Five Uses for Day-Old Bread

Save money by buying discounted bread and using it for a variety of things in the kitchen.

 

Bread Crumbs

During my usual grocery run this morning, I knew that I was going to need some bread crumbs for a recipe I’m working on, so I made a run down the bread aisle, to the cart at the end where they regularly have piles of loaves marked down because of their freshness date. Not only did I find exactly what I needed, I scored a loaf of multigrain and flax bread for $.79. Just check the ingredients for dairy or egg ingredients.

At home, that loaf found its way into the Excalibur to dehydrate. Once dry, I’ll drop the slices into the food processor where they will become proper bread crumbs for pennies. Sometimes I will add some dried herbs (usually oregano, parsley, and basil), but most often I leave them plain until I plan to use them.

Seal the bread crumbs in a freezer container and they will keep for at least three months.

Croutons

I also use day-old bread to make my own croutons, which are delightfully decadent and surprisingly easy:

  1. Cut the bread into cubes and place in a large bowl.
  2. Drizzle with oil or melted vegan butter and toss to combine.
  3. Sprinkle in salt, garlic powder, or other seasonings as desired and toss.
  4. Spread the cubes in an even layer on a baking sheet and toast use the low broil setting.
  5. As soon as your croutons begin to turn a nice golden brown, remove them from the oven and turn them over to get even color.

Dressing (or stuffing)

Grab a couple of loaves of day-old bread and chuck it right in the freezer. It will come in handy the next holiday when you want to make dressing / stuffing. In fact, I save the stale bits of all kinds of bread (and cornbread) year-round for just this purpose.

Bread Pudding

Writing this post has inspired me to finally get off my butt and make my bread pudding recipe vegan-friendly. I’ll share it soon, so get ready!

Veggie Loaves / Veggie No-Meat Balls

Stale bread is a great filler and binder for making your own veggie loaf (like the No-Meat Loaf that you’ll find in Plant-Based Boot Camp), or veggie no-meat balls. They also add flavor and texture.

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