18 Easy Recipes To Use Up Stale Bread

Having to throw away stale bread can feel like such a waste, but what if there was still a way to use it as a delicious ingredient in some tasty recipes?

Well, it’s your lucky day, because here are 18 simple and easy recipes that use stale bread as an ingredient!

So if you’re looking for a way to use up your old, stale bread to save it from the garbage, read on – this list of 18 tasty recipes has got you covered!

18 Easy Recipes To Use Up Your Stale Bread

1. Bread Pudding

Rich and buttery, this classic dessert is a perfect recipe for using up your old, stale bread.

This simple bread pudding is delicately sweet, and flavored with a tasty homemade egg custard.

The custard soaks into the chunks of stale bread before baking, giving it back some moisture and giving the pudding a delicious and light flavor.

Toss in some raisins for a hint of jammy sweetness, or a handful of chocolate chips if you want a sweeter dessert.

2. Herby Stuffing

No roast dinner is complete without some herby and buttery stuffing! Stuffing works best with stale bread anyway, so this delicious recipe is a no-brainer if you’re looking for a way to use up your old bread.

Tear up pieces of stale bread (or pulse them with a blender if you want a finer stuffing) and mix them with buttery fried onions, some stock, and a generous sprinkling of fragrant herbs.

Bake it until the top is crispy and golden, and enjoy!

3. Cheese, Onion, And Sriracha Garlic Bread

Who doesn’t love garlic bread? This delicious recipe adds a spicy spin on the original, with a dollop of sriracha sauce mixed into the garlic butter.

This kick of heat is balanced with the fresh taste of spring onions, which have also been combined with the garlic butter.

While it works best with a baguette, you can also use this recipe with a flatbread or other loaf. Cut into chunky slices, spread on a thick layer of sriracha garlic butter, and add a generous handful of shredded cheese.

4. French Onion Soup

This cozy French classic is a perfect recipe for using up stale bread – in fact, stale bread actually works better than fresh bread!

French onion soup is served with a slice of baguette topped with cheese on the top. If you use fresh bread, this will quickly get soggy from the soup.

Meanwhile, a slice of stale bread will be rejuvenated by the soup without getting too soggy or soft.

5. Italian Breadcrumbs

Italian breadcrumbs make a great seasoning, topping, and ingredient in a wide range of dishes. These seasoned breadcrumbs are incredibly quick and easy to make, and will definitely become a staple in your pantry!

You can make the breadcrumbs by blending chunks or slices of stale bread with a blender or food processor until they’re the right consistency.

Then, mix them with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (a dried mix of parsley, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and onion powder).

6. Tomato And Basil Bruschetta

Bruschetta is a traditional Italian recipe that uses grilled bread to hold various toppings. Grilling the bread dries it out and hardens it.

In this tasty tomato and basil bruschetta recipe, you can swap out the grilled bread for a slice of stale bread instead; alternatively, you can also grill the stale bread.

Top with diced tomatoes and fresh basil for a tasty, simple dish.

7. Breakfast Bread Pudding

This savory take on classic bread pudding is a perfect breakfast food. It has everything you need in a good breakfast – eggs, bacon, cheese, bread – all baked into one delicious recipe.

Instead of a sweet egg custard to tie things together, this tasty breakfast dish adds a pinch of salt and pepper for taste and soaks the chunks of stale bread in a creamy, savory egg.

8. Croutons

Croutons are one of the easiest things to make, and are incredibly handy for all sorts of dishes. All you need to do in this recipe is toss cubes of stale bread with some oil and a mix of seasonings, before baking them until golden brown and crispy.

These simple toppings are also easy to customize to suit your tastes, too. Change what seasonings you use, or swap out oil for melted butter – the choice is yours!

9. Apple Brown Betty

A brown betty is a type of apple pie topped with a sweet and crispy crumb mixture. Blend stale bread in a food processor with brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and melted butter for the perfect topping on a delicious spiced apple pie filling.

10. Stuffing Muffins

If you’re looking for an easy way to portion out stuffing, these bite-sized muffins are just what you need! Delicious, herby stuffing is baked in a muffin tin for the perfect single portion size, which is great for dinners and breakfasts alike!

