19 Ways to Use Up Stale Bread
We’ve all been there. One day you buy (or bake) a fresh loaf of bread. Just a few days later, eager to whip up a quick sandwich, you reach for it, only to discover a transformed loaf—a stale, hardened shell of its former self. Do you toss it back on the counter, choosing denial for now? Or dump the old bread in your compost bin, preparing yourself for the thud of guilt when it hits the pail’s bottom? We say: none of the above. While you can revive some bread with this clever trick (and probably improve your bread storage situation overall), there are also lots of delicious ways to salvage a stale loaf in an altogether different form. Below you'll find 19 ways to give new life to old bread.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell1/19Cabbage Steaks With Crispy Chickpeas
Crunchy croutons dress up the roasted cabbage in this rich, satisfying vegetarian meal. Chickpeas and garlicky mayo gild the lily.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch2/19French Onion Breakfast Strata
Meet the best kind of wake-up call: the savory lovechild of French onion dip and bread pudding in the form of a toasty, caramelized breakfast casserole.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson3/19Sheet-Pan Roasted Squash and Feta Salad
Squash, feta, radicchio, vinegar, honey, and good old-fashioned country bread come together in this tangy, sweet, crunchy, crumbly sheet-pan wonder.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne4/19Simple Bread Pudding With Melted Ice Cream Sauce
Transform brioche that you were meaning to use into mountains of custardy brown butter bread pudding covered in a slow spill of melted vanilla ice cream.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova5/19Chicken Paillards With Schmaltz Bread Salad
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton9/19Charred-Peach Panzanella With Pickled Pepper Vinaigrette
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich10/19Garlic–Brown Butter Croutons
Photograph by Chris Simpson, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker13/19Radicchio and Apple Salad With Mustardy Croutons
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton14/19Chicken and Potato Gratin With Brown Butter Cream
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Jennifer Ophir15/19Simple Ribollita
Mix kale, canned tomatoes, cannellini beans, mirepoix, Parmesan (with rind!), and torn country bread and you've got some hearty comfort food. You'll need a half a loaf of bread for this recipe; some gets mixed into the soup, while the rest gets crispy on top.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone16/19Diner-Style French Toast
Thick-cut challah finds its calling in this slam-dunk French toast. After a bath of eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon, the bread transforms into toasty magic on your griddle.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi17/19Simple Classic Stuffing
Sing it with us: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme will scent this mix of onions, celery, butter, and bread and add tons of flavor. Key tip: Oven-drying your pieces of bread is the best way to go. Stuffing isn't just for Thanksgiving—it's great alongside a roast chicken or pork roast, too.
