As good as it is to dip a freshly cut piece of baguette into some olive oil and seasoning, or to simply crack off a piece and eat it “au naturel”, day old baguette does not offer the same “wow” factor. Although the bread is still yummy, even your best bread cutting board and knife cannot bring back that newly baked freshness.
Here are some recipes that will allow you to enjoy any leftover baguette:
Add a little fancy to a traditional favourite. Pull out your baguette bread cutting board and carefully slice into half inch wide pieces. Make little sandwiches with any type of cheese that you have in the fridge. Butter the outside of the sandwiches and place them into a heated skillet. When both sides are golden brown, enjoy!
A delicious way to enjoy a restaurant-like salad at home! Cut up the baguette on your bread board, or, for an even more traditional look, break it up into little cubes. In a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and Italian spices, garlic, and toss. Place on a cookie sheet and put the croutons in the oven at low temperature (200˚C-250˚C) for about 20 minutes. The goal is to make them a bit crunchier. Add to your favourite salad.
On your walnut cutting board, slice the leftover baguette into ¼ to ½ inch thick slices. Sprinkled with a bit of olive oil and garlic, place the pieces on a baking sheet and broil. Place your preferred bruschetta recipe (diced tomatoes, garlic, parmesan and basil) onto the grilled slices and enjoy!
Whether homemade, using gruyere, Swiss or emmental cheeses, garlic, white wine and nutmeg, or store bought, cheese fondue is a wonderful, not to mention delicious, way to use up any of that leftover baguette. Pre-slice the baguette into a bread basket or place your cutting board for bread directly on the table; dip the baguette into the cheese fondue and enjoy!
A delicious meal on a cold winter day. Thinly sliced caramelized red or yellow onions which are added to beef broth, dry white wine, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and a bay leaf is all that is needed to make this wonderful soup. Place the soup into individual, oven proof bowls. Top each bowl of soup with a piece of toasted French bread. Add grated gruyere and parmesan cheese to each bowl and broil. Serve hot!
Cutting Board USA sells a variety of quality wooden cutting boards. Find walnut or maple cutting boards in shapes varying from large and small cutting boards to a pig cutting board. Our new long and narrow baguette cutting board is the perfect shape for slicing a baguette. Visit Cutting Board USA, wood cutting boards made in Vermont, USA.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Swiss-Cheese-Fondue
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/13308/lances-french-onion-soup/