Answer: baked omelet, bruschetta & bread crumbs
Question: What do I make with day-old bread? I am a big fan of knowing what to do with fresh bakery bread before it goes to waste; almost as much as I adore having all sorts of ready-made inspiration waiting in my freezer (like pesto) or pantry (blueberry chutney, red sauce). I wish ‘what to make’ ideas popped readily into my head, but it helps immensely if I have a pre-conceived list of ideas.
If I have day-old bread, this is my current ‘go-to’ list of ideas: a baked omelet, bruschetta and bread crumbs. The bread crumbs I make quickly in a food processor, then throw them into a Ziploc bag into my freezer for future use (to make eggplant bites, goat cheese rounds, meatballs, baked chicken tenders, etc.).
Bruschetta is straightforward: slice bread or baguette in 3/4 inch slices, brush each side with olive oil and broil each side 1-2 minutes until lightly browned. Add some salt, fresh herbs and thinly sliced tomatoes and serve.
I just made a baked omelet for lunch, and my boys and I gobbled it up. (They could make it just as easily as I. It would tempt them: they would get to crack eggs and use a whisk! If I could add in the meat pounder they would surely be in kitchen heaven). I am always on the lookout for simple and easy breakfast dishes, and this one is just that:
Baked Omelet
Serves 4.
5 eggs
2/3 cup whole milk
pinch kosher salt & coarse pepper (KS&CP)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 oz prosciutto, diced
1 cup (plus) gruyere or Swiss cheese
1 cup bread cubes cut in 1/2 inch dice
3 T olive oil
1-2 tsp dried Italian herbs
Whisk eggs in bowl; add all but last two ingredients. Stir to blend. Butter dish and pour in egg mix. Toss bread cubes with 2 T oil; plop on top of eggs and pour another 1 T oil over cubes and sprinkle with Italian herbs. Bake in 350 oven for 25-30 minutes.
Note: I put it in an oval baker, approximately 8×5 inches. I haven’t diverged from this simple recipe, but have a hunch that beyond prosciutto many ingredients can be added like roasted veggies, pesto, sausage or ham… maybe add some Roasted Romas on the side.
And please tell me all your juicy day-old bread secrets (okay, I mean other than the compost pile):
Tags: bread crumbs, bruschetta, omelet
Comments
Oh, Janelle, Do you remember Grandma Van’s bread pudding recipe with raisins and vanilla sauce?
Like you, I’m a devotee of breadcrumbs. They’re so much better than the stuff in the store. (Shudder). The best bread crumbs I ever made were from ciabatta bread. I also like to use stale bread for croutons and bread salad.
Your pictures are fabulous!! One cup of gruyere? Argh!! I’m drooling.
mmnm..I loved backed omelettes!!
baked rather than backed! *laugh*
Donna: Yes! Yes! But send me the recipe, it has been so long. I am thinking I need to make it and add some rum whipped cream…
Sher: Bread salad: great reminder. I will add it to my ‘go-to’ list. Gruyere is easily one of my favorite cheeses! So yummy…
Jeff: I have maded the baked omelette three times this week:). My kids LOVE it, and now I have it committed to memory!
Hi, Janelle. I add some milk, pinch of sugar,salt and baking powder, also some flour to the bread crumbs, bake this like pancake and eat with boiled potatoes. It’s delicious, especially when you add some chopped parsley or methi-fenugreek leaves to the batter.
Thank you for visiting my blog and recipe suggestions you made. I’m really interested in baked omelette, esp after seeing its photo.
YUMMMMMMMMM! This was sooooo good! I am astonished how good/different the baked version is from a “regular” omelette…light & fluffy w/ tons of flavor. The olive oil on the bread REALLY makes a huge difference and imparts so much flavor. I even left out the cheese (gasp…tisk, tisk) and it was still rich & delicious. The empty plate is still sitting in front of me & I am now going for seconds…!
(also, I used hard salami instead of prosciutto & it was great; served with sliced raw tomatoes, yum.)
betul: Oh sounds yummy! I need to find out more about fenugreek…
Danna: You are too kind! Way to be inventive, I love it when people take a recipe and change this and that… thanks for visiting:)