Homemade Bread Crumbs

Instead of purchasing bread crumbs from the supermarket, make your own bread crumbs from leftover bread that would other go to waste.

Take any bread that you are not going to eat and dry it out by placing in a basket or other container that will allow air to get to it. Be sure to spread the bread out, otherwise it could mold. If you need bread crumbs in a hurry, you can dry your bread out in a low oven.

Once the bread has dried out, break it up and whirl it in the food processor until it's a fairly fine crumb. Having bits of bread that are a little larger than others is fine. In fact it gives your bread added texture that you won't find in store bought. I have had several people ask me where I got my bread crumbs due to this texture.

Use the bread crumbs immediately or store in a jar for future use. When you are ready to use them, you can add herbs, such as dried parsley, Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, etc.; whatever works with the recipe you are using them for. Watch your recipe, some recipes call for fresh, or soft, bread crumbs, which add moisture and a lighter texture to the recipe, such as for Meatloaf and Meatballs. If you use dry bread crumbs in these recipes, add extra moisture. For breaded and fried foods, dried bread crumbs work better.

Here are some recipes that use dried bread crumbs:

Buttered Bread Crumb Topping for Casseroles and Vegetable Dishes:
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Macaroni and Cheese
Chicken (or Turkey) Tetrazzini
Scalloped Asparagus.

Foods Stuffed with Bread Crumb Filling:
Stuffed Mushrooms - stuffed with bacon and onion flavored bread crumbs
Italian Style Stuffed Artichokes - stuffed with bread crumbs flavored with Parmesan cheese and cheese
Herb Stuffed Baked Tomatoes - stuffed with bread crumbs, mild provolone and parsley

Foods Breaded and Fried:
Potato Croquettes - mashed potatoes, breaded and fried
Fried Mozzarella - mozzarella cheese, breaded and fried
Jalapeno Poppers - jalapeno peppers, stuffed, then breaded and fried
Wiener Schnitzel - German veal or pork cutlet, breaded and fried
Breaded Cutlets (beef, pork, venison) - thin cutlets, breaded and fried
Breaded Chicken Cutlets - thin cutlets, breaded and fried
Chicken Parmesan - thin chicken cutlets, breaded and fried, and served with linguine and marinara sauce
Eggplant Parmesan - eggplant cutlets, breaded and fried, and served with linguine and marinara sauce
Deep Fried Breaded Shrimp/Scallops/Fish Fillets - fish or seafood, breaded and fried
Baked Stuffed Shrimp - shrimp, stuffed and breaded, then fried
Tuna Croquette - breaded and fried croquettes