How To Make Homemade Croutons

Check out how easy it is to make your favorite salad topping. You can make delicious, buttery and seasoned croutons with only 5 ingredients and in less than 30 minutes.

The best part is you can use up all that stale day old bread and turn it into a something so delicious you might just eat all the golden crunchy nuggets before dinner is done.

This homemade crouton recipe is a perfect way to use up leftover homemade bread, focaccia or store bought sandwich bread that you might normally throw away.

If you don't have any leftover focaccia hