Day Old Bread: Prepare and Freeze
When I see day old bread in the grocery store, and it’s the yummy kind that makes a delicious Breakfast Casserole, I buy a couple of loaves.
Then I take off the top crust, pull apart. Put into Ziploc bags.
And freeze. Ready to pull out any time when I know I need to make a large breakfast the next day.
Like I did when I made this Breakfast Casserole. (BTW, I have this recipe and another, Pear Vanilla French Toast, in my new book. It’s perfect for house guests, if you want to prepare the night before.)
It’s good to think ahead and be prepared.
Do you ever prepare ingredients in advance and freeze? What’s your favorite breakfast casserole recipe?
I’ve been away for a long weekend camping and just clicked through to your site while catching up – it is looking great! I love the photos at the top too. I’m so pleased that you still have the glass photo though, that photo represents so much of what your blog is about.
I’ve just got your book too and I’m looking forward to reading it this evening. So pleased I don’t feel left out now!!
Hope you’re having a lovely week,
Jade
OK…ever since I read this, I am now scanning the reduced cart at my grocery store looking for some yummy reduced bread. I love this idea!
This has nothing to do with breakfast casserole, but I am at MOPS convention in Orlando, FL. And guess whose book I saw at one of the book tables? Yours!! It looks like a great book. I hope I have room in my suitcase for it.
Great idea, I have to admit I haven’t bought day old bread for my breakfast casseroles, how awful is that to admit! We just returned from our 2 week RV vacation and I prepped 3 breakfast casseroles before we left in small quantities (9″ cake pans) to have a quick hot breakfast that I didn’t have to spend time on while on “vacation”. It worked great and everyone loved them. Also, returned home to find your book here for me – so excited to read through all your great ideas!! Congrats and thanks for your guest post on my site while I was vacationing with my family!
Hey Sandy! That looks so yummy. I have a simple b’fast casserole that I like to make by layering the following
2 pieces of bread (cut up into cubes)
sausage (cooked/crumbled)
cheddar cheese
6-8 eggs (mixed with some milk or cream)
a little dry mustard
salt & pepper
I don’t worry with measurements. I just throw it all in a casserole dish the night before and bake the next morning. ~350 for ~30 min??? or whenever it looks done.
Now, check out how I use old bread here…
http://ginger-snap-shots.blogspot.com/2010/05/waste-not-want-not.html
I am the queen of freezer cooking and freezer storage. As a mom of six, having things ready to go in the freezer preserves my sanity.
A couple of simple staples in our freezer: 1) meat bones and veggie scraps for homemade stocks, 2) VERY ripe bananas (peeled, and broken in half) for smoothies. Keeping these things in my freezer are just a couple ways to prevent throwing out scraps and almost-black bananas. :)
Thanks for your nice comment on my blog, Sandy. I miss chatting with you. It’s been a whirlwind summer! I’m off to check out your book. Big congrats!
I was amazed at how many of the recipes in your book were the same as the ones I use all the time… the breakfast casserole was one that I use for Christmas every year and also used for Easter Brunch this year.
I tend to freeze already browned meats and leftover rotisserie chicken shredded for my mexican dishes or casseroles. I love the bread tip. That woudl work for my left over soy free bread that I never use up in time as well. I have an allergy and have to get special bread for myself and feel like it goes to waste a lot so I will use this tip for that! Thanks.
That is a really good idea. A question, though: what kind of freezer do you have? I never seem to have any extra freezer space.
I love to save half of my farmer’s market veggies in the freezer so they are ready for casseroles (breakfast or otherwise) or pasta or whatever the little heart desires in the dead of OHIO winters… A taste of summer thru the dreary months.
Great tip!! My favorite breakfast casserole has sausage, eggs, cheese, bread crumbs, and cream of mushroom soup…I know that last ingredient sounds weird, but it is is delish!
I bought your book today at the MOPS Convention in Orlando and I am SO excited to read it!!! :)
Yummy!! I got my book this morning!! Can’t wait to sit and read it.
I do occasionally freeze ingredients in prep for making a recipe. Most often I would say it was cooked sausage or chorizo with onions, peppers, and spices prepped for a day I will be making a large batch of breakfast burritos. I also like to mix up a few batches of dry ingredients for bread and freeze those in ziplock backs.. makes it very easy to pull out and dump in the bread machine with the timer set so you can have fresh bread in the morning!
There casseroles are both equally favorite in our home :-)
Breakfast Casserole (from when I used to sell Princess House)
6-8 eggs
2 cups milk
6 slices of bread, torn in chunks
8 ounces of grated cheddar cheese
1 pound of sausage, ham, or bacon, cut up and cooked
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place the torn chunks of bread in your casserole dish. Sprinkle the cheese and cooked meat on top. Beat the eggs and milk well then add your salt and pepper, to your families taste. Pour this mixture over the top of the casserole. Cover, and let set in your refrigerator overnight. Take the cover off and bake at 350 degrees or until bubbly and brown, about an hour.
Chili Cheese Puff (from my father in law, who got it from a sister in law, who got it from her aunt, who got it from……)
10 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pint (16 ounces) Cottage Cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
5 tablespoons pace picante sauce
1 pound monteray jack cheese (may substitute half with cheddar cheese)
salt, to taste (optional)
Beat eggs; add everything else and blend well. Pour into a well buttered 9×13 inch pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. The puff is done when the top is brown and a toothpick comes out clean. You can also prepare this the night before and bake in the morning.
Have a blessed week!
Sallie
uhm, that would be ziplock BAGS… lol
I also like to freeze the breakfast casserole already put together. I do this with my baked french toast. I freeze it then take it out the day before I need it to defrost and then all I have to do is put it in the oven in the morning.
I, like Lynn, have only recently started freezing bread. Especially when it’s on sale (and day old!). I seem to always run out of bread or I’m too busy to bake homemade, so it’s nice to be able to reach into the freezer and have a loaf handy!
I never used to freeze bread until lately, and I’ve discovered that freezing bread is a terrific storage solution and doesn’t affect the taste of bread; I like your idea to freeze some for Bread Cassasrole!
I love making a Chile Relleno Bake. It takes minutes to make. When I do retreats, I make it up ahead of time and pour it into a Ziploc. I just pour it into the pan, bake it and serve it with salsa and sour cream!
ingredients:
eggs
sour cream
chiles
jack cheese
cheddar cheese
hot sauce
Enjoy your summer day!
I’ve been really bad about preparing ahead but I do have a yummy Breakfast casserole. I haven’t seen yours yet but here’s mine. http://cookingkim.blogspot.com/2008/09/breakfast-casserole.html
Have a great day Sandy!