6 Ways to Use a Baguette

By Food & Wine
Updated December 12, 2016
The French treat baguettes like sacred objects. And who can blame them? These light, crispy, chewy loaves are delicious without any other ingredients. There's even a preferred way to eat them—breaking off the heel, or le quignon, to snack on as soon as you leave the bakery. Baguettes are even protected by law: The serious-sounding Bread Decree of 1993 requires that they are made on the same premises where they're sold, are never be frozen and contain only flour, water, yeast, and salt. Here, our favorite ways to eat baguettes.
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Zucchini-Tomato Strata

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A French take on strata, or savory bread pudding, this simple summer dish contains zucchini, onion and tomatoes layered with slices of baguette, then baked with chicken stock and a little cream.

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Lao-Style Chicken Baguette Sandwiches with Watercress

Credit: © Petrina Tinslay
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This sandwich largely resembles a Vietnamese banh mi, due to its French-influenced baguette and crisp vegetables. But instead of the banh mi's cilantro and pickles, the Lao version uses peppery watercress and grated fresh carrots--and a hefty dose of fiery chile-garlic sauce.

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Buttery Crab Bread Pudding

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In this recipe from the River Cottage Fish Book, chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall layers baguette and lump crabmeat, then pours custard on top.

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Lima Bean and Ricotta Crostini

Credit: © Con Poulos
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Food & Wine's Justin Chapple thinks that lima beans deserve a place on every table, especially when they're made into a bright, herby salad and piled onto crunchy and creamy ricotta toasts.

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Double-Grilled Antipasto Sandwiches

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These gooey sandwiches get double-grilled: the prosciutto-wrapped provolone is grilled first before being sandwiched on grilled baguette. "In a pinch, I'll use Polly-O string cheese instead of provolone," says Grace Parisi.

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Goat Cheese-Garlic Toasts

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This creamy take on garlic bread is one of our favorite appetizers.

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