Don’t throw out stale bread: Six tasty ideas for meals and desserts

Bread is one of the foods most often thrown away, even though it can still be used several days after purchase. If it has no mold or unpleasant smell, stale bread can become the basis for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert.

Its firmer, drier texture can even make it preferable to fresh bread in some recipes because it absorbs milk, eggs, sauces and spices more effectively. That makes it useful for reducing food waste and saving money at home.

For a quick savory dish, slice the bread, brush it with butter or olive oil, and top it with ham, cheese and tomato. Add oregano, pepper or other seasonings, then bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese melts and the edges turn crisp. Another option is a bread and vegetable casserole, made with bread cubes, vegetables, eggs, milk, seasoning and grated cheese. After about 30 minutes in the oven, it develops a crisp top and soft interior.

Completely dry bread can be turned into breadcrumbs after further drying in a low oven and grinding in a blender or food processor. The crumbs work for breading, thickening meatball mixtures or creating a crisp topping for baked vegetables and pasta.

For something sweet, dip slices in eggs, milk, vanilla sugar and cinnamon, then fry them until golden. Stale bread also works in an apple and raisin pudding, soaked in milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon before baking. A final option is chocolate bread balls, made with ground bread, warm milk, cocoa, nuts and sugar, then coated in coconut, cocoa or ground nuts and chilled before serving.