If there’s anything that we can all get behind, it’s learning how to be less wasteful. According to Love Food Hate Waste, about 63% of the food Canadians throw away could have been consumed. That’s an alarming statistic! So, with that in mind, learning how to repurpose food that we otherwise would have deemed as ‘bad’ seems like a good thing to take on. Obviously, some food is past the point of salvage, but many aren’t. Bread, in particular, is thrown away en masse when it doesn’t have to be; every day, we waste about 750,000 loaves! Something’s got to give, and how to better tackle this issue than with some fun and delicious recipes for stale bread?
But even though we’re talking leftover bread, a delicious meal still begins with quality ingredients. With bread as the base of your future go-to recipes, the first thing you should do is secure a quality loaf. And for that, Silver Hills Bakery is an excellent choice! Not only are their specialty breads Non-GMO and certified organic, but they are also made with sprouted grains. Unlike usual whole grain products that are enriched to make up for nutrients that were stripped in processing, sprouted grains help you retain more nutrients.
And if you thought Silver Hills’ bread was exceptional for sandwiches, toast, breading, and beyond, just wait until you try them in one of the following ways!
Cutting back on food waste: here are five surprising ways to use leftover bread instead of throwing it away
Croutons
If you’ve never made homemade croutons, please take this as a sign! There is nothing more delicious than fresh-from-the-oven golden-brown croutons. When you make them yourself, you get the added benefit of adjusting everything to your palate; that means as much oil, garlic, and herbs as your heart desires!
Stuffing
Yes, stuffing is traditionally consumed during Thanksgiving, but who said it has to be? Stuffing is one of the best parts of the festive feast, so, if you have a couple of slices of old bread just sitting there, no matter the day, we think that it’s as good of a time as ever to celebrate your thankfulness! All you need is plenty of butter, some garlic, herbs and onion, and you’ve got yourself an irresistible snack.
Bread pudding
A classic. This simple yet indulgent snack is sweet, custardy goodness at its finest. Ladle your creation in a warm cinnamon brown sugar sauce or serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and wonder to yourself why on earth you’ve been throwing out leftover bread when you really could have been making this.
French onion soup
If there’s something that screams decadent, it’s a creamy French onion soup. Super rich, fragrant and incredibly delicious, French onion soup is worth making your bread stale for! Loaded with silky onions, perfectly melty cheese and topped with crusty bread, it puts other soups out there to shame.
Strata
If you’ve never had strata, it’s much like an egg casserole, just without the crust. Creamy, salty, and just everything you look for in a quality comfort food! Bake it with some spinach, some bacon, and maybe even some cheese if you’re feeling daring, and enjoy this timeless dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Part of the solution in cutting down on food waste is learning how to repurpose what can be repurposed. You can shop Silver Hills Bakery’s artisan Non-GMO loaves and baked goods at The Sweet Potato in Toronto to try out any of the above suggestions. Happy cooking!