Bread is too good of a thing to let go to waste. How many times does your uneaten bread go to the birds? If for some insane reason you didn’t eat the entire baguette for dinner, use the leftovers to make some delicious bread crumbs, which are always handy for adding texture to casseroles. Bread crumbs can go stale quickly, so keep them fresh longer by storing in the freezer.

　　

Ingredients

makes 3 cups

　　1 loaf day-old bread

　　2 tablespoons dried thyme or oregano

　　2 tablespoons dried basil or parsley

　　1 teaspoon garlic powder

　　2 teaspoons salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

　　

Step 2

Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and pulse in a food processor to make coarse crumbs. Spread the crumbs on a baking sheet and dry them out by baking for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Allow the crumbs to cool completely.

　　

Step 3

Return the dried crumbs to the food processor. Add the thyme, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then pulse until the crumbs are finely processed and well mixed with the seasoning.

　　

Step 4

Store in an airtight container for up to six months.

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.