Crust Creation #4: Stuffing!

Well, it's Thanksgiving and what better time to use up our left over bread crusts.  So we did.  To get the crusts stuffing ready we thawed out about 4 cups of bread crusts, cut them in to 1/2 in. cubes, toasted them in the oven on a baking sheet for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

You can use any of your favorite stuffing recipes, as always, but here is ours.  My kids like stuffing to be very simple, no dried fruit, nuts, etc.  You could certainly add whatever you please.

What you need:

1 cup chopped onions
3 T butter
1/3 cup parsley
2 T sage
2 T thyme
2 cups chicken broth


What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Butter a shallow baking dish. 9x9 or comparable.
Place cubed, toasted bread crusts in a large mixing bowl
Melt butter in a sautee pan on medium heat.
Cook chopped onions in butter until onions are tender
Add parsely, sage, and thyme, once mixed remove from heat.
Pour butter/onion mixture into bread bowl
Distribute broth evenly about bread and turn bread crusts to evenly coat.
Pour bread crust mixture into baking dish and cover with foil
Bake for 40 or so minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.

You can store in refrigerator for up to 2 days before serving.  Reheat at 350 for 30 minutes.  Enjoy! (Picture to come)

Crust Creation #3- Fondue Dipping Bread

That's right.  Fondue!  We took our bread crusts and cut them (or tore them) into one inch cube-like pieces. We paired our bread crust cubes with cucumbers, tomatoes, and apples and a yummy gruyere fondue.  You can substitute any cheese fondue recipe and voila...  a yummy and light dinner will be ready in minutes.

We used:

1 3/4 cups of dry white wine
2 1/4 cup gruyere cheese
1 clove of chopped garlic
dash of grated or ground nutmeg
2 T of flour (for thickener and to reduce stickiness)
Assortment of fruits and veggies (e.g. grape tomatoes halved, cucumbers chopped, diced apples, etc.)


Mix the cheese and the flour in a bowl. Place chopped garlic in the warmed fondue pot and let cook for just a minute or so.  Do not burn.  Pour wine into a sauce pan or fondue pot at 200 degrees.  Bring wine to a boil and then lower it and let simmer for another minute.  Mix cheese into the fondue pot with wine a little at a time.  Make sure each portion of cheese is just melted before adding the next portion.  Add a dash of nutmeg.  When all cheese has been added and the mixture is just boiling lower the heat and eat.  You can use the fondue pot to serve or pour fondue into separate bowls.

My older daughter really enjoyed the gruyere fondue...  My little one tolerated (barely).  I would make a more kid friendly cheese version to change it up if you think you kids would be anti-gruyere.  Enjoy!

Crust Creation #2-Chocolate Bread Pudding

Okay, first things first.  Again, you can use your favorite bread pudding recipe and exchange their bread recommendation for your leftover bread crusts.  This recipe was easy to make, serves about 4, and received an "Oooooh Mommy!  This is soooo yummy!"  Hope you enjoy.

What you'll need:
4 cups of bread crust (you can break the crust down into little squares if you wish)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk (more milk and cream if you like it saucier)
1/4 cup cream (substitute with milk if you don't have cream)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa (I used Ghiradelli's sweetened...yes, sweetened)
1/4 cup brown sugar (yes, more sugar)
2 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
whipped cream
8 Strawberries sliced thin


What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lay out bread crust pieces on bottom of lightly greased baking dish (smaller than a 9x13 if you have one.  A glass pie pan would work too) In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, and cocoa.  Mix in the milk and cream.  Poor over bread crusts.  Stir until bread crusts have been coated and you can either let it set out until the bread crusts have absorbed the egg/milk mixture or if you are in a hurry like I was, use a measuring cup to press crusts into mixture to speed up absorption.  Once the bread has absorbed the egg/milk mixture it is ready for the oven.  Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Do the clean fork test.  Clean Fork = Done.

Take out of the oven, serve in ramekins, coffee cups, or bowls.  Top with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.  Enjoy your bread crust in all it's glory!

Disclaimer

Before I forget, I must say that I am not pretending that I am a master chef.  I am a mom, a woman, a person who enjoys experimenting in the kitchen with food :)  So, forgive me if my lingo is not correct or my proportions are not precise.  I learned to cook the old school way.  "A little of this...A little of that" Tweak this recipe here, that one there and improvise when necessary.  I appreciate your forgiveness ahead of time.  Now to more important things....Crust be gone!

Crust Creation #1-French Toast Fries!

I have been carefully cutting crust so that we can make French Toast Fries.  We didn't want french toast crumble (but hey, that might be next), so, we were careful to cut the crust in long strips and not break them before putting them in a one gallon ziploc freezer bag.  When the bag was full, we made French Toast Fries. Here's how..

You'll Need.
French Toast Egg Mixture.  Use your favorite or here is ours...(use more or less depending on how much crust you have)

4 Cups Bread Crust Strips
4 eggs
1/4 cup cream or milk
T. Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice (more or less to your liking)
Tsp. Vanilla (more or less to your liking)
Syrup
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar (optional)


1. Thaw crust.
2. Whisk together eggs, cream, spice, and vanilla in a shallow baking dish.
3. Heat a lightly oiled or buttered griddle or any pan you would normally use to make pancakes or french toast in.
3. Dip crusts in egg mixture.  Do not soak just make sure the crust is coated.
4. Lay egg-covered crust on griddle and let cook for 2-3 minutes per sides or until French Toast Fries are golden on all sides.
5. Lay Fries on paper towel to soak up any excess oil/butter
6. Dust Fries with Powdered Sugar
7.  Poor syrup of choice into a dipping cup or ramekin.

Dip your French Toast Fries into syrup and enjoy that CRUST!