We have a source of free sliced bread, and I am trying to think of some recipes to use it in.

 So far I have sandwiches and french toast. :-)

 Anyone have more creative ideas?

Here are some ideas:

Bread pudding 

Egg in a basket 

Homemade bread crumbs 

croutons, feed the ducks, make a modeling clay with white glue. E

Bread-Crumb Cookies -  http://apennycloser.com/2007/10/24/tightwad-wednesday-cheap-postal-scale-crumb-cookies/  (scroll down about to the middle of the page for the recipe).

You'll find a lot of recipes at this web site:  http://www.recipelink.com/mf/0/76701

~Gingerbread

I like to mix eggs, grated cheese-I like swiss or sharp cheddar, veg-I like broccoli or mushroom, torn bread, salt, pepper, and paprika and pour in a greased dish- bake until set and a little crusty.  Good with rye bread, but any is good.  This is a good weekend lunch, and very thrifty. 

 Stuffing

Bread dumplings is the perfect solution for what to do with stale bread. I keep a gallon-size, zip-type bag in the freezer where I accumulate discarded bits of bread and buns except raisin or dessert types. When it's full I make dumplings: Warm 1/2 stick butter or margarine and 1 cup milk in microwave. Crumble 1 to 2 loaves day-old French bread or 1 bag of bread ends or similar into a large bowl. Pour the butter/milk mixture over the bread (if bread is very moist use less, or more if it's dry). Let stand for one hour. Add 2 large or 3 medium eggs, kneading into bread mixture. Form into small, firm balls about the size of golf balls or slightly larger. Place in boiling water for 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite cut of meat and gravy.

Panzanella Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups of heirloom tomatoes

1 small cucumber, peel and dice or slice


1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup of fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

½ cup of extra virgin olive oil (or as needed)

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or to taste

8 pitted olives

salt and pepper

6 - 8 slices of stale coarse country bread

Preparations:

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and torn basil.

Drizzle with ½ cup or 4 oz. oil and 3 tablespoons vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat evenly.

Cut or tear the bread into bite sized pieces. Place half the bread in a wide shallow bowl. Spoon on half of the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate.

Toss the salad, then taste and adjust the seasoning. If there is more bread left add a little more oil or vinegar.

Garnish with a few basil leaves.

Serve immediately.

Stale Bread Casserole

* 2 cups stale bread crumbs
* 1 quart scalded milk
* 1/3 cup sugar
* ¼ cup melted butter
* 2 eggs
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla or
* ¼ teaspoon spice

Instructions

1. Soak bread crumbs in milk, set aside until cool; add sugar, butter, eggs slightly beaten, salt, and flavoring; bake one hour in buttered pudding-dish in slow oven.

Bread Pudding Muffins

Prep Time: 25 minutes

4 Tablespoons melted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
6 eggs
2 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups milk-scalded

1lb sweeter varieties stale bread
  (Challah or grandma's white)  

Mix brown sugar, white sugar cinnamon and salt in large bowl to get lumps out of sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until eggs are thoroughly combined. Add butter to milk and heat in microwave until butter is melted and milk is hot. Slowly add hot milk to sugar mixture while constantly stirring. Need to add milk slowly so eggs won’t cook. Cut up day old cinnamon swirl, muffins, white bread, challah, wheat bread, swirl breads, scones, cinnamon rolls, etc. Anything that is not savory (that does not have herbs, garlic, or cheese in it). Add cut up bread until all liquid is absorbed. Fill to top well sprayed muffin tins or quick bread pans. Can fill all the way to the top as the bread pudding will not raise it will stay the same height.

Cheese, Onion and Bread Souffle

2 tablespoons butter, plus more for the dish
10 slices (about 10 ounces) stale soft white or sourdough bread, crusts removed and torn into ½-inch pieces
2 cups hot milk
 1 small onion, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
4 eggs, separated
7 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 1 pinch ground nutmeg
 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400° F. Butter a 2- to 2 ½-quart soufflé or baking dish; set aside. Place the bread in a shallow bowl and pour the milk over it. Set aside until the liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash the bread with your hands or a spoon and stir in the onions. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne. Pour the mixture over the bread, stirring until well combined. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the bread mixture in 3 additions. Transfer to the soufflé dish and bake in oven until golden and firm, 45 to 50 minutes. Serve with salad greens and shredded carrots.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Apple Pan Charlotte

4 pounds (about 8) apples, such as Granny Smith or Golden Delicious—peeled, cored, quartered, and roughly chopped
 Zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
 12 ½-inch slices (1 pound) stale soft white bread, cut in half
 2 egg whites

