Best use for stale bread?

[Olive123]

I baked a loaf of bread and realized the next day that the zip loc bag I placed it in to keep fresh was not closed all the way. Now I have a loaf of stale bread. Anyone have a delicious strata recipe or a suggestion for some other preparation? Thanks in advance!

[Will Owen]

I grew up in a household with a paper sack of stale bread permanently on top of the fridge. Breadcrumbs for meatloaf, meatballs or breading, bigger chunks for stuffings. I've done the same off and on, though nowadays I just stock up before I know I'm going to need them, since they do get to tasting kinda old after they've sat in the sack for a few months...

[gourmaniac]

Panzanella in the summer when tomatoes are good and ribolitta in the winter to fill and warm the belly.

[jzerocsk]

Meatballs or look up Rachael Ray's "Papa Al Pomodoro" which is good by itself of can easily be jazzed up in all sorts of ways.

[graffitipassion]

I'm glad someone mentioned soup. Gazpacho was my first thought!

[Amber in Norfolk]

Homemade croûtons or breadcrumbs!

[thew]

works great as a thickener / ingredient in soups. i used to amke a garlic soupe with sausage and bread in it thatw as so potent it was actually mind altering, of course you would still smell like u had just eaten garlic for lunch 2 days later....

[Kagey]

I put my stale bread in the food processor and make crumbs. Then I sieve the crumbs so that I have fine ones and coarse ones (yes, so I'm crazy). Then, if I don't need them right away, I freeze them.

The coarse crumbs go into things like meatloaf and meatballs. There was also a Bittman recipe in the Times recently for pasta with chorizo, chickpeas, and breadcrumbs, and I want to try that.

The fine crumbs can also go into meatballs/loaf, but I also use them to make treacle tart.

[houndlover]

Homemade croutons are the best and easy. I am even making some to give as gifts for the holidays. I used Olive Oil and Butter both and season however you'd like.

[tendinners]

We make panzanella style salad - cubed bread, chopped tomatoes, scallions, greens(sometimes), and garlic-y vinaigrette. Tasty taste! There are tons of more specific recipes out there...

[chowser]

That's what I was thinking, too. The Zuni chicken bread salad is good, too.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4401342

[katecm]

One think I like to do is a savory bread pudding. Cube up your bread and divide into ramekins (you can do a big one, too, of course). Caramelize a good amount of onions and top the bread crumbs with a heaping spoonful in each ramekin. Beat your eggs, some cream or milk, plus salt, pepper, dry mustard (just a smidge) and thyme, and pour into your ramekins or baking dish. Top with some grated gruyere, fontina, or what have you, and bake.

It's wonderful, and a nice change from the usual starchy side dishes.

[Den]

Use it to make meatballs...stale bread works great. Soak it in a little milk and drop it into the meatball recipe.

[melly]

I make garlic croutons..or grind it up for breadcrumbs and freeze until I need em.

[purple goddess]

yup. That's what I would do. Cube it, Flavour it. Bake it. Store it.

[chazzerking]

1. Bread Pudding(Commander's Palace recipe)
2. Bread Pudding(Paul Prudhomme's recipe)
3. Bread Pudding (make up a recipe, with lots of eggs, cream, vanilla and sugar)

[violabratsche]

French toast for breakfast tomorrow...or as a dessert, tonight! French toast bakes just as easily as it is fried.

AnnieG

[lupaglupa]

Vote number two for french toast - it is so perfect with stale bread.

[CurlieGlamourGirlie]

What about bread pudding? The recipe in the red checkered Better Homes and Gardens always works nicely for me.