Bread Leftovers: Good to the Last Crumb

One of the most valuable leftovers to have on hand gets too often tossed out: dried-out bread. On the other hand, there are some cooks--I’m one of them--who save every crumb of bread. My freezer is full of little plastic bags of bread ends. But even when used in the usual way, we bread savers typically end up with an over-abundance of bits and ends. After all, there are only so many turkeys you can stuff.

The problem is, too many cooks forget that beyond bread crumbs and stuffing, beyond breakfast toast and French toast, beyond bread-based pizzas and grilled sandwiches, there are other interesting ways to use these leftovers.

How about soups thickened with bread instead of potatoes or flour? Bread puddings, both sweet and savory, are wonderful. And, of course, croutons add crunch, flavor and style to soups and salads.

With the following recipes, you can accumulate bread leftovers in the freezer and use them as the assets they truly are. Old bread isn’t necessarily a crumby thing to have around.

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Sweet garlic and onion bread soup is as smooth as soup made from the most carefully cooked veloute sauce, yet the thickener is simply good old bread. The garlic mellows out as it cooks but the soup still smacks of its wonderful flavor. The parsnip--and the process of sweating the vegetables until they are caramelized--sweeten the soup to just the right point. Croutons are a great garnish, sopping up the garlic soup.

SWEET GARLIC AND ONION BREAD SOUP

1 tablespoon oil

1 very large head garlic, separated into cloves, peeled and halved

2 medium onions, minced

1 medium parsnip, chopped

3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup stale 3/4-inch bread cubes (without crusts)

Salt

Dash cayenne pepper

Croutons

Snipped fresh chives, optional

Heat oil in 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add garlic, onions and parsnip. Stir well. Lay piece of wax paper right on vegetables to sweat them. Cook, in this manner, until vegetables are lightly caramelized, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. Discard wax paper.

Add broth. Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Add bread cubes. Let stand few minutes until bread is soaked through.

Puree soup in blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. Can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen as long as 3 months. Serve hot, garnished with croutons and snipped chives. Makes 3 3/4 cups, or 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

174 calories; 691 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.29 grams fiber.

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Bread puddings are in great favor these days but typically they are rich and sweet. This pizza bread pudding is neither; it’s a delicious, homey dish that can easily make a meal with a salad of mixed greens. You can add other typical pizza ingredients, such as green pepper, sausage, etc., although the pudding is very tasty as is. When tomatoes are at their summer best, substitute two cups diced fresh tomatoes and their juices for the canned diced tomatoes.

PIZZA BREAD PUDDING

2 cups stale 1-inch bread cubes (without crusts)

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

3/4 cup tomato juice

1/2 cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into fine julienne

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Spread bread cubes on baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, use fork to froth egg and egg white in 2-quart bowl. Add diced tomatoes and juice, tomato juice, onion, basil, oregano, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Add baked bread cubes. Toss well. Let stand until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Transfer mixture to lightly greased 6-cup shallow ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 325 degrees until cheese is lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Can be made day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat in 350-degree oven, covered, until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

228 calories; 421 mg sodium; 66 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 1.09 grams fiber.

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Simplicity wins out here. There’s no cooking in this dessert. “Day-old” toasted brioche or challah bread cubes are saturated with berry puree and juices, then compacted into individual souffle dishes. Plain high-quality bread can be used as well. Puree the berries with the sugar and let the mixture stand for about one hour at room temperature to bring out the essence (and liquidity) of the berries before tossing with the bread cubes.

BERRY BREAD PUDDING

1 pint strawberries, hulled

1/2 pint raspberries

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup sugar

3 cups stale 1/2-inch brioche or challah bread cubes

Lightly sweetened whipped cream, creme fraiche, softened frozen vanilla low-fat yogurt or ice cream, optional

Puree strawberries and raspberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. Taste. Mixture should be slightly tart. Add remaining sugar if needed. Let mixture stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Toss bread cubes with berry mixture in 1 1/2-quart bowl. Let stand until all liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes, tossing often.

Line bottoms of 4 (3/4-cup) individual souffle dishes with circle of parchment or wax paper.

Divide bread-berry mixture between dishes, pressing down with back of spoon. Drape with plastic wrap. Weight dishes down (easily done by stacking 2 and weighting top dish with 14 1/2-ounce full can). Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

To serve, run knife around edge of each dish. Invert onto dessert plates. Serve with dollop of whipped cream. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

169 calories; 191 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1.67 grams fiber.

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