Day Old Breads Uses

[cat lover]

Have some bread, bagels, muffins,or biscuits hanging around that just aren't fresh enough to eat as usual? Don't throw them out, make something else with them. Here's one for bagels


Bagel Chips


2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp dried mixed herbs
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 small bagels, plain or onion (2 oz each)


Cut the bagels into small, bite-sized pieces. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the garlic and mixed herbs. Cook for 1 minute. Add the bagel pieces in batches, turning them for about 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Drain the bagel chips on absorbent paper towels. Serve in a warm serving dish, seasoned with salt and pepper and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese Serves 6

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Even though you didn't ask for other recipes, I want to share my favorite way to share leftover stale bread. I think bread pudding is a wonderful way to reuse old stale bread. I like to take all mine and let it swim in a bowl with a mixture of eggs, vanilla, milk, and sugar. Then I place it in a casserole and bake until it is lightly brown. You can also put raisins in it.

[cat lover]

Oh I'd love to have any recipes anyone has for using older bread products! Care to share your bread pudding recipe?

[Yummys_Girl]

I use my old low carb bread to make regular and italian seasoned bread crumbs. Nothing exciting but its frugal!

[cat lover]

Yummys Girl, do you store these in the freezer or just in your pantry?

[Yummys_Girl]

I vaccum seal them in a canister with my foodsaver and store them in the pantry

[cat lover]

Do you foind yourself using your vaccum sealer a lot? I've looked at them in the store before and just can't decide if I would really use it or would it end up being one of those "helpers" that would sit on my pantry shelf.

[Yummys_Girl]

I use it alot and feel like it was a good investment. Things keep so much longer vacuum sealed, even in the freezer.

[barbszy]

Around this time of year I start saving bread heels, and the "crusts" when I use cookie cutters to make sandwich shapes for my 4 year old, in a freezer bag in the freezer. Ultimately this will go into the stuffing for my Thanksgiving turkey. Even if I don't cook Thanksgiving dinner, I make a turkey at some point close to the holiday, since we all love a turkey dinner.

I was thinking of doing my own breadcrumbs and keeping them in the freezer also. Would they keep well in there? What type of container would be best for that?

Stale bread also makes a great "strata" casserole with eggs, milk, ham, onions and cheese. Let it sit overnight in the fridge before baking.

Also, there's "Sardinian Old Bread Casserole" which is basically a French Bread Pizza in a casserole dish....layers of sauce, bread, cheese until you run out of it all, baked until hot and bubbly. It's great for your leftover Italian bread.

[Yummys_Girl]

I have never tried freezing bread crumbs. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I have frozen bread dough and baked bread itself. I have no problems freezing either. Bread is the easiest to freeze.

[Yummys_Girl]

I have frozen bread slices but not crumbs so I wasnt sure if they'd turn out soggy

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Yummy, I hadn't thought about that. I bet they would turn a little moist with the ice. However, couldn't you just put them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven for a few minutes to crisp them back up?

[Yummys_Girl]

hmm maybe I will try it. I usually have to throw some bread away because I dont use my stash of crumbs fast enough

[cat lover]

Oh gosh, you could feed some wildlife with them instead of throwing them away, but if you do freeze them let us know how that works when you thaw them.

[cookin_momster]

One way I've found to use bagels is to make bite size donuts out of them.

1 bagel (of your choice, I prefer plain),cut into bite size pieces
2 pads of butter and 1Tblsp of grease
3/4 c powdered sugar

Heat up your butter and grease in a skillet, place your pieces of bagel in pan and cook til nice and golden brown. Once you've achieved desired doneness, remove from skillet and put a few pieces into the powdered sugar, coating completely.

Makes for a nice quick alternative to donuts and my kid loves it with his favorite breakfast meat, fresh fruit compote, and milk.

[cat lover]

Here's another good way to make a meal out of some day old bread. I think drier bread makes a better strata than fresh bread!



Summer Squash Strata

4 slices day old bread
2 cups sliced summer squash or zucchini
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 tsp dry mustard
black pepper

Butter a 9"baking dish. Line the dish with the bread.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the squash to the boiling water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes till tender. Drain and plunge the squash into cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again. Pat dry.Combine the squash, cheese, and butter in a large mixing bowl. Toss to mix. Layer the squash mixture on top of the bread.In a medium size mixing bowl, beat together the milk, eggs, onion, dry mustard, and pepper to taste. Pour over the casserole.Refrigerate the strata for at least 1 hour, up to overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Bake the strata for 40 to 50 minutes, until it is puffed, set, and browned.Let the strata sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

[cat lover]

Here are some more leftover uses for bread:

Slightly dry bread slices can be used for:


Croutons
French toast
Puddings

Soft bread crumbs may be used in:

casserole dishes
loaves (meat, fish, poultry)
stuffings

Dry bread crumbs may be used in:

coatings
croquettes
desserts
fondues



SOFT BREAD CRUMBS

Use a fork to tear bread apart into crumbs. One to two slices of fresh or day old bread will give you about 1 cup soft crumbs or small cubes

FINE DRY BREAD CRUMBS

Dry bread slices completely in a slow oven. Put into a plastic bag and secure the top. Roll with rolling pin to crush the bread, One slice dry bread will give you about 1/3 cup dry crumbs.

BUTTERED BREAD CRUMBS

For 1 cup soft bread crumbs use 1 1/2 tbsp melted margarine or butter, Toss the bread and margarine together lightly with a fork.

BUTTERY CRUMB TOPPING

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 tbsp margarine, melted


Add crumbs to the margaine in a skillet and stir over low heat till golden brown. Serve over hot vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower,
and green beans.