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You are here: Home / Breads / Freezing Foods Made From Bread Surplus

Freezing Foods Made From Bread Surplus

May 12, 2014 by Playne Jayne 37 Comments

Freezing Foods Made With Bread Surplus

Freezing Foods Made With Bread Surplus

Freezing Foods Made From Bread Surplus

I know, right!?  Look at all that bread!

I took bags and bags to share with my neighbors & they were so glad to get loaded up on this beautiful bread!  I decided I’d make the most out of the rest, knowing that if I just froze it, even if I wrapped it carefully, it would only last so long.  Sooooo, here’s what I did! 

Freezing Foods Made With Bread Surplus

 First order of business for any salad lover is CROUTONS of course!  And I enjoy making foods that are forgiving in the recipe – ya know, the kind you don’t have to measure precisely and they come out fantastic.  I tossed my bread (cut into crouton size bits)  in an oil/butter blend.  About 3 parts oil to 1 part butter, melted and drizzled over the cubes.

Freezing Foods Made With Bread Surplus

Then I tossed those beautiful little cubes in salt, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and dried parsley. I am a big fresh herb lover, but I didn’t have any on hand and I had dried the parsley last fall from the garden and it still has amazing flavor.

Freezing Foods Made With Bread Surplus

Doesn’t that make you just want a salad?!

I baked them on a cookie sheet at 350 for anywhere between 25-35 min.  Watching their coloring is more important than assigning an exact time they’ll be done. You don’t want them to turn too brown – just golden!

Freezing Foods Made With Bread Surplus

 My crouton haul ended up being enough to top a large salad to feed my whole family 13 times this summer!  (I had taken the picture above before I had decided to make MORE!)  They are the best croutons I’ve ever crunched!

Freezing Foods Made With Bread Surplus

Next up – bread pudding.  I used the recipe from Paula Deen except I replaced a lot of the milk in her recipe with a surplus of homemade kefir I also had on hand and it was fantastic!  I’m so glad I made that choice – the kefir gave the bread pudding a wonderful flavor.

Stockpile Any Surplus
                                           French Toast Casserole and Bread Pudding

I also made french toast casserole.  (Using both croissants and french bread.) Again, I used Paula Deen‘s recipe as a guide, but made it my own in terms of the amounts of spices and sugar. I tend to estimate when I do this kind of cooking because, well, because I can!  Not all endeavors in the kitchen are this forgiving, so I enjoy it when I can.

I will admit, by the end of this bread frenzy, the mixture for the bread pudding kind of looked a lot like the mixture for the french toast casserole with cinnamon and nutmeg added in.  (Shhh… I cheat.  Don’t tell. )

Final count for my day well spent?

  • 13 bags of croutons
  • 4 bread pudding casseroles
  • 4 french toast casseroles

What types of surplus foods have you been blessed with and how did you preserve them for use?
Let us know! Please let us know you stopped by; we’d love to hear your story!

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Filed Under: Breads, Recipes Tagged With: Bread, Bread Pudding, Butter, Cinnamon, Croutons, Eggs, French Toast, herbs, Kefir, Milk, Nutmeg, Paula Deen, Recipe, Sharing

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Comments

  1. Robin (Masshole Mommy) says

    May 12, 2014 at 11:46 am

    I never really freeze food because it never seems to taste the same as fresh when I reheat it.

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 12, 2014 at 11:55 am

      Robin – I agree! some foods just aren’t good candidates for freezing. Nothing worse than pulling something out you worked hard to preserve and have it not taste good. But these pudding and casserole do extremely well and they will probably be gone within the next month. The croutons will last nicely into the summer because they are toasted up so crisp. ~Jayne

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  2. Allyson says

    May 12, 2014 at 11:50 am

    Wow, what great ideas! I usually use the bread up right away because we are bread lovers, but we never get this much! I am going to pin this for ideas! Thanks!
    Allyson recently posted…Barilla® Taste the Difference and 3 Herb Garlic Cheese Bread

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 12, 2014 at 11:58 am

      Allyson, thank you! I was determined to put it all to use. I have never been a great freeze ahead domestic goddess – something I’m working on! Thanks so much for stopping by – I’m really glad you enjoyed the post! ~Jayne

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  3. Mama to 5 BLessings says

    May 12, 2014 at 12:26 pm

    wow you are amazing! So frugal and prepared! I so need to do this instead of scrambling!

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 12, 2014 at 12:33 pm

      Mamato5blessings, it felt a lot like scrambling, but thank you! My husband often will come home with armloads of stuff: ‘can you use this’? And it’s become a bit of a challenge:) Everything worked out though and we are enjoying all of the items made very much! ~Jayne

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  4. Dee says

    May 12, 2014 at 4:18 pm

    What great ideas – I don’t freeze a whole lot (other than strawberries and such from the garden that we have too much of). I’ve never put bread in the freezer!

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 9:52 am

      Dee, thanks so much! I think the reason the idea even dawned on me is that I hate the prices of store bought croutons! ugh! ~Jayne

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  5. Pam says

    May 12, 2014 at 5:41 pm

    I have never tried freezing homemade croutons, but that is a great idea.

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 9:54 am

      Pam, I am so bad – I can hardly enjoy a salad at all without croutons! 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by! ~Jayne

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  6. Debbie Denny says

    May 12, 2014 at 7:41 pm

    Looks like you came up with some great ways to save this. Wonderful
    Debbie Denny recently posted…An Average Joe’s Pursuit for Financial Freedom! Ebook and $100 Paypal Giveaway!

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 9:55 am

      Debbie,Thanks for dropping a line! I tried my best to rise to the challenge hahaha ~ Jayne

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  7. Milena says

    May 12, 2014 at 8:01 pm

    Can you freeze the croutons? Or do they just keep? Great ideas. I make a lot of quiches when we have extra eggs!
    Milena recently posted…Prosciutto Bowls with Spinach Fettuccine #GoodCookKitchenExprt

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 9:57 am

      Milena, I bet they would keep for a while – like bread crumbs. I just know anything with oil, the oil can turn and quite honestly, I love croutons so much on my salad that I didn’t want to take the chance! Lol! Do you keep chickens? I just made an egg casserole last night and I could make another tonight with all the eggs we have! It’s that time of year:) good to hear from you – thanks so much for stopping by! ~Jayne

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  8. Annie {Stowed Stuff} says

    May 12, 2014 at 9:16 pm

    Bread pudding – good idea! I don’t think I’ve EVER had it! We’d have a lot of croutons in this house with all the heels of bread and stale bits! Great ideas!

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 9:59 am

      Annie, I had never had it tip recently either! I was always hesitant… it just didn’t sound right to me. But it’s a keeper for sure! I’m so glad you enjoyed these ideas! ~Jayne

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  9. Amy Desrosiers says

    May 12, 2014 at 9:35 pm

    Oh Laura, I get you didn’t know I was a crouton addict. I can’t make them cause I’ll set them all!!

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 10:00 am

      Amy, (fellow crouton lovers unite!) lol! I am so bad with croutons. ~Jayne

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  10. Debi@ The Spring Mount 6 Pack says

    May 12, 2014 at 9:54 pm

    Wow. I am always trying to use up bread when I have extra. I need to take some of your tips.
    Debi@ The Spring Mount 6 Pack recently posted…Road Trips Made Easy: Snacks for a Road Trip

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 10:01 am

      Debi, I am so happy these ideas can be useful to someone. They’ve really blessed our household… we are certainly BREAD LOVERS!!!! Thank you for dropping a line! ~Jayne

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  11. Shauna says

    May 12, 2014 at 10:32 pm

    I love eating home made croutons. I actually made some with left over pizza… they were so super-yummy.

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 10:33 am

      oh my – that’s a good use of leftover pizza Shauna! love it!!! ~Jayne

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  12. Liz Mays says

    May 12, 2014 at 10:57 pm

    I can’t believe I’ve never thought to do the crouton thing. What’s my problem? I’ve thrown out way too much bread that would have been perfect for it.
    Liz Mays recently posted…Now THIS is Cool! #BanTotalRefresh

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 10:36 am

      Liz, it really has made me look differently at things I throw away – to see if there’s another way I can use them. I hope you have fun if you try it! – I know you’ll love them. 🙂 ~Jayne

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  13. Lois Alter Mark says

    May 12, 2014 at 11:59 pm

    That bread looks too good to have any leftovers! I would definitely want to try that bread pudding!
    Lois Alter Mark recently posted…off to new orleans with nicholas sparks!

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 10:36 am

      Lois, come on over! I can pull some out of the freezer! lol! ~Jayne

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  14. Maria Oller says

    May 13, 2014 at 6:31 am

    We dont eat muhc bread and when I bake there is always left overs everywhere I never actually tho about freezing croutons I love the idea thanks!!

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 10:40 am

      Maria, I hope it works well for you! Thank you for stopping by! 🙂 ~Jayne

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  15. Lexie Lane says

    May 13, 2014 at 11:49 am

    Oh wow! My cousin does this a lot and I have no idea how she does it. Such a great way to recycle your food.

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 11:52 am

      Lexie – thanks! I am trying to be a bit more available to the challenge these days! And it’s really stretching our grocery dollars:) ~Jayne

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  16. StacieinAtlanta says

    May 13, 2014 at 12:20 pm

    I love it! Food waste will kill your budget if you’re not careful. The croutons look fantastic!
    StacieinAtlanta recently posted…Ban® Total Refresh™ Cooling Body Cloths #BanTotalRefresh

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 12:29 pm

      Stacie – agreed! (Great minds!) Please – if you have any tips throw them our way!!! I know I need all the help I can get! ~Jayne

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  17. Trisha says

    May 13, 2014 at 2:48 pm

    What a great idea and your crouton look amazing! I really want to try making them myself! I actually think my daughter and hubby would love that french toast casserole, yum!
    Trisha recently posted…Comment on Saying “Thanks, Baby” & Pampers Prize Pack #Giveaway! #DDDivas #ThanksBaby #Sponsored by lisa kay

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 13, 2014 at 2:59 pm

      Trisha – that casserole is such a treat! I hope you enjoy if you try it!!! ~Jayne

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  18. Danielle says

    May 14, 2014 at 12:39 am

    Well done you! Now that I am no longer working so much on the weekends, I have more time to try out food preparation and freezing ideas. It’s great 🙂
    Danielle recently posted…Inspiring Women Summit (Free Event)

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    • Jayne Lloyd says

      May 14, 2014 at 12:22 pm

      Danielle – It’s so hard with a heavy work schedule! Just on our homestead the farm chores sometimes compete with my time spent doing stuff like this – I understand. Please let us know if you have any freezing meal prep ideas you’d like to submit!!! ~Jayne

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Trackbacks

  1. Ricotta and Herb Pizza Recipe says:
    June 7, 2014 at 5:11 pm

    […] salad in the picture is fresh kale and arugula tossed with herbs, homemade croutons, and a little balsamic vinegar and olive […]

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