18 Cheap and Delicious Stale Bread Recipes to Make With That Forgotten Loaf

From a cheesy French onion strata to a hearty Tuscan stew, these are our favorite ways to give leftover bread new life.

By
Yasmine Maggio
Yasmine Maggio
Yasmine Maggio
Associate Editor
Yasmine is an Associate Editor at Serious Eats. Her work has been featured in Women’s Health and on L’Officiel USA, and she recently graduated from New York University with a master's in journalism. You can find her at Bleecker Street Pizza on any given weekend.
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Published October 08, 2024
classic Panzanella salad served inside a dish

Serious Eats / Qi Ai

We’ve all been there before: you bake or buy a beautiful loaf of bread and make a lot of plans for how to use all of it, but then life gets in the way; a few days later you realize you didn't follow through, and all you've got is some stale bread on the counter. “What a waste!” you say as you throw up your hands in frustration. You pick up the no-good food and begin your walk of shame towards the trash can.

But wait! What if there was some way you could bring that stale bread back to life? What if it could be used to make creamy soups, crispy croutons, and more? It’s true! Stale bread can make its way into a number of recipes, so step away from the trash can and join us at the drawing board. From a cheesy French onion strata to a hearty Tuscan stew, these are our favorite ways to make use of leftover bread.

  • Spanish-Style Migas With Chorizo, Peppers, and Kale

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    Vicky Wasik

    Migas is Spanish for “crumbs,” so that might give you an idea of how leftover bread makes its way into this dish. Chunks of hearty bread get moistened and then crisped in olive oil that’s infused with smoked paprika and pork fat. This is then added to a vegetable and chorizo mixture, and topped with fried eggs. It’s an easily customizable dish that’s all about turning whatever you have on hand into a rich and satisfying meal—one that’s quick enough for a weeknight dinner, but just as worthy of a spot at your weekend brunch.

  • Easy Gazpacho

    A bowl of gazpacho sprinkled with chopped herbs. The bowl is on a mottled blue surface and there is a metal spoon to the right of the bowl.

    Serious Eats / Mariel De La Cruz

    Simply put, gazpacho is like a cold version of creamy tomato soup, sans the dairy. Instead, it leans on bread to create a thick texture and similar consistency. Layering and salting the vegetables above the bread allows the starch to sop up all of these juices before blending. Once you blend the mixture, you’ll want to pour it through a strainer to get that silky smooth texture. And just like that, you have an easy and delicious lunch.

  • Ajo Blanco (Spanish Chilled "White Gazpacho" Bread and Almond Soup)

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    Vicky Wasik

    Also referred to as “white gazpacho,” ajo blanco is made with bread, almonds, garlic, olive oil, and a splash of vinegar. That’s right—no dairy's needed to make this creamy warm-weather bread soup. Start by blending blanched almonds with water and garlic until milky, then add the bread, vinegar, olive oil, and salt to taste. Once chilled, serve with a garnish of green grapes, crushed almonds, and mint leaves.

  • Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato and Bread Soup)

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    Vicky Wasik

    No fresh tomatoes? No problem. This Tuscan tomato-bread soup works just as well with good-quality canned tomatoes and plenty of olive oil. The key to getting the bread to a custardy consistency is spooning stock over it and allowing it to simmer until softened. You’ll want to hand-crush the tomatoes to create a chunky texture, then let the remaining ingredients achieve a porridge-like thickness on the stovetop. Top with fresh basil, then bask in the warm golden glow of accomplishment after turning some stale bread and pantry staples into a beautiful bowl of soup.

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  • French Onion Strata (Savory Bread Pudding)

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    Emily and Matt Clifton

    The flavors of French onion soup in the form of a savory bread pudding? Sounds like a winner in my book. The secret to turning the soup into a strata is all in the ratios. In this case: more bread, less liquid. Stale bread helps absorb the egg mixture better. After soaking in that custard for about 30 minutes, the bread gets layered in a cast iron skillet with caramelized onions and buttery Gruyère cheese. Once baked, the strata emerges from the oven as a hearty, cheesy dish that works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

  • Spring Strata With Asparagus, Leeks, Sausage, and Cheese

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    Vicky Wasik

    Another version of strata, this recipe incorporates asparagus, leeks, mushrooms, sausage, and Gruyère cheese. Perhaps the best thing about almost any version of savory bread pudding is that it’s easy to put together and can be made ahead of time, so long as you bake it just before serving. The longer it sits, the more liquid the bread is able to absorb, so we recommend making it the night before. Sunday brunch just got a whole lot easier.

  • Sourdough Anchovy Croutons

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    Sasha Marx

    Croutons may be the easiest way to make use of old bread. Here, we add anchovies to give them an umami boost. The anchovies get broken down in olive oil first, creating a savory base coating for the croutons. After tossing the chunks of bread in the oil, you can toast them to crispy, crunchy perfection in the oven or on the stovetop. Just three ingredients help revive your bread, making golden croutons that are perfect for salads or even just snacking on all on their own.

  • Ribollita (Hearty Tuscan Bean, Bread, and Vegetable Stew)

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    Vicky Wasik

    Loaded with vegetables and beans, this Tuscan stew gets its thickness from bread. If you fancy an even thicker, porridge-like consistency, you can simmer it down even further. And you've got other options: Our pressure cooker version streamlines the process; our summery version makes use of vegetables like zucchini and green beans; and if you don't feel like eating soup, ribollita cooks down well enough that it can be sautéed into a savory pancake.

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  • 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Soup (Vegan)

    A bowl of creamy vegan tomato soup on a stone background with a spoon to the right of the bowl. The surface of the soup is drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with chopped herbs.

    Serious Eats / Eric Kleinberg

    You can still achieve creamy tomato soup without a drop of actual cream. This recipe is completely vegan, relying on bread to help thicken it up. Sliced sandwich bread adds plenty of starch and wheat proteins to the soup. Once it’s blended with the tomatoes, garlic, and onions, you’re left with a rich liquid that has a bright tomato flavor. And, of course, no serving of tomato soup is complete without a side of crispy grilled cheese.

  • Classic Panzanella Salad (Tuscan-Style Tomato-and-Bread Salad)

    classic Panzanella salad served inside a dish

    Serious Eats / Qi Ai

    Bread doesn’t just make an appearance in panzanella—it’s the star of the show. And when summer rolls around, we get to make use of ripe, in-season tomatoes, too. When salted and drained, those tomatoes offer up their flavorful liquid, which is the perfect base to create a delicious vinaigrette. Once we toss the vinaigrette with the tomatoes and leftover bread, we have a summery salad that’s hearty enough to serve as a meal or on its own.

  • Banh Mi Panzanella

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    Morgan Eisenberg

    We broke down the classic flavors of a banh mi sandwich and turned it into panzanella. First, we marinate tofu in a mixture of lemongrass, soy sauce, honey, and fish sauce. After draining and patting it dry, we sear it until crispy. The tofu is then tossed with pickled vegetables, stale bread, and hoisin-honey sauce, and drizzled with chili mayo. You’ll want to keep this in your rotation of tasty summer salads.

  • The Food Lab's All-American Meatloaf

    The Food Lab's All-American Meatloaf

    Serious Eats / Mariel De La Cruz

    There’s a lot that goes into making this one of the best meatloafs around, and one of those additions is bread. If you're having a hard time pulsing the bread in the food processor, try adding a splash of water or chicken stock to get things going. In addition to the bread, the other ingredients in this recipe, such as buttermilk and marmite, create a meatloaf that’s tender, moist, and velvety.

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  • Perfect Quick-and-Easy French Toast

    Quick and easy french toast, topped with butter and syrup

    Serious Eats / Eric Kleinberg

    Our basic French toast recipe brings together bread, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg—staples that you likely have on hand. We managed to find the perfect ratio of egg, milk, and sugar, resulting in a French toast that’s neither too wet and soggy nor too firm and eggy. When using stale bread, you’ll want to let it soak up a little more batter than usual so it doesn’t turn out dry. A sprinkle of sugar on each side before flipping creates a crisp caramel crunch.

  • Savory Green Curry French Toast

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    Vicky Wasik

    Who said French toast has to be sweet? This version incorporates ingredients like green curry and fish sauce for a spicy and funky twist. Soaking the bread overnight ensures that even stale bread can make a French toast that’s custardy on the inside and crispy on the outside, and packed with flavor all around. Since most of the prep work is done the night before, I can’t think of a better dish to enjoy on a lazy Sunday.

  • French Onion Soup (Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée)

    Overhead view of two bowls of french onion soup in small bowls on a striped blue background

    Serious Eats / Julia Estrada

    With its intensely savory sauce and loads of cheese, French onion soup is the perfect dish to incorporate leftover bread. The broth base is made up of chicken stock, fish sauce, sherry, and the juices from the caramelized onions. After the base is spooned into individual bowls, slices of rustic bread are then pushed in, topped with Gruyère cheese, and broiled. While this recipe takes a while to prepare, our pressure cooker version can be made from start to finish in 40 minutes.

  • Romesco Sauce

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    Vicky Wasik

    If you ask me, you can never have too many condiments on hand, and they taste even better when homemade. This Spanish sauce is packed with almonds or hazelnuts, fruity roasted tomatoes, garlic, and earthy dried peppers. Stale bread makes its appearance when it's moistened with vinegar, smashed to a paste, and mixed with the other broken-down ingredients. The good thing about romesco sauce is that everything from the proportions of ingredients to the finishing texture is up to your discretion. Whether you like it thin and smooth or thick and chunky, the sauce work well on roasted meats or grilled fish, in soups, and even as a spread for your favorite sandwich.

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  • Italian Salsa Rossa (Tomato and Bell Pepper Sauce for Boiled Meats)

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    Vicky Wasik

    This tomato and bell pepper sauce brightens up any meal, from boiled and grilled meats to loaded sandwiches. Sautéed carrot and garlic add flavor and depth, while a panade made from bread and vinegar give the mixture both its thickness and tanginess. Thank you, bread, for once again coming to the rescue.

  • Stuffing

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    Vicky Wasik

    Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, we can all agree that it can’t be made without bread. Depending on how stale your bread already is, you probably won’t need to dry it in the oven. Once you’ve got the bread base ready, the possibilities are endless: a classic version with sage and sausage, an elevated version with oyster and fennel, and even one that vegans can enjoy. And if you don’t want to wait until Thanksgiving to whip some of these up, go for it!

June 2020

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