41 crusty bread recipes

Steamed mussels in a spicy tomato, white wine, and red chilli sauce with garlic and spring onions. Serve with crusty bread to soak up every drop of the broth.

A simple but succulent chicken dish that can be served with pasta, rice or a crusty bread.

Beet and potato salad with a raw garlic-lemon dressing, tossed with the beet greens. A zero-waste, no-mayo root vegetable salad served chilled with crusty bread.

Warm brie melted over fresh herb sprigs, scored in a diamond pattern and ringed with baby pear tomatoes. A quick microwave appetizer served with crusty French bread for scooping.

Eggnog bread pudding with warm rum sauce: nutmeg-spiked custard soaks crusty French bread cubes and plump raisins, finished with a buttery brown sugar rum drizzle. Holiday dessert built from pantry staples.

Crusty seeded multigrain boule baked in a Dutch oven with whole wheat, oats, rice flour, flax, poppy, sesame, and sunflower seeds. No-knead, high-fiber artisan bread at home.

Classic Italian antipasti platter with roasted red peppers, marinated vegetables, olives, and Parmesan served with crusty bread for an elegant no-cook appetizer.

A quick and delicious soup that can be served alone, with a side dish or just with a crusty bread and crackers!

Beef and bay stew: a rustic Irish-style beef stew with leeks, turnip, carrots, potatoes, and celery, simmered gently with bay and thyme. Old-fashioned slow-cooked supper served with crusty bread.

A proper bistro-style bread and butter pudding with layers of buttered French bread, raisins, and citrus zest baked in a rich custard of cream, eggs, and dark rum. Golden, crusty on top, silky underneath.

Almejas Guisadas: Basque-style steamed cherrystone clams in white wine, garlic, olive oil, and parsley. A simple one-pot Spanish seafood dish ready in 30 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread.

Marinated olives steeped with lemon, fresh thyme, rosemary and slivered garlic in good olive oil. A no-cook, make-ahead appetizer that gets better as it sits. Serve with warm crusty bread.

A crusty Cajun yeast bread loaded with three kinds of pepper: black, cayenne, and hot sauce. Polenta adds grit and crunch while garlic and parsley bring herby depth. Baked with steam like French bread.

Fall off the bone lamb with sweet capsicum (bell pepper) and tomatoes. Stand a shank on top of a 'mountain' of garlic mash potato in a bowl; ladle bell peppers and soupy stock all around. Mop up with crusty bread

This quick and easy salad is filling, tasty and packed goodness. Serve it with a few slices of crusty bread, a perfect week-night meal.

Creamy potato soup topped with strips of smoked trout and fresh watercress. Pureed with whipped cream and calf broth for a velvety, smoky bowl that pairs beautifully with crusty bread and cold beer.