Thrifty Uses for Day Old Bread

Bread is an important part of a balanced diet. Stocking up on bread ensures you won't run out at the last minute. Occasionally, you can over estimate how much bread your family will need and you wind up with stale or day old bread. Before you dump it in the trash can, try these ideas for putting it to good use.

Day Old bread makes delicious fresh toast. I actually prefer it to fresh, because I find it holds the egg mixture better. Ingredients for my family's favorite french toast recipe are:

Two slices of day old bread
Two eggs
One third of a cup of milk
Dash of vanilla extract
Cinnamon to taste

Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a deep bowl with a whisk or fork. Sprinkle in your cinnamon and coat both sides of your stale bread until moistened thoroughly. Heat in a buttered pan on stove until browned on both sides. Serve with fresh fruit for a hearty and nutritious breakfast.

Make your own croutons for salad. Cube the day old bread and coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and any other spices you would like. Garlic, Parmesan cheese and basil are just a few suggestions. Be creative! Bake on a cookie sheet in a three hundred and fifty degree oven until browned.

Toast your day old bread in a two hundred degree oven until brown and crusty. Use your cheese grater to grate your stale bread into breadcrumbs. A food processor is also a great tool for turning stale bread into breadcrumbs You can mix your homemade bread crumbs with any spices and seasonings appropriate for the meal and use for breading chicken and pork chops. I used to sprinkle store bought breadcrumbs on my homemade macaroni and cheese for a crust on top. Even the flavored bread crumbs tasted a little bland. Preparing and cooking with your own bread crumbs provides a tastier alternative. Homemade breadcrumbs are excellent for your family's favorite stuffing recipe too..

Use your day old bread to make your favorite garlic bread extra crusty on pasta night.

Day old bread is great for feeding the birds in your yard or the geese at a local lake.

Add your stale bread to your compost pile.