Using your loaf

How many of us buy a loaf of bread as part of our weekly shop to only throw part of it away at the end of the week?  I had a friend who lived with his sister and he used to threaten to throw the whole loaf away as soon as she unpacked the shopping because chances were it would still be in the bread bin mouldy when she bought the next one the following week.

​Over the years I have come up with all sorts of ways to use leftover bread rather wasting it or giving most of it to the birds. There are some recipes as old as time where you can use old bread, for example Queens Pudding and Bread and Butter Pudding. However there are only so many times you can keep making these recipes without getting bored, so I have tried to be a  bit more adventurous whilst sticking to a budget

Fruit pie with bread instead of pastry
​In this recipe I rolled flat some left over bread and used it instead of making/buying pastry for my fruit pie.

​Salmon on Brown Bread
​​These are a family favourite on Christmas day with a glass of bubbly.  I quite often make them in advance and pop them in the freezer then take them out a couple hours before we are ready to eat.

​Stuffed Garlic Mushrooms
Here I used left over breadcrumbs mixed with garlic, butter and cheese to create stuffed garlic mushrooms

​Cheese and Cranberry Canapés
These are a fab way to use up leftover bread and cheese especially at the end of the festive season

​Asparagus Rolls
​These make great starters and canapés.  If I ever have any left over brown bread I usually freeze it for this purpose or to use for other canapés​

Another one to try is Bread Lasagne, substituting the pasta for bread. However I would toast the bread first or roll it flat to make it less absorbent for the sauce.

​Croutons
​​These are always great in salads or can make soup a meal in itself.  Just pop them in the freezer and pop them in oven to heat them through just before you need them.

​Tomato Bruschetta's
​If bread has begun to dry out there is nothing better than drizzling it with some olive oil and popping it in the oven to make a bruschetta for the topping add some fresh or tinned tomatoes with basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  Another option is to add some  onion and some chopped chillies if fancy something with a bit more zing.
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​Alternatively just spread some garlic butter on top before putting it in the oven to make garlic bread.

​Posh Welsh Rabbit
​​Here is my posh Welsh Rabbit inspired from a trip to Switzerland with apple and melted cheese. 

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