If you’re looking for ways to get creative with your food waste, then look no further than garbage bread.
Garbage bread is an excellent option if you don’t want to throw away perfectly edible food that has been sitting around on your countertop or fridge for days or weeks.
This recipe takes advantage of leftovers, but it also makes sense as a quick meal when time is short.
The process only requires five simple steps, so it can be done quickly and easily.
What Kind Of Garbage Do You Use For This Recipe?
The ingredients are pretty straightforward.
You just need a few things from your kitchen cupboards.
If you have any old bread lying around, there’s a good chance it would work in this recipe.
Bread isn’t always used fresh for recipes like these — sometimes it’s dried out or stale, which means it might not fit into this method.
- Dried beans — These add protein and texture, plus they’ll help soak up some liquid while cooking.
- Vegetable broth — Vegetable broth adds flavor and moisture without adding extra sodium.
- A little sugar — A pinch will give the finished dish more sweetness and depth.
- Salt — A bit of salt balances all the other flavors, giving everything its own unique taste.
You won’t need much else.
So long as you have those core ingredients, you should be able to create this recipe successfully using whatever garbage you find in your pantry.
How Do You Make The Garbage Bread?
This recipe uses two types of garbage: old bread and coffee grounds (which have both been used in other recipes).
For the former, choose any type of white bread you have lying around.
You could even use some crusty whole-grain bread.
As for the latter, I prefer using instant coffee because there isn’t much flavor.
A little bit goes a long way, though, so feel free to adjust the amount of coffee to taste.
The first step is to soak the garbage in water until they become soft enough to mash together.
Once they’ve softened, add them to a blender along with one egg and blend everything together into a smooth paste.
Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Next, take out the remaining garbage – which should now resemble wet sand – and put it back into the blender along with 1/4 cup olive oil.
Blend everything again until well combined.
If you like yours extra runny, add more olive oil until it reaches the consistency you desire.
Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let sit overnight at room temperature.
In the morning, remove the garbage bread from the refrigerator and cut it into slices using a pizza cutter or knife.
Serve immediately after cutting.
What Are The Ingredients For Garbage Bread?
The following list includes all of the necessary ingredients needed in order to complete this recipe successfully:
- Leftover bread (or any other type of bread)
- Butter (optional)
- Milk (optional)
- Flour (as needed)
- Baking soda
- Salt
All of these items should be available at most grocery stores, including Target, Walmart, Costco, etc.
While some might not have everything listed here, they usually have enough of them to finish off the recipe without running out.
What Is The Nutritional Value Of Garbage Bread?
The nutritional value of this garbage bread varies depending on what type of bread was used and how long ago it sat out.
Stale bread will have less nutritional value compared to fresh bread.
However, even if it’s old, there should still be some nutritional value because most bread contains carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
One pound (0.45 kg) of bread contains about 220 calories, 18 grams of fat, 14 grams of fiber, 25 milligrams of sodium, 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D, 4 grams of sugar, 1 gram of protein, 0.5 grams of iron, and 2 grams of calcium.
Because there are varying levels of nutrition in different types of bread, we won’t try to give specific calorie counts here.
Instead, we’ll focus on the basic nutritional information from one loaf of bread.
Calories per slice
- 100-calorie slices of white bread contain 50% fewer calories than 100-calorie slices of whole wheat bread.
- 50-slice loaves of white bread offer roughly 20 more calories than 5-slice loaves.
- White sandwich bread offers slightly more calories per slice than sliced bagels.
- White bread is higher in calories than other varieties of bread like whole grain bread, multigrain bread, or pita bread.
Fats per slice
- A single slice of white bread contains 9 grams of total fat — 3 grams saturated, 6 grams monounsaturated fats, and 0 grams polyunsaturated fats.
- Slices of whole wheat bread contain 8 grams of fat per slice, which includes 3 grams saturated fat, 5 grams monounsaturated fat, and 0 grams polyunsaturated fat.
- Bagel chips contain 7 grams of fat per serving, while plain bagels contain 6 grams of fat per slice.
- Multigrain breads typically contain between 5 and 6 grams of fat per slice, although some brands may include significantly more.
Carbs per slice
- White bread contains approximately 15 grams of carbs per slice.
- Whole grain bread provides 16 grams of carbs per slice.
- Pita bread contains 17 grams of carbs per slice.
Vitamins and minerals per slice
- White bread contains 8 mg of vitamin B6, 1 mg of niacin, and 1 mg of riboflavin.
- White bread also contains 11 mcg of folate and 1 mg of zinc.
- A slice of whole wheat bread contains 12 mg of vitamin B6, 1 mg of niacin, and 1 mg of riboflavin.
- A slice of whole grain bread contains 13 mcg of folate and 1 mg of zinc.
- Pita bread contains 14 mg of vitamin B6, 1 mg of niacin, and 1 mg of riboflavin.
- Bagel chips contain 16 mg of vitamin B6, 1 mg of niacin, and 1 mg of riboflavin.
- Plain bagels contain 19 mg of vitamin B6, 1 mg of niacin, and 1 mg of riboflavin.
Iron per slice
- White bread contains 1 mg of iron per slice.
- White bread also contains 1 mg of zinc and 1 mg of manganese.
- Pita bread contains 2 mg of iron, 1 mg of zinc, and 1 mg of manganese.
- Bagel chips contain 2 mg of iron, 1 mg of zinc, and 1 mg of manganese.
- Plain bagels contain 2 mg of iron, 1 mg of zinc, and 1 mg of manganese.
Calcium per slice
- White bread contains 2 mg of calcium per slice.
- White bread also contains 1 mg of magnesium, 1 mg of copper, 1 mg of phosphorus, and 1 mg of potassium.
- Pita bread contains 2 mg of calcium, 1 mg of magnesium, 1 mg of copper, 1 mg of phosphorus, and 1 mg of potassium.
- Bagel chips contain 3 mg of calcium, 1 mg of magnesium, 1 mg of copper, 1 mg of phosphorus, and 1 mg of potassium.
- Plain bagels contain 3 mg of calcium, 1 mg of magnesium, 1 mg of copper, 1 mg of phosphorus, and 1 mg of potassium.
How Many Calories Are In Garbage Bread?
The average slice of white bread contains about 150 calories per serving.
So, even though this recipe calls for two slices of bread, each slice will still contain roughly 75 calories.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk (or 1% low-fat)
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
- 4 eggs
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- One bagel, cubed into small pieces (optional)
Directions
Step one – Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step two – In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the cubed bagels.
Whisk until smooth and set aside.
Step three – Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Spread out the cubed bagel pieces onto the prepared pan.
Step four – Pour mixture over the top of the bagel pieces.
Step five – Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
Step six – Remove from oven and let cool before eating.
Is Garbage Bread Good For You?
The ingredients used in this recipe aren’t necessarily healthy, but they do have nutritional value.
Garbage bread contains carbohydrates (which give energy), protein (for building muscle) and fat (to provide essential fatty acids).
Plus, there are vitamins B1, B6, C and E, which help maintain heart health, skin health, bone strength and immunity.
This type of bread isn’t going to make you lose weight or burn extra calories.
However, it does contain beneficial nutrients that can improve your overall health and wellbeing.
As long as you choose foods that are low in saturated fats, sugar and salt, you should be able to enjoy these tasty treats without worrying about gaining more pounds.
Another benefit of garbage bread is its versatility.
You can eat it plain, toast it like normal bread or even serve it alongside other dishes.
What Are The Benefits Of Eating Garbage Bread?
Eating garbage bread doesn’t have to mean throwing out perfectly good food just because it’s old.
If you think about it, it’s actually quite smart to eat garbage bread instead of wasting food that could otherwise go bad in less than 24 hours.
Here’s why:
- You save money by not buying more food.
- It saves space since you don’t need another place to store extra food.
- It reduces the amount of trash going into landfills.
- It reduces the number of animals suffering from starvation due to lack of food.
- It helps preserve our environment.
How does garbage bread work?
The basic idea behind this recipe is pretty straightforward – you take leftover bread (or other foods) and turn them into something else entirely.
In this case, we’ll make garbage bread using two slices of white bread, one slice of whole wheat bread, some peanut butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
First things first, cut each piece of bread into three equal pieces.
Then, spread half of each piece with peanut butter.
Next, sprinkle both sides of the bread with 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder per side.
Finally, drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over all surfaces of the bread, including inside the loaf pan.
Now, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown.
Once they’ve cooled down completely, remove the bread from the pan and enjoy!
You can serve these individually, or put them back together like sandwiches or wraps.
Are There Any Drawbacks To Eating Garbage Bread?
There aren’t many downsides to eating garbage bread—it doesn’t require much cooking effort, nor does it have very high nutritional value.
However, this isn’t necessarily a positive thing.
In addition to being tasty, garbage bread is usually pretty bland.
That means if you make a lot at one time, you may need more salt or other flavorings in order to make them taste good.
In terms of nutrition, garbage bread is low-quality protein (only 14 grams) and contains about 100 calories per slice.
It is essentially just carbs and fats, which we know from experience is not going to provide us with all the energy needed to sustain our daily activities.
So while garbage bread won’t exactly give you superhuman abilities, it will certainly help you feel better about wasting perfectly healthy food.
If you really like garbage bread, consider adding some spices or herbs to make it even tastier.
How Often Should You Eat Garbage Bread?
The average person in the United States throws out about 8 pounds (3.5 kg) of food every month.
That’s enough food to feed more than 100 people per day for one year.
Even though 8 pounds isn’t much, it adds up over time, especially if you have kids who like to snack at school.
If you are feeding hungry children regularly, this is a very good reason to make sure you don’t have excess food lying around your house.
That being said, I think garbage bread is still worth trying even if you aren’t feeding hungry children.
Garbage bread is not intended to replace fresh-baked bread, but rather to supplement what you would normally bake.
There are some advantages to using leftover bread instead of freshly baked bread, such as saving money, avoiding wasted ingredients, and getting creative with your menu planning.
It’s also important to note that garbage bread doesn’t taste as bad as it sounds.
Most homemade bread will start to go stale after a few hours, which means you might end up throwing out half the loaf before you finish eating it all.
But garbage bread uses old bread with little flavor, so it is less likely to become rancid.
Just remember that most homemade bread tastes better than garbage bread because it contains real butter, eggs, sugar, salt, yeast, etc., whereas garbage bread just contains flour, water, and sometimes oil.
You may find it difficult to tell the difference between homemade and garbage bread unless you have tried both types side by side.
There are several different kinds of garbage bread recipes available online, but they tend to include other items besides bread.
For example, some recipes call for coffee grounds, onion skins, eggshells, or cheese rinds.
I prefer garbage bread without these extras, so here is my favorite garbage bread recipe that comes from Bon Appétit magazine.
It calls for four ounces (113 grams) each of stale baguette, garlic cloves, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese shavings.
Here is how to make it step by step.
- Put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spread it evenly across the pan.
- Bake it at 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius) for 15 minutes.
- Allow it to cool completely before removing it from the baking sheet.
What Is The Best Way To Eat Garbage Bread?
The first step in this recipe is making some kind of liquid (milk, water, fruit juice, etc.) into which you mix the bread pieces.
Then you bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes before serving.
There are two reasons why baking works well here — firstly because it helps to dry out the bread and secondly, it softens the texture enough to make eating easier.
So far, we have explained how to make garbage bread from leftover bread.
Now let us show you just what you need to do to prepare this tasty treat.
- Take any type of bread – white bread, whole wheat bread, rye bread, pumpernickel, bagels, challah, sourdough, Italian bread, etc., will all work fine.
- Just try not to use super-fresh bread (i.e.
- less than 3 days old).
- Also, avoid using fresh-baked bread (unless it tastes really good), as they tend to absorb moisture from the liquid during cooking.
- Put the bread in a large bowl and pour over milk, water, apple juice, orange juice, lemonade, or whatever other beverage you choose.
- If possible, let sit overnight to allow the bread to soak up more moisture.
- After soaking, drain off excess liquids and put the bread back in the original container where you soaked it.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and place bread inside of a pan.
- Bake for approximately 10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately.
How to make garbage bread from leftover bread
It might seem like there’s a lot going on in this recipe, but it doesn’t take much effort to complete once you know what you’re doing.
In fact, most people could probably figure it out after reading through this post, but it’s always nice to see someone else who does things differently.
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon chopped
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 pound beef lean ground
- 1 tablespoon steak seasoning
- 12 ounces Velveeta cubed
- 13.8 ounce pizza dough thin crust
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar jack cheese grated
Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set aside a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat until crisp. Set the bacon aside after removing it from the pan. The majority of the grease should be drained.
- Heat the same skillet to medium high. Cook until the onions are soft and the meat is cooked through in the skillet with the onions and ground beef. Remove any excess liquid/grease from the pan. Return the skillet to the stove and reduce the heat to low. Return the bacon to the pan and season with steak seasoning. Cook, stirring constantly, until the Velveeta is completely melted. Take the pan off the heat.
- Roll the pizza dough out onto the baking sheet that has been prepared. The dough should be about the size of a 1510 rectangle. Spread the meat mixture evenly over the top, leaving an inch around the edges for spreading. On top of the meat, sprinkle the grated cheese. Roll the pizza dough up, beginning with the long sides, and pinch the crust together to seal it. Bake for 15-20 minutes, seam side down, or until golden brown. Allow 5-10 minutes for the bread to cool before slicing.
Sauce
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, salt, and pepper.
- If desired, dip the sliced bread into the sauce.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.