Place the apples, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir to coat. Place in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples break down, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in 4 tablespoons of the butter and ¾ cup of the sugar and continue cooking until the mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Melt the remaining butter. Brush each bread slice generously on both sides with the butter. Press a third of the bread into an 11-by-7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with a heaping tablespoon of sugar. Top with half the apple mixture. Repeat the process, pressing to compress, and ending with buttered bread. Whisk together the egg whites and the remaining sugar. Pour over the top of the dish and bake until golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Escalloped Corn

1 small green pepper
Few grains cayenne
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup canned corn
2 tablespoons flour
Yolk 1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup stale dried bread
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon mustard
2/3 cup buttered cracker crumbs

Wipe pepper, cut in halves, lengthwise, and remove seeds; then cut in strips, and strips in halve, crosswise. Cook pepper, onion, and butter five minutes, stirring constantly. Add flour, mixed with seasonings, and stir until well blended; then pour on gradually, while stirring constantly, milk; bring to the boiling point and add corn, egg yolk, and bread broken in small pieces and cooked with one tablespoon butter until well browned. Turn into a buttered baking dish, cover with buttered crumbs and bake in a hot oven until crumbs are brown.

Austerity Cakes:

1 slice stale bread per person

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup grated coconut

1 cup cocoa

1 cup orange juice

1. Trim the crusts from slices of stale bread and cut them into fingers (long strips).

2. Dip the bread fingers into the orange juice.

3. Mix the sugar, coconut and cocoa together.

4. Place the sugar, coconut, and cocoa mixture into a large bowl and coat each bread finger both sides with the mixture.

5. Place the fingers on greaseproof paper to dry overnight.

Stale Bread Griddle Cakes

stale bread, crust removed, 1 cup total
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup flour

Tomato and Stale Bread Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 to 6 slices of bacon
1 large onion, minced
1 large stalk of celery with a few leaves, minced
1 tablespoon of flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-oz can of crushed or pureed tomatoes
28 oz of water (use the can to measure)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
2 cups stale or dry French bread, Kaiser roll or similar bread, cubed
black pepper,  cayenne pepper and/or salt to taste

If bread isn't completely dry, cut it in cubes and spread on a cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven while you prepare the soup.

Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pot and add the bacon.  Stir occasionally over medium heat until nearly crisp.  Drain fat well.

Add 1 more tablespoon of fresh olive oil.  Add the minced onion and celery and sauté, stirring frequently, until onion is nearly transparent.  Add flour and continue to cook until flour is light beige in color.  Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute; be sure the mixture doesn't brown beyond dark beige.

Remove from heat.  Stir in tomatoes little by little to combine with the flour.    Add the water, tomato paste, basil,  oregano and 1 tablespoon of sugar.   Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Taste, and add salt or black pepper if desired, and another tablespoon of sugar if the soup is still too acid.  

Add bread cubes, stir just to mix, and simmer another 5 to 10 minutes on very low heat until bread is soft but not mushy.  

This soup may be served as is, or with a dollop of low fat sour cream or sprinkled with small cubes of reduced fat cheese.  Garnish with a little more shredded fresh basil if your family enjoys that herb.

If any is left over, cool and then puree in a blender or food processor for a thicker soup the next day.

Easy Bruschetta

Ingredients

     4 slice stale bread

     2 small tomatoes

     1/4 cup olive oil

     1/4 tsp salt

     1/8 tsp pepper

     1 tbsp olive oil

     1/4 tsp garlic powder

     1/2 tsp dried basil

Procedure

    Combine the 1/4 olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Brush onto both sides of the bread. Bake in toaster oven till both sides are very lightly toasted.

     Meanwhile, coarsely chop tomatoes.  Mix in 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic and basil.  Let marinade.

     When bread is finished toasting, let cool for three minutes. Spread with tomato mixture and your bruschetta is ready. 

Bruschetta Variation #1: Skip the tomato mixture.  Classic bruschetta is eaten without a topping.

Bruschetta Variation #2: Substitute 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves for the dried basil.

Bruschetta Variation #3: Rub a garlic clove over the bread when it comes out of the toaster.  Leave the garlic out of the garlic mixture.

Blueberry Baked French Toast Casserole

• 10 slices stale French bread (1 inch thick)
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup nonfat milk
• 1/3 cup lite silken tofu
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 24 oz. frozen blueberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. lemon zest

Place bread slices in a 9 x 13 pan. In a blender, combine eggs, milk, tofu, vanilla and baking powder. Pour over bread. Turn bread several times to ensure it is evenly covered with egg mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray another 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Toss together blueberries, sugar, nutmeg and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour into prepared pan and spread out evenly. Top with prepared bread slices. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Serves 10.

Hope this helps.  :) 

Great, thanks! This should keep me busy this week!!