What to Make With Stale Bread So It Doesn't Go to Waste
Breadcrumbs and croutons are just the start.
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Isn't it the worst when you're taking inventory of your fridge and stocking up your pantry only to find that you overbought something and it's about to to bad? Ugh! You don't want it to go to waste. And while you can freeze other perishables like milk (or use up the gallon pretty fast), there are others like bread that easily go stale that just don't seem appetizing at all. But wait! There are plenty of delicious ways to use stale bread.
Seriously, one of the best ways to save money on groceries is to know what to do with stale bread. In fact, in the years before processed bread was popular, repurposing stale bread was a great way to save money since it went bad much faster. If it's just starting to turn stale, you can easily make toast and top it anything you like, savory or sweet. Or simply whizzing it in the food processor and using it as a bread crumb substitute opens up a whole world of options from topping casseroles to binding meatballs.
But that's just the start! You can make some of the best salads as a side dish or quick lunch. You can soak slices in a custard mixture for breakfast casseroles. You can even make warm desserts! So before you toss that loaf, try these ten clever ways to use leftover bread first. All types of bread deserve a second life! Your tastebuds and your budget will thank you for it.
Breadcrumbs
You can make panko-style breadcrumbs or plain breadcrumbs and spice 'em up with salt and seasonings. Then well, the family meal ideas are endless! No one would ever suspect that a cheesy side dish like this used stale bread.
Get Ree's Cheesy Potato Casserole recipe.
Croutons
Let's be honest, the way to make a salad exciting is to add some croutons. Skip using store-bought versions on classics like Caesar salad and make your own. They're actually better with day-old bread!
Get the Caesar Salad recipe.
Bread Pudding
Do you consider bread pudding a dessert or a breakfast? Well, it's whatever you want it to be! And this sweet treat does wonders on stale bread because the custard soaks in and makes the pieces all fluffy once baked.
Get the Eggnog Bread Pudding recipe.
Meatloaf
Classic meatloaf requires slices of bread to be soaked in milk before combining them with the meat. Using slightly stale bread works well in this case since it will rehydrate. Then wrap it all in bacon and add a sweet, tangy sauce!
Get Ree's Favorite Meatloaf recipe.
Stuffing
With all the incredible stuffing recipes to try, why wait until Thanksgiving to make it? It's good any time of year, and since you have to dry out bread to make stuffing anyway, using stale bread makes sense here.
Get Ree's Stuffing with Chorizo and Poblanos recipe.
Panzanella
The key to making a classic Italian panzanella is to use very crusty stale bread. That's because it needs to stand up to a nice heavy soaking of dressing and tomatoes. It'll get softer but still stay in tact.
Get Ree's Grilled Shrimp Panzanella recipe.
Strata
If you've never had a strata, think of it as a savory bread pudding served for breakfast. And there are so many fun flavor combinations to keep everyone satisfied! Either way, they all need some stale bread to soak up the eggy custard.
Get the Strata recipe.
French Onion Soup
Wanna get a little fancy with that day-old baguette? Toast it up and let it soak in all that cheese and soupy goodness of this classic recipe. You could also do this with other crouton-friendly sips like tomato soup.
Get Ree's French Onion Soup recipe.
French Toast
There are several ways to make French toast and lots of types of bread to make it. But particularly if you're baking it in a casserole form, using day-old bread is smart so it stays sturdy enough after soaking in that custard.
Get Ree's Cinnamon Baked French Toast recipe.
Apple Betty
Did you think breadcrumbs were just for savory dishes? Think again! Combine them with sweet apples and bake them off for this rustic dessert that begs for a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Get Ree's Apple Betty recipe.
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