32 Recipe Ideas for Day Old Bread

In  Morocco it’s almost unheard of to throw away old bread. Even though it is consumed at least three times a day, there is inevitably bread leftover. This bread is saved, reused if possible and if not, put into the garbage in a separate bag.  It’s then fed to animals. Instead of letting these day-old pieces go to waste, why not give them a second life?

I’ve gathered together several different recipes and ways to use bread that has gone a bit stale to make sure you’re not wasting what you have on hand.

What can you do with old bread?

It turns out you can do quite a lot! I have aways known to use old bread to make bread pudding. It was a standard dessert recipe in our house. I didn’t realize how many variations of the recipe were out there!

While many of these recipes use bread, you could use old bread rolls or really any type of bread to make them work.

Day Old Bread Recipes

Croutons

One of the staple old bread recipes is to make croutons. Even if your bread is more than a day old (think 3 or 4 days) you can make croutons that are going to be eaten right away. I like to keep mine out on the counter for a few hours uncovered before I make these just to dry them out a little more.

Garlic Croutons from Beyond the Chicken Coop

Italian Seasoned Croutons from Aimee of Like Mother Like Daughter

Homemade Croutons from Modern Christian Homemaker

Bread Pudding

These recipes using day old bread are mostly sweet and a little savory. There are countless ways to make bread pudding but the base is always old bread. I have tried making it with fresh bread and have found it does not work as well as older, drier bread does.

Blueberry Bread Pudding with Cream Anglaise from Ask Chef Dennis

Toffee Bread Pudding from Crumbs and Chaos

Banana Bread Pudding from The Typical Mom

Croissant Bread Pudding from The Culinary Life

Gluten-Free Orange Almond Bread Pudding from The Culinary Life

Easy Bread Pudding from Easy and Delish (check out the flan like final product on this bread pudding)

Slow Cooker Spiced Pear Bread Pudding from Snappy Gourmet

Breakfast Bread Pudding for One from One Dish Kitchen

Leek Bread Pudding from Fifteen Spatulas

Cranberry Pistachio Bread Pudding from Taste, Love, and Nourish

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Quick Caramel Sauce from The Foodie Dietician

Mushroom and Leek Savory Bread Pudding from Confident Cook Hesitant Baker

Spinach Pesto Cheddar Bread Pudding from The Schizo Chef

Side Dishes

Wondering how to use old bread without even knowing there’s bread involved? Some of these recipes are a great way to do just that!

Salmorejo – Spanish Cold Tomato Soup

Ajo Blanco – Spanish Cold Almond Garlic Soup

Ribollita Stew from krumpli

Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing from Food Meanderings

Stuffed Bread Rolls from Spice up the Curry

Main Dishes

How can you use old bread in your main dish recipes? So many ways! From salad recipes to pizza and even french toast here are a few items you can make today.

Bread Pizza from Veg Dishes of India

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast from Champagne Tastes

Nutella and Dark Chocolate Stuffed French Toast from Chocolates and Chai

Spaghetti Stuffed Bread from The Mighty Mrs

Israeli Panzanella Salad from What Jew Wanna Cook

Panade with Swiss Chard and Onion from Farm Fresh Feasts

Austrian Beef Bread Dumplings from Masala Herb

Mediterranean Strata with Olives, Sundried Tomatoes and Feta from Hello Little Home

Sweet Potato Casserole with Black Beans, Kale and Buckwheat from Happy Kitchen

Bread Crumb Cookies

Vegan Gur Cake from The Fiery Vegetarian

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