Croutons 101

When I worked in a restaurant years ago, we made our own croutons. Homemade croutons are soooo much better than the rock-hard kind you buy in a bag in the store. These croutons are like little mini bites of garlic bread. Delicious in salads, soups, or just right out of the pan.

Garlic Croutons

6 slices honey wheat sandwich bread or your choice of breads

real butter, softened

garlic powder

parsley

california garlic salt w/parsley, optional

Preheat oven to 350º.


Spread each bread slice with butter. I am fairly liberal with the butter, but you can use less according to your taste.

Lay the buttered slices, butter side up, on your work surface.

Sprinkle with garlic powder, California garlic salt w/parsley and parsley. Don't us too much of the California garlic salt or your croutons will be too salty to eat.

Now stack all the slices together. Using a serrated bread knife, slice first one direction, then the other to make small squares. Your choice on the size of the squares. I make mine kind of big.

You should end up with a pile of bread cubes like this:

Place on a baking sheet. There is no need to seperate each and every cube. Unless, like me,  you have a 9 year old who is begging to help you seperate them because they will come apart as you bake and stir them.

Bake in your pre-heated oven for about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir (this is where they will begin to seperate, if you didn't do it before you put them in the oven). Place back into the oven for 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven and stir. 

If needed put the pan back into the oven for 3 minute intervals, removing and stirring after each, until you get the toasted look you want.

Remove from oven, allow to cool and use as desired!