires very little morning decision-making. Pick your slice, pack it up, and use the time you’ve saved to work out where you’ve left your keys.

3. Garden Party Pizza

Packed lunches can get very beige, very quickly. Garden Party brings a little more colour to proceedings, with tomatoes, onions, green peppers, sweetcorn, and chestnut mushrooms.

Save a slice from the night before, and there’s plenty happening in one easy portion. A useful option when another plain lunch simply isn’t calling your name.

4. Garlic Pizza Sticks

Garlic Pizza Sticks are perfectly designed for pulling apart and sharing, which also makes them particularly handy when you only want to save a couple for the next day.

Made from Papa Johns pizza dough, brushed with garlic sauce and Italian seasoning, they also give you something different from the usual leftover slice.

Dinner side one evening, lunch-box star the next. Quite the promotion.

5. Chicken Poppers

Chicken Poppers are a handy choice when you fancy putting together a lunch with a few different bits rather than making pizza the whole event.

Their smaller size makes them straightforward to portion alongside the rest of your lunch, while the crispy coating gives them plenty of personality of their own.

6. Cheesy Jalapeño Bites

Lunch doesn’t always need to play it safe. Cheesy Jalapeño Bites combine jalapeño peppers with a cheesy filling and breadcrumb coating, bringing a little more heat to the middle of the day. They’re already individually portioned too, meaning there’s no slicing or complicated lunch-box engineering required the next morning. Probably one for anyone who likes their lunch with a little more kick.

How to pack and reheat Papa Johns leftovers for lunch

If you’re wondering how to pack leftovers for school lunch, start with leftovers that have been cooled and refrigerated safely as outlined at the start of the article. Transfer what you need into a clean, suitable container and keep it refrigerated until lunchtime.

When it comes to how long leftovers are good for in a lunch box, keep your leftovers refrigerated until you’re ready to reheat them and eat them within 24 hours, ideally.
When reheating, only reheat your leftovers once and make sure they’re piping hot all the way through before eating.
And don’t forget, Papa Johns packaging should never be placed in a microwave, oven or air fryer.

For the full details, see our guides to storing and reheating leftover pizza and reheating pizza in the microwave.

Tonight’s order, tomorrow’s lunch

Whether tomorrow’s lunch brings back a Cheese & Tomato slice, a couple of Garlic Pizza Sticks, or those Cheesy Jalapeño Bites everyone somehow missed, safely stored leftovers can mean one less decision to make in the morning.

And when it’s time for your next order, download the Papa Johns app for quick, easy ordering and access to Papa Rewards too.