Wonderful things to do with old bread

I love bread. It's as simple as that. I can't resist buying a great-looking loaf of fresh-baked bread when I see one. However, because it's just the two of us, we rarely finish a loaf of bread (except of course Fat Boy's breads) before it starts to get a little dry and crusty. Because I hate wasting food, here's what I do: simply chop bread into one-inch cubes and seal well in a ziplock bag and throw into the feezer. Use frozen bread within 2-3 months to make one of the following:

Homemade Croutons
What better way to dress up a simple salad than homemade croutons???
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss frozen bread chunks (no need to defrost) in a bowl with olive oil (you don't need a lot), garlic powder, salt, pepper, and any combination of dried herbs (oregano, rosemary, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes). Stir to coat and place on a large cookies sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Breadcrumbs
Place frozen bread cubes in food processor and pulse until you reach desired consistency. Toast in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or in a pan on stovetop (don't forget to stir). When breadcrumbs are golden brown and crisp add salt and pepper to taste as well as any other flavorings you like (dried oregano, basil, parsley and garlic for italian-flavored). Use in any recipe calling for dry breadcrumbs.

Adventures in Leftover Land: Part 2

So I ended up freezing quite a few pounds of mashed potatoes after Thanksgiving (see
Adventures in Leftover Land: Mashed Potatoes). After thawing, mashed potatoes can be kind of runny and/or dry, but they worked perfectly in this soup.

Quick Potato Leek Soup

Serves 4

2 leeks, with green parts cut off, split down the middle

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetable stock and/or milk, or a combination
S&P to taste

Soak the leeks in water to wash out any dirt. Remove from water; drain. Slice the leeks into 1/2-inch strips and sautee leeks and garlic in the butter over low-medium heat until soft. Add leftover potatoes then the stock/milk - until you get the consistency you like. Use imersion blender or blend in batches and return to pot to heat thouroughly. Add S&P to taste and serve with assorted toppings including chopped chives, scallions, cheddar cheese, crumbled veggie bacon, hot sauce, etc.

Adventures in Leftover Land: Mashed Potatoes

MO's contribution to our Thanksgiving meal this year was 20 lbs of mashed potatoes! No, that is not a typo - he did, in fact, make 20 lbs of potatoes. Needless to say, there were lots and lots of leftovers...and our weekend was full of mashed potato jokes and creative leftovers: Sparky and CK made us Mashed Potato Cakes with Poached Eggs and Smoked Salmon, then I made Potato Croquettes with Mozarella (delicious but definitely a once-in-a-while kind of treat). Then we got tired of mashed potatoes so I froze the rest. It will be fun to see what the rest of them become. I'm thinking...soup, pierogies, gnocchi...anyone have any other ideas?

Potato Croquettes
(made with leftover Mashed Potatoes)

cold leftover mashed potatoes
cubed mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs, seasoned with S&P

Use a tablespoon to scoop out rounds of mashed potatoes. Press each around a small piece of mozzarella cheese. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat until all potatoes are used (or until you have enough). Place in refrigerator or freezer until firm. Prepare fryer or pan. Dip each ball in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Fry until golden brown and serve with dipping sauces (marinara, aoli, ranch dressing are some ideas).

Mashed Potato Cakes with Poached Eggs and Smoked Salmon: