10 Ways to Salvage Stale Bread

Just because it's stale doesn't mean it's trash. Whether it's the dry ends of sandwich bread that nobody wants or half a loaf of Italian bread leftover from last night's dinner, there are plenty of things to do with stale bread. Don't just feed it to the birds - cook something with it! White, wheat, rye, whatever - you'll never look at old bread the same.

1. Use it to make bread pudding (this also works for stale bagels and english muffins)

2. Pulse it in the blender or food processor to make homemade bread crumbs. Store them in a freezer bag in the freezer.

3. If you would prefer to bake your meatloaf in a loaf pan or baking dish (instead of on a wire rack), place the raw loaf on the bread slices to soak up the grease.

4. Soak a few slices in milk and add it to the mix for super moist meatloaf (instead of using my breadcrumb trick).

5. Make French toast with it; you just have to soak it in the egg mixture for a little longer.

6. Cut it into cubes, toss with butter or oil and seasonings. Fry or bake for homemade croutons.

7. Tear it into chunks, bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees F. Serve with spinach or vegetable dip.

8. Use it as the big "crouton" on top of French onion soup (under the cheese).

9. Cut it into triangles and bake for a few minutes; top with tomatoes, onion, and olive oil for bruschetta.

10. Top slices with pasta sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese; heat in toaster oven or under your oven's broiler for easy mini pizzas. Top with your favorite toppings.