Bread pudding! I don't know if you can get your hands on pumpkin puree this time of year, but Smitten Kitchen's pumpkin bread pudding is fantastic! http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/10/pumpkin-bread-pudding/

Cibatta makes great breadcrumbs for meatballs

You can also just slice it and freeze it. It's always nice to be able to pull a piece of ciabatta out of the freezer to put a fried egg on for breafast.

you can either pull out the middle or pack it in and use it as a sandwich pocket! the crispy crust of ciabatta is perfect for this.

Besides some sort of sandwich that benefits from soaking -- a bahn mi or pan bagnat -- I make decadent croutons with it, toasting a garlic glove sliced in two in butter or bacon fat (then remove), and fry the croutons.

They are great in a Salade Lyonnaise (I use the fat from frying the lardons for the croutons -- lardons usually don't have much fat, so I have to add a little butter, but their flavour is in the pan).

Sicilian bread and tomato soup.

I just found a recipe for stuffed broccoli cheese bread on yummily. It would be perfect for cibatta.

Make Bread Salad. No croutons in this salad. The stale bread is quickly soaked in water then squeezed dry and added to a salad of your choice of lettuces/greens, fresh summer tomatoes, cucumbers, onions - you name it. Add plenty of fresh, light dressing, preferably homemade. This makes a lovely meal with a glass of wine and some cheese.

Alas, it will be a while before we get summer's tomatoes. But don't let that stop you from trying this delicious salad now. Just buy the best toms you can.

make some crostini. lots of toppings. sometimes, an assortment of crostini is my entire meal.

also, I like to melt some cheese on slices of bread and then float it on top of any soup.

savory baked french toast (use your gravy). will be amazing

Croutons in your soup, slivers of stale bread in your pasta or just coated in your favorite pasta sauce. When all else fails, grind down the bread crumbs, coat liberally in your favorite oil & dust with parmesan. Add the zest of a citrus fruit (or two). Bake until dry (shake the pan a bit during the cooking). Store in a mason jar and add liberally to anything you cook.

Bread pudding is a simple way to use up stale bread. Butter the slices and the tray. Make a simple egg custard, and let the bread soak into it. A nice cream vanilla sauce is a great topping, but then again so is whipping cream, ice cream, or just plain cream. Serve it hot.

When you tire of bread pudding, soak the bread in milk (or any liquid you like), layer it (butter-side up) in a well buttered pan. Fill it with fruits (berries, diced apples, you name it) and a tablespoon of vanilla. Top with more buttered and milk-soaked bread. Bake until the bread is well browned and the mix is soft. Serve over ice cream.

Our family can't get enough of El Bulli kitchen staff's simple dessert of grated chocolate on country bread with olive oil and sea salt. Recipe courtesy of NYT's Mark Bittman: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/magazine/bread-with-chocolate-and-olive-oil.html?ref=magazine

bruschetta: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruschetta