I have a full loaf of great Itailian bread that went stale! What can I make?!
Answers: Other than stuffing.
Slice it 2 inches thick, then cut a "pocket" in each slice. Stuff it with your favorite combination of meat and cheese, or cheese and veggies. Dip in beaten egg & fry like french toast.
You don't have to stick with breakfast items, either--pepperoni, mozzarella, and mushrooms are terrific in it.
Ham & cheese or bacon and swiss are two other favorites at my house.
A great fast meal at ANY time of day!
Italian bread pudding
French Toast.
Croutons?
Garlic bread, bread pudding, croutons, crunchy bread sticks. mix in with hamburger for meatloaf. Crush it put in plastic bag and save for another day use it for coating for pork chops, chicken or whatever.
Croutons, just put in oven, drizzle w/oil and herbs.
Breadcrumbs....for dipping things in and frying...just put in blender and viola! Then bread fish, veggies, etc....and fry.
You can make a soup and pour it over the bread or add while cooking...or blend bread with other things then add in the greek way.
You can make brushetta of course.
You can make a bread pudding.
You can make many things.
Use as a thickner for gravy or stews instead of flour.
Make french toast.
garlic toast, bread pudding, crutons, french toast or bread and gravy
********BREAKFAST BAKE WITH LEFTOVER BREAD
Ideal for holiday breakfast.
10 slices buttered bread, cubed (crust removed)
3 c. milk
1 doz. eggs
1 tsp. dry mustard
6 green onions with 3" of tops left on (thinly sliced)
4 oz. can mushrooms, diced
1 1/2 lbs. sausage, fried & drained
8 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. Cheyenne pepper
Mix all ingredients together except sausage and cheese and store in refrigerator overnight. (Store cooked sausage separately.) In the morning put sausage and cheese into egg mixture and put all into a 9x13 inch greased baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serves 12.
(For lower cholesterol version, use Egg Beaters and low fat Cheddar cheese.)
PARMESAN BREAD STICKS
Day old or stale bread
Olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
Garlic powder (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice crusts from bread and cut each piece into 4 strips. Roll each strip in olive oil and then into cheese mixed with garlic. Bake on cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until browned and crunchy.
********Butter and Garlic Sauce-
1 c. butter (2 sticks)
1 (16 oz.) bottle Italian dressing
4 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. lemon juice
Sliced French bread
Place butter, dressing, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and lemon juice in a large skillet or saucepan. Cook over medium heat until butter melts. Turn off heat and let stand for 20 minutes.
Serve with bread for dipping.
HOMEMADE CROUTONS
Use leftover French bread or hamburger or hotdog buns. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir into melted butter: 1 tsp. parsley flakes
Bake for 30 minutes at 275 degrees. Cool completely. Store in jar for 2 weeks.
Stuffing! Great stuffing at that. 1 cup onion, 1 cup of pepper, 1 cup of celery. sautee with salt, pepper, garlic and a little butter. Tear the bread into little chunks, then add the sautee and some poultry seasoning (to taste). Mix it up, put in a casserole dish and and bake at 350 for about 40 min, or until done. Enjoy!
no mold? hollow it out a bit brush outside crust with butter or margerine, stuff it with pizza fillings or just cheese n mushrooms, bake it until outside crust is crusty and top is slightly browned or bubbly.
Note if bread smells moldy..toss it out to the birds. If just dried out a bit or tough this works great.
Don't throw it away! It's perfect for breadcrumbs. Break the loaf up, put the pieces into a food processor, and reduce to crumbs. There are many uses for breadcrumbs, plain or seasoned -- e.g., sprinkle on top of casseroles or pasta dishes, bread fresh fish filets, poultry, or meat, such as veal, or sprinkle atop BBQd oysters. To season the breadcrumbs, heat them in a large sauce pan with a little seasoned oil or with a little olive oil to which you've added seasonings of your choice -- salt, pepper, oregano, garlic or onion powder, anchovy paste, etc. -- until golden brown. Experiment!
hollow it out and make a soup bowl out of it or a salad bowl using the excess bread toast and make croutons .
bread crumbs, croutons bread puddiing
Tomato Bread Soup: Pappa al Pomodoro Recipe courtesy
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
3/4 pound day-old Italian peasant bread, roughly sliced
2 cups water
1 cup fresh torn basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
In a 12-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes, until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook until the tomatoes begin to soften and break down, about 5 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon, add the stale bread chunks and water. Continue simmering until all the bread has absorbed as much liquid as possible, yielding a baby food-like consistency. Add the garlic and stir in the basil. Season, to taste, with pepper. Let the soup continue simmering for 10 more minutes, then serve immediately in warmed soup bowls. Garnish, to taste, with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
French toast souffle
10 cups white bread cubes
1 (8 ounce) package lowfat cream cheese, softened
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Place bread cubes in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in milk, half and half, maple syrup, and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over the bread; cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, remove souffle from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve warm.