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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
5 min
04/09/2025
If you have been collecting ‘New York’s best brown bread’ like John Abraham’s character in ‘New York’ and each week you dread the extras, then you are at the right place. It’s likely the bread in your pantry is neither brown nor artisanal, and whichever the case may be, you can give it a makeover without much hassle or wasting time. Rather than tossing the few pieces, you can convert them to toast, make sandwiches, or turn them into crunchy breadcrumbs for cutlets.
If you are thinking of what to do with stale bread, staring at the lonesome leftover loaf resting on your kitchen counter, this one’s for you. Take the leftover bread as the starting point for something tasty, for leftover bread is a very useful ingredient that will help you in minimising food wastage in the kitchen. If you are looking for sandwich recipes, look no further, for this article covers dipped, battered and sandwiches with fillings that are a delicious feast for the senses. You can use leftover bread to prepare breadcrumbs, croutons, or even bread pudding. With a little creativity and your imagination, you can turn yesterday’s bread into today’s gourmet breakfast.
This is one of the quick bread breakfast ideas, and bread besan toast is the Indian version of the popular French toast. It’s made the same way as the classic French toast, with the bread dipped in a batter made with gram flour (besan), chopped onions, green chillies, coriander, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, and a little water. The bread slices are then pan-fried on both sides until golden and crisp. It’s crunchy, spicy, and perfect for a quick breakfast or even an evening snack. Besan is rich in protein and fibre, which makes this dish healthy and filling. It can also be pan-toasted with minimal use of oil.
These are fairly easy to make, think of pita pockets, but made with local ingredients, just the perfect Indian breakfast with bread. To make stuffed bread pockets, mash boiled potatoes with peas, chilli flakes, salt, chaat masala, and chopped coriander. Take regular white or brown bread, trim the edges, and flatten each slice with a rolling pin. Place a spoonful of the filling in the centre, fold it into a triangle or rectangle, seal the edges with a flour-water paste, and shallow fry until golden and crispy. They're like mini samosas, but made with bread. Air fry or bake them with a brush of butter or oil for a healthier breakfast option. You can also add soya granules, crumbled tofu, tempeh or paneer into the filling for a nice protein boost.
Another great leftover bread recipe is bread egg roll, to make which you need to whisk eggs with finely chopped onions, green chillies, salt, and pepper. Heat a pan, pour in the egg, and quickly place a slice of bread on top so it sticks to the egg. Once the egg is set, flip and cook the other side. Roll it up with a smear of ketchup or green chutney if you like. It’s a quick, protein-packed breakfast recipe, and tastes like street food, but from your kitchen. You can customise it with the addition of grated cheese, shredded chicken, paneer or sauces like mustard, dips or mayonnaise.
A beloved comfort food for many, leftover bread can be used to make aloo sandwiches. To make this, mash boiled potatoes and mix them with chopped onions, green chillies, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chaat masala, and salt. Spread this spicy potato filling between two buttered slices of bread, and grill or toast until golden and crisp. You can even pack these sandwiches for tiffin boxes or reserve them for a quick snack. This one’s inspired by Mumbai's famous street-side sandwiches, which just got a healthy upgrade, sort of. You can jazz it up with beetroot or fresh tomato slices. These sandwiches are packed with energy and a decent amount of fibre.
How about a lightning-fast breakfast recipe like a desi pizza, spread pizza sauce or ketchup on slices of bread? Top the leftover bread slices with chopped onion, capsicum, tomato, corn, and a generous handful of grated cheese. Sprinkle with chilli flakes and oregano, then toast in a pan with the lid on or bake until the cheese melts and bubbles. It’s ready in under 10 minutes and is a no-oven alternative to quick pizza. You get crispy edges with a gooey centre, which mimics the OG pizza. You can customise the toppings with leftover veggies, corn, olives, paneer, sausages, or even scrambled eggs.
Another quick idea for rushed mornings when what to do with stale bread hits you like a truck is bread poha. Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces. Heat some oil in a pan, crackle mustard seeds, and toss in curry leaves, chopped onions, and green chillies. Once softened, add turmeric and salt, then add the bread pieces. Mix it up for the bread to soak the masala and finish it off with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh coriander. You can add peanuts, grated carrot, or peas for a nutrient boost; you get protein, fibre, iron and some vitamins.
Not every breakfast needs a fresh start, and sometimes, the best things come a day late, like that sad loaf of bread about to expire. Sandwiches, breadcrumbs, torn to bits, bread can be reborn as poha, toast, or something entirely unexpected. You just need a little creativity with a handful of ingredients for a filling and a delicious breakfast.