11. Panzanella

This tasty Italian salad features chunks of stale bread along with roasted tomatoes, fragrant basil, and a tangy vinaigrette.

The bread absorbs the juices and taste from the tomatoes and the vinaigrette, making it soft enough to eat and adding tons of fresh flavors.

Quick and easy to make, this tasty bread salad is great for lunch in a hurry.

12. French Toast Casserole

Classic French toast is taken to the next level in this sweet and rich recipe. Fill a casserole dish with chunks of stale bread and pour on creamy homemade custard, and bake until golden brown.

The outside will be deliciously crunchy while the inside will be soft and cakey, just as French toast should be!

13. Apple Charlotte

Like an apple brown betty, this dessert features an apple pie filling coated with a breadcrumb topping. However, an apple charlotte is completely coated in breadcrumbs before baking.

You can also use entire slices or strips of bread instead, although this is tricky if the bread is dry and stale.

14. Italian Bread Soup

Pappa al Pomodoro, or Italian bread soup, is a hearty soup from the Italian region of Tuscany. This warming soup is made by soaking slices of stale bread in a simple tomato and basil soup until soft.

The soup is then mixed to let the bread break apart, giving it a thick and slightly lumpy consistency.

15. Creamy Bread Sauce

Bread sauce is a traditional English recipe. While it might sound strange at first, bread sauce is a popular side with chicken and turkey, and its rich creamy taste is the perfect balance for the meat.

16. Savory Sausage And Cheese Bread Pudding

Another savory take on bread pudding, this tasty recipe uses smoky sausage and sharp cheddar for a simple yet delicious twist on the original.

With a sprinkle of herbs and spices, and some rich buttery eggs, this tasty dish is great for breakfast, lunches, and even dinner!

17. French Bread French Toast

While French toast traditionally uses slices or strips of thick brioche bread, this recipe swaps it out for slices of stale baguette.

The dry and dense bread soaks up the tasty custard and gets a delicious crispy layer on top while frying for a crunchy twist on the sweet treat.

Add a splash of rum for an extra hit of sweetness and a gentle warmth that balances perfectly with the brown sugar and cinnamon.

18. Ribollita

Ribollita is a type of Italian soup filled with whole chunks of stale crusty bread. Using stale bread in this recipe is far better than fresh bread, as it won’t turn into mush when it absorbs moisture from the soup.

You can also add croutons to the top for even more mileage from your stale bread!

Bursting with veg along with protein from kale and cannellini beans, this hearty soup is just as healthy as it is delicious!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Stale Bread Safe To Eat?

Just because your bread is past its best doesn’t mean it’s dangerous. Bread going stale just means that the starch has dried out and gone hard – it’s still perfectly edible!

As long as there isn’t any mold on your bread, you don’t have to worry about any negative effects of using it in these recipes – it’s still a handy ingredient, and (as these recipes prove) can be used to make all sorts of tasty dishes.

Can You Rejuvenate Stale Bread?

If your bread has gone stale and you want to try and get it back to its original soft state, don’t worry – there are a few simple things you can do to help rejuvenate your bread.

Dampen the bread by passing it under running water, wrap it in foil, and pop it in the oven for around 20 minutes. The interior will be soft and fluffy again, while the crust will keep its crispiness!

This isn’t a perfect fix and won’t work properly if your loaf is too stale, but is still a handy trick. But why bother when you can use your stale bread in these tasty recipes?

How Do You Stop Bread From Going Stale?

If you want to preserve your bread for as long as possible, then the main thing you need to do is stop air from getting to it.

This will dry out the bread, and allow bacteria to get at it and lead to mold. Keep your bread wrapped in plastic wrap or put it in a bread box, and keep it in a cool and dry area.

The bread will still go stale eventually, so you should store it in the freezer if you want it to last longer than a few days.

Final Thoughts

Just because your bread has gone stale doesn’t mean you have to throw it away, and these tasty recipes are clear proof of that.

If you have some bread that’s past its best, you can use these 18 delicious recipes to help you use it up without having to waste food.

So why not make the most out of your stale bread while using it up in the process, and give these simple recipes a try – you’ll cut down on waste and give your old bread new life, along with some incredible flavors!

Enjoy!