As the Jewish High Holidays come to a close in 2016, you may have some leftover challah on your hands. For those unfamiliar with the golden, braided goodness, challah bread is a central — and delicious — part of celebrating Sabbath and Jewish holidays. While its rich history and significance is celebrated by those in the Jewish culture, challah is a specialty that can be enjoyed by all. Challah is typically made with eggs, flour, yeast, water, salt and sugar. The dough is braided and then baked to form a beautiful and sweet loaf of bread.
Alas, leftover challah becomes stale rather quickly. But don’t let your scraps go unused! Consider these tasty ideas for using up excess challah instead of adding it to the food waste pile.
5 Ways to Reuse Leftover Challah
1. Breadcrumbs
If you have dry challah and a food processor, making breadcrumbs is a cinch. Simply tear up the challah, throw it in the food processor, and pulse. Use challah breadcrumbs to raise your homemade mac and cheese to a new level, or substitute them for classic breadcrumbs in a batch of hearty meatballs.
2. Stuffing
Use your challah as part of a side dish this holiday season by adding it to your favorite stuffing recipe. Simply substitute buttery cubed challah for the bread originally called for. Don’t have a go-to stuffing recipe? This one is sure to amaze.
3. Bread Pudding
Satisfy your sweet tooth by converting leftover challah into a satisfying dessert. Insert your challah into this simple yet delicious bread pudding recipe and your taste buds will thank you.
4. French Toast
Perhaps the most popular way to put leftover challah to good use is French toast, and for good reason. Challah’s eggy and fluffy dough makes it perfect for this classic breakfast dish. For non-morning people like myself, this baked French toast recipe even allows you to prep all the ingredients the night before so you can quickly pop it in the oven in the morning.
5. Freeze
Maybe you haven’t accumulated enough scraps to whip up one of these recipes, or maybe you just don’t feel like having more challah today. Whatever the reason, you can always freeze your leftovers for later use. The key to freezing challah is keeping it as airtight as possible. Use a plastic freezer bag to store your challah, either sliced or whole, and squeeze the air out before placing in your freezer. When ready to use, simply reheat the challah in the oven or toaster.
Read More About Food Waste:
9 Ways to Stuff Food Waste This Thanksgiving
‘American Wasteland’ Author Jonathan Bloom Talks Food Waste
10 Creative Ways to Help Keep Food Fresh