8 Ways to Eat a Loaf of Bread for Dinner

Remember when everyone could eat bread? With more and more people avoiding gluten, bread has become a guilty pleasure at the dinner table, even for those of us who can tolerate it just fine. My deepest sympathies to those with gluten intolerance, who may want to look away while I take a moment to appreciate warm, soft, chewy, crusty, wonderful bread and all the ways you can turn a day-old loaf of it into a full meal.

Bake bread cubes with custard, vegetables, herbs and cheese to make a warm and satisfying savory bread pudding. Simmer stale bread in a rich stock for a soft and soupy panade. Or if spring weather has arrived where you live, lighten things up with a panzanella made with seasonal vegetables.

PICTURED
• 1

  Savory Bread Pudding with Spinach, Chèvre, Smoked Ham & Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Sauce at The Kitchn

• 2 Savory Biscuit Bread Pudding with Tomatoes & Mushrooms at Spoon Fork Bacon
• 3 Roasted Onions Filled with Savory Bread Pudding at The Cupcake Project
• 4 Panzanella with Artichokes & Olives at Kitchen Confidante
• 5 Winter Brussels Sprouts Panzanella at These Peas Are Hollow

NOT PICTURED
• 6 Savory Bread Pudding with Sausage and Escarole at Sunset
• 7 Slow Cooker Cheesy Panade with Swiss Chard, Beans & Sausage at The Kitchn
• 8 Butternut Squash and Cheese Panade at Relish

Related: What’s the Difference? Panade, Strata, and Bread Pudding

(Images: Faith Durand; Spoon Fork Bacon; The Cupcake Project; Kitchen Confidante; These Peas Are Hollow)