Day old bread can be a bit crusty and dry, but all is not lost. Day old bread makes a great base for salad croutons, french toast, bread crumbs, bruschetta and more. Day old bread can also enhance desserts such as bread pudding and cobblers.

Gently cube your day old bread; sprinkle with your favorite seasonings; drizzle with a very small amount of oil and toast in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes then turn and continue for 10 minutes more. Remove when both sides are golden brown. Let cool and add to your favorite fresh salad. Store in airtight containers or plastic zip bags for up to two weeks. Be creative and try flavoring your day old bread cubes with different herbs and varieties of oils. Crush up the final remnants of any leftover croutons and use as spiced breadcrumbs in your next meatloaf.

Using day old bread slices in your favorite French Toast recipe will keep the star of your dish from sinking into oblivion and falling apart. The batter will soak into the bread, instilling incredible flavor, but the aged bread will also survive the moisture better than fresh bread and not result in a soggy mess.

This same fact holds true for using day old breads in bread puddings and for using French or Italian bread for the perfect bruschetta or tapenade. Let the whole loaf sit out, unwrapped overnight. Slice evenly into 3/4 inch diagonal slices. Rub a raw, peeled garlic clove over both sides of each slice. Drizzle your favorite flavored oil onto one side of each slice and toast for 4 to 6 minutes in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven. Line toasted slices on a serving platter and top with favorite bruschetta toppings or tapenades.

When you are in a time bind or simply can't get to making crusts for a cobbler, try instead layering day old bread slices with crusts removed. Be sure to butter your baking pan before layering the bread slices. Then, sprinkle a sugar and cinnamon mix over the bread slices before adding in your fruit cobbler filling. Then, crumble homemade sweet croutons over the top of your cobbler for a crunchy, crisp, crumbly topping.

You can revive a day old bread loaf that is unsliced by rubbing an ice cube or drizzling water over the top crust. Then, bake the dampened loaf in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Or use a slice of day old bread to revive a bag of dried, clumped brown sugar. Either way, day old bread is anything but a useless loss. Enjoy!