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

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.