Home cook shares ingenious hack to turn stale bread into mouthwatering treat: 'It's an easy way to save money'

We've all been there — wondering what to do with leftover bread or bagels just past their prime. Luckily, there's a brilliant hack that creatively repurposes that still-perfectly-edible bread, keeping it out of the trash and saving you cash.

The scoop

TikTok creator Kat (@athomewithkat) has a genius solution to upcycle stale bread into something tasty and sustainable. Kat's process is simple: Cut the bread into cubes for croutons or slices for crostini, and season them how you like (Kat uses oil, garlic, salt, and pepper — adding bagel seasoning for good measure to the croutons). 

@athomewithkat Discounted Day-old Bagels = endless possibilities 🥯 Slice them thin for sandwiches, use the middle for french toast or avocado toast, pulse into breadcrumbs, or turn them into croutons and crostini. Bake at 375°F and store for weeks or months in the freezer —easy, budget-friendly, and zero waste! What's your go-to food-saving hack? Let me know! #BudgetFriendlyMeals #FoodSavingHacks #ReduceFoodWaste #EasyMealPrep #LeftoverMakeover #SimpleRecipes #BagelLovers #creatorsearchinsights #homecook ♬ Nice and Easy - Louis Adrien

For breadcrumbs, blitz the bread in a food processor, and voilà — you have fresh crumbs for a crispy topping that can be used in your favorite recipes. Spread everything on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown — this is a great way to keep your food fresh for longer.

"It's an easy way to save money, reduce waste, and keep my belly happy," Kat explains.

How it's helping

This clever hack not only saves you money on store-bought crostini and croutons (which are typically packaged in smaller volumes with higher prices), but it also extends the usefulness of one pack of bread. 

Many of us have run out of sandwich ideas (or cravings) with half a bag left, so why spend money on premade breadcrumbs and croutons when they're so easy to make at home? Plus, you can customize the seasoning to give your croutons, crostinis, and breadcrumbs even more versatility.

Food hacks like this can help prevent food waste by providing creative ways to do more with your leftovers. Bread is one of the most-wasted foods out there, so this hack can give your bread new life before it spoils. 

Organizations like Too Good To Go, which turns excess food into discounted meals, are also helping to keep food from unnecessarily ending up in landfills while simultaneously cutting food costs for shoppers.

What everyone's saying

TikTok users are loving this hack!

What's the most common reason you end up throwing away food? Bought more than I could eat 🛒 Went bad sooner than I expected 👎 Forgot it was in the fridge 😞 Didn't want leftovers 🥡 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"I always buy bagel thins and still never eat them all, love the tip," one user said.

Some commenters even suggested other similar ideas. "Toss cubes into French toast batter and make mini French toast bites! Bake or fry in a pan," another user added.

Some comments also pointed out that you can double down on the savings of this hack by sourcing your bread through apps like Too Good To Go or Flashfood. Another commenter said: "You can get bagels for so cheap! My freezer is always full."

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