Waste Not, Want Not French Toast (And How To Freeze It)
Love Southern Plate? Please tell a friend!
I hate to waste food. Now for those of you who have been reading Southern Plate for a while, I am likely sounding like a broken record on this point but I can’t help it, wasting food bothers me.
I’ve heard too many stories from my family about how scarce food has been in the past and children going hungry (in my family) to be able to take it for granted. I’ve mentioned a few times before but it bears repeating as it is a point which has impacted my life: I am the first generation in my family never to have known hunger.
This did not come easily, there were many times growing up when my parents would pretend they were busy while my brother, sister, and I ate so they could be sure we got enough, then they’d eat whatever was left. People have sacrificed so that I would never know hunger and I’m not about to go willy nilly tossing food in the trash when I can recycle it into something yummilicious with just a few added ingredients.
With Memorial day coming up, we’re all liable to have leftover buns. Rather than let them sit on the counter until they finally get thrown away, we’re going to turn them into a WOW dish. I’m not kidding on the wow part, either. This french toast is TO DIE FOR. It’s so good, in fact, that I sometimes go and buy buns just to make it.
Now the ingredients are surprising but not nearly as surprising as the fact that this will likely make the best french toast you’ve ever had. The texture and flavor are absolutely perfect. This is a recipe I love to make. I take whatever hamburger or hot dog buns are going bad and whip up french toast out of all of them. What we don’t eat that day, I place on waxed paper lined baking sheets and put in the freezer until hard. Once hard, I take them off and slip them into gallon sized zipper seal bags and return to the freezer. To reheat, just place a slice in the toaster on two cycles, turning after the first one (this may vary for your toaster).
Make your own toaster french toast at a fraction of the price with flavor that blows the rest out of the water. If you’d like to read how I got started (and got my family firmly addicted) with making this, check out my old post on Depression Bread Pudding, another recipe using leftover buns. Sure is lucky for me that frugality is in vogue right now! Well, it would be lucky if I cared all that much about being in vogue…
Your favorite french toast batter can work here but I’m gonna show you mine as a starting point.
I like to keep things simple. Life is complicated enough.
You’ll need: Milk, eggs, cinnamon, and two hamburger or hot dog buns.
Place eggs, milk, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Beat it ’til it cries uncle.
dip each side of your bread into the batter.
Like so.
Make sure you just dip the slices and then take them out. If you leave them sitting in there it’ll get all soggified. 
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat it to medium heat. You can also just toss some butter or margarine in it if you’d rather do that instead of the cooking spray. It depends on my level of laziness on any given day. Today, I went with the spray. I was craving a Diet Dr Pepper and didn’t want to delay that gratification any longer than necessary.
I keep my Diet Dr Peppers in my old fridge in the garage. I have to walk through the house and down a flight of steps to get to them. It is better this way. Were they nearer or more convenient, y’all wouldn’t ever hear from me as I’d be sloshed over in a corner with a straw all day.
Note: I know I am going to get a few emails (at least) today about how unhealthy Diet Dr Pepper is and all that. Y’all are so sweet and I love you for it! Its my vice, though, and I’m stickin’ with it. I don’t curse, I don’t drink, and I don’t smoke. I don’t rob banks and I’m not a terrorist. I have never done anything illegal. I don’t even litter. I always vote and I drive the speed limit. I stand up for the pledge of allegiance. I don’t wear blouses that are too low or skirts that are too high. I feed wild birds and I let squirrels sunbathe on my back porch (see below). I don’t pick flowers from public landscaping and I don’t put sugar in my cornbread (but if you do it’s fine by me).
I drink Diet Dr Pepper. I’m cool with that.
This is the dangdest thing I ever saw
It wasn’t dead. It was sunnin’. Flat on it’s belly, all sprawled out.
I think old Bountiful has been sharin’ a few too many pecans with old Henry.
(Henry is the name of all of our squirrels)
Wait, I had a point somewhere. Oh, yeah..
Here’s a recap.
You got:
Bank Robbers..
Litterers…
People who curse excessively…
and me drinking my diet dr pepper.
I think I’m pretty good here.
Anyone tells you otherwise, tell ‘em I said to get off m’tractor.
Dude, your french toast is almost done….
(I don’t really say things like “Dude” but it worked here)
Cook over medium heat until browned on both sides. This will just take a few minutes on each side.
This is awful. It tastes bad, its horrible. Tell everyone in your house that as they salivate so you can keep it all to yourself!
~grins with a mischievous twinkle in her eye~
honest…bad.
Bad!
You don’t wanna eat it!
~whimpers~
Oh…alright.
~slides the plate over to you as her face softens~
Have at it, I’ll fix ya some coffee.
Ingredients
- 2 hamburger or hot dog buns
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 c milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Beat together all ingredients except buns with a fork until well blended. Dip in each side of bun.
- Place buns in skillet which has been sprayed with cooking spray and heated over medium heat.
- Cook a few minutes on each side, until browned.
- Serve warm with syrup.
To freeze: Place freshly cooked french toast (which has been cooked all of the way) on waxed paper lined baking sheets and put in the freezer. when frozen, remove from sheets and place in gallon sized zipper bags. Store in freezer. When ready to serve, put each slice in toaster and run for two cycles, or until heated through and crispy again.
Print This Recipe
“May you be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.”
Submitted by Southern Plate reader, Don. Submit your quote here!
Posted by Christy Jordan
on May 22 2009. Filed under Breads, Breakfast, Quick&Easy.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
Ok… your hamburger bun french toast has me drooling on my keyboard! LOL! Can’t wait to try it!
Me too, Patti…..good thing I had a paper napkin nearby. Whew.
I also thought that if I used star shaped cookie cutters on the hamburger buns for the holiday this weekend, I could use it for cheese toast “appetizers” for the masses, after making the star-shaped french toast for breakfast.
Have a great weekend, Christy with your guests….be sure to have them bring an extra 6-pack of D.D Peppa. Love ya.
Dear Terri!
Love the star cookie cutter idea! Thank you! I’m going to do it on Monday!
I am also a Diet Dr Pepper junkie, though I go caffiene free DDP! Mornin’, noon and night!!!
I’m with you on the Diet Dr. Pepper!
Christy, you just saved me from throwing away five left over hamburger buns from last week. Thank you for another great recipe!
I’ll sing your praises while I whip up some of your French Toast Saturday morning for Kent, the boys and me! Yummy!
Enjoy your company and your long weekend!
PS: Sip away at your Diet Dr. Pepper! I’m just as guilty except my downfall is Diet Coke!
Christy
Love what you did with the buns! We use them to make garlic bread at my house.
Your squirrel is too funny! We have one in our back yard that used his tail as an umbrella.
Thank for the great recipes!
*sigh* I miss bread! French toast used to be a favorite of mine. I know what you mean about wasting food! Or heck, anything! I was raised frugally and I think we are much too wasteful as a society.
I won’t lecture you about the Diet Dr. Pepper! My vices are coffee and an occasional Cherry Coke Zero! I try to eat my veggies, avoid refined carbs (heavy sigh), don’t drink, and buy locally grown food when possible. I can’t be good all the time! I do have my non-food vices though! Sometimes a good profanity tirade is very cathartic! Preferably when there’s no one else around!
Cute squirrel photo! I caught three squirrels under our bird feeder last weekend. Two ran for the fence, but one just climbed up the tree and sat in between two branches like a statue. I’m sure in his little squirrel brain he was thinking that I wouldn’t see him if he held reeeeal still!
I love the idea of using the leftover buns for french toast…..sounds yummy and I will have to try it soon
I to try not to be wasteful with food and I have used leftover buns for garlic bread, sorta smash them down with my hand and slather butter and garlic on them and toast them up, i have also done them on the grill and it works great…
hugs
brenda
About your Pinto’s for you guest…Have you ever put a can of Rotel’s in them? About 30 minutes before they are done,,,add the can. Just enough pep up to add to the flavor. Give it a try.
Plus us Goya Ham seasoning instead of bacon grease.
Love your site and your recipes.
Marinan
Great recipe, my kids & hubby love it when I do this. We make the same recipe but we usually add a tsp of vanilla. Sometime when hubby’s sweet tooth is twitching he will add in a Tbs or 2 of white or brown sugar to the batter. We love the texture of this french toast! Cute squirrel by the way! lol Reminds me of one we had last summer who was a peeping tom, he kept hanging from the roof overhang right in front of the window in the living room to taunt my kitties. Talk about a lot of frustrated cats. hehe
Good luck with the guests & enjoy the holiday!
Hugs, Racheal
Great idea, Christy! I had a “duh” moment at my friend’s house the other day. She got out some hot dog buns that were getting “less than fresh”–she just spread them with margarine and sprinkled on some garlic powder, in the oven for a few–VOILA! Instant garlic bread, it was delicious. My vice is Diet Mt. Dew–even more caffiene than DDP I think!
My husband will love you forever for this recipe! Up until now I will only make him French toast if I remembered to pick up a loaf of French bread. Now I can put all those hamburger buns languishing away in the freezer to a much better purpose.
Can I steal your paragraph about Diet Dr. Pepper? My mother is always telling me I should stop drinking so many diet drinks. Maybe I can finally get her to stop. *slurp*
I love the idea of this recipe. I always find myself wondering what to do with leftover buns. Usually I just make turkey burgers or sloppy joes until they are all gone. By then, by family is tired of eating stuff on a bun, but this idea is great because I’m sure they won’t even know it’s a bun once it’s cooked and covered in syrup
I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear the great leftover bun idea’s. I usually feed them to the bird’s but I guess I have new thing’s to try….can’t wait.
I have to give it to everyone who drink’s diet, I can’t do it. My downfall is Mountain Dew, I don’t drink coffee in the morning, but if I don’t have that Dew I am no good.
Kinda reminds me of the movie “Serial Mom”.. she killed people for Littering, Not recycling, Wearing white after labor day…
I know there’s gotta be people out there like that. Good to know you are safe lol..
We have to save as much money as possible these days.. Good Post!
We don’t really have a problem with leftover buns, they either get thrown in the freezer for next time or we just eat them like regular bread. haha
But other things we have to get creative in our thinking process to try to come up with something that a) our family will eat and b) uses up said items. My mom and I always feel so bad when we have to throw something away because no one wanted to eat it anymore. I know they say you shouldn’t give your dog table scraps, but he loves it and at least someone’s eating it! haha
At least your vice is the diet version. I seem to have a “Real” Dr. Pepper perma-glued to my hand most days if there are any in the house. That’s why I try to stick to having to go to the Chevron or Mickey D’s for one. Having to actually drive a car seems to deter the cravings a bit.
I love french toast as long as I’m not the one making it. I am always so tired after I make it that I end up not eating.
Great idea using the hamburger buns for french toast! My recipe is similar, but also add a splash of vanilla. We’ve got company this weekend. Guess what I’m makin’?
We feed our squirrels dried corn and they put on a really good show for us out back. I’ve never seen one sunbathe, though! LOL
You remind me of Erma Bombeck! So funny!
I wish I was your friend and could come over and eat
at Bountiful!
Have a great weekend.
Oh now Christy I think we all know that ur just an Angel with ur horns holding ur halo up!
And I love it! I guess when Joe is at work my son and I will have to whip some up!…muahahah! Thanks for the post! Have a great weekend! 
That French Toast does look some kind of awesome! Unfortunatly, my hubby doesn’t like French Toast!
Vickie
Thank you for this! I’m personally fine eating hamburgers on normal bread, but my husband finds that weird. So, occasionally, we’ll grab a pack of buns for just that purpose. One batch of hamburgers requires four buns… so the rest of the buns usually ends up going to feed the ducks at the park if they don’t get thrown out first.
I love french toast, but I’ve never tried to make it. It’s always intimidated me! I appreciate real simple recipes.
I also got a huge laugh out of your tangent on diet Dr. Pepper. I enjoyed the idea of Hell’s Kitchen, but his attitude and vocabulary turned me off. Enjoy you your can of diet Dr. Pepper! After all your hard work, you deserve a treat.
I’ve never thought of using hamburger buns for french toast! Those look delish and can’t wait to try It!
As for the sugar In the cornbread…..guilty as charged here! lol
This is GENIUS! I’ve now got a bunch of my girlfriends hooked on your site, and I’m totally going to pass on this idea! Smooches!!
-Lindsay
My husband says “Right On!!!!” He toasts you with his Diet Dr. Pepper (his drug of choice).
I made this for my husband this morning. He asked for french toast, but I didn’t tell him I made it with buns. He said “Oh…pancakes, I wanted french toast…” all sad-like. I didn’t say a word. He bit in and said “MMM! This is good, what is this?”…”Oh, just french toast made with buns!”
Thanks for such a great idea. I love buns with burgers and hot dogs, and he doesn’t, so now I can buy them and use the extra ones for breakfast! THANKS!
Okay, I’m sitting here typing and eating this French Toast recipe. It. Is. To. Die. For. I’m almost hoping that my husband lingers in town doing errands so I can eat the ones I made for him.
Hey Christy, Made these this AM. Very good!! DH even ate more than usual and I’m freezing the leftovers. Love this site. Judy
Christy, I love reading your posts! Great recipes filled with lots of humor – I love that! If Diet Dr. Pepper is your only vice, you are welcome in my house any time! I’ll stock up for ya.
Love that squirrel too. Was he sipping your Diet DP?
Have a great day!
I use a bit of vanilla in my french toast as well. I have also used english muffins and they turn out great too!
Our household also uses up hot dog and hamburger rolls this way: brush them with olive oil, lightly sprinkle on garlic powder and Italian herbs, and/or grated cheese, and pop them in the oven until lightly toasted. Sort of like having soft Italian or French bread with your meal. If there are any of these left over, I wrap them in foil and then warm them the next day for a snack. Plain rolls may also be toasted in the oven to dry thoroughly, and then crumbled into bread crumbs to be used to thicken soups.
We had a little squirrel named Shirley that was quite tame. She would come up and take crackers out your hand. One morning we decided to sleep late and heard the most awful noise at our bedroom window, Shirley was waking us up so we would come out for cracker time.
[...] Christy Jordan at Southern Plate shares this great tip for leftover hot dog and hamburger buns [...]
The squirrel is so cute! I love making things with leftover buns. I usually make garlic toast, but I think I made french toast a couple of times, as well- this was a great reminder!
As far as not wasting food and not knowing hunger- I am the first generation to not know hunger in our family, too. I cannot waste food, either.
Anyway, another great post! Thanks!
When I lived in an apartment (several years ago) I had a bird feeder on the balcony. The squirrels were in it constantly. One would come to the balcony on hot days and lay on the rail in the shade. He would lay on his side with his left hand and foot hanging off of the rail and his tail swinging in the breeze. It was so funny!
you are adorable!@ and you make me smile…
oh the french toast looks mighty tasty too
I’m with you on the Diet Dr. Pepper!
And now I’m craving french toast… I’ll have to go buy some buns to do this!
Thank you for this fun site! I’ve captured several recipes that I’m going to try. My husband knows your husband…through work somehow…I forgot…I’ll get back to you on that one. Anyway, your husband gave my husband your business card and I’ve signed on! Thanks a bunch!
Ask your hubby if he knows a Brad Williamson from Progression Tech.
Thanks again!
Suzette
I fixed French Toast today, even before I found your recipe. (Except I add a smidgen of vanilla and a little bit of sugar, just to be sure it is low cal)ha. French toast is usually a Saturday morning thing at our house. If I dont make it I have some really disappointed people. I love the hamburger bun idea, am going to try that tomorrow.
Thanks,
Kay
I love this, and i think my hubby will too, if nothing other than for the simple fact, he can have burgers on burger buns
I had quit buying them since we rarely used more than half a pack.
Thank you!!!
This is how I’ve always made french toast! The only difference is I add a bit of sugar (it kind of caramelizes when cooked). I even made french toast with leftover hamburger buns last week. Love that we had the same idea!
I know this is weird, but I didn’t like french toast until I was 15 years old and living in Austria (I was a foreign exchange student). I went to visit an American friend and her host family, and she made us french toast like this for breakfast. I became an immediate french toast convert! Went back home to my host family and made them all french toast, which they renamed “American toast.” I made them french toast many times during the rest of my stay and showed them how to make it. 10 years later, my host mom still makes french toast and their kids, who have grown up and moved out (one of them even has their own kid now) make it too
How nice is that? My fiance loves my french toast and I once made it for over 100 people, using 2 griddles and making 16 pieces at a time!
I love french toast
New to your website & love it
I do have a question, though, on the bun french toast. Do you slice off the ‘crust’ from the other side? I only saw what looked like one side of the french toast which was the slice side. I have grand children who won’t eat the crust! My favorite part! I don’t know where they got that from because their mother never heard of not eating the crust. Anyway, I’m making some to freeze & take with us on a little vacation with the grands & don’t want any drama. I will keep the crusts & freeze for stuffing but was wondering how you did it as I don’t see the egg mix sticking to that bun crust. Thanks for the site, it’s very nice.
Glad you can still enjoy it.
Oh, before I forget, I don’t drink sodas anymore due to a weight problem in old age as well as an allergic reaction to nutrasweet, but Dr. Pepper was my all time favorite! Born & raised in Lynchburg, VA & on Dr. Pepper!
Hey! I leave the bun as is, lots of yummy egg mixture soaks in still and I serve it to my picky kids crust side down so they’ve never complained!
Hope this helps and have a WONDERFUL trip!!
If drinking diet Dr.Pepper is the worst thing we ever do,(I say we because I am guilty as well) we will be o.k.. And as for the french toast, my great granny used to make it for us using leftover biscuits. She would split them open and soak them in the egg mixture and sizzle them right up. She did not use the cinnamon, I don’t know why but it was sooooo good. Wish I had some right now but I guess I’ll just have to settle for a diet Dr. Pepper!!!!
This is so good! I used whole wheat bread. Next time, I will put some powdered sugar on top.
Mmmm, so glad you enjoyed it. Merry Christmas!
What a great way to use buns!
I just tried this morning…powdered sugar dusted on top is a must!! And a couple of drops of vanilla mixed with the eggs,milk, cinnamon …adds even more flavor.
YUMMM!!!
Yummy!! So glad you liked them Beverly!
I love my diet Dr. Pepper too…….if that’s the worst vice I have ,I can live with it :c)
Thanks Christy! My 10 yr old wants french toast daily with an egg on the side! Another suggestion for you: Hamburger bun panini or grilled sandwich. My kids got me a panini maker years ago, which means THEY get panini’s! I butter the soft, inner side of the buns & build the sandwich inside out (ie brown bun side inside) with meat & cheese, pickles or another fav is mozzarella, fresh basil leaves & sliced tomato with a splash of italian dressing. The panini make gives it a great yummy soft striped crust, melting the cheese & it’s just the size for a kidlet. Thanks for helping us save $
On my way to the grocery store for hamburger buns!
Christy, sit back and enjoy that Diet Dr Pepper.
I have to have a regular coke every morning to get me going. It is the only time that I drink caffeine the rest of the day is it either Sprite or water.
Wow! I would never have thought of this myself! You don’t know how many leftover hamburger and hotdog buns that sit on our counter, forlorn and forgotten, until they either a.) dry out or b.) grow mold. I will definitely try this the next time we have any leftover buns! I love Dr. Pepper too, but I drink the regular because I can’t have aspartame. Of course, my dad and I can’t live without our coffee (always black) and my mom can’t live without her sweet tea! : )
Leftover hamburg buns are the perfect size to cut a hole in the center, drop in an egg to saute in butter in a heavy skillet. Cheap version of toad in ht ehole.
Oh man if this had posted last week, hubs would have had his french toast he has been wanting. I did not buy bread, it is just the two of us, and brother in law did not bring over any of his homemade bread either but we had some buns in the freezer I am pretty sure we do. The squirrel is hilarious!
Oh, Christi, thank you so much for reminding me of this “Camp Toast”. When the boys were small we often went camping. On the last morning I made French Toast out of the left over buns. We always called it “Camp Toast”. Funny how its the small things that we remember that bring the biggest smile to our face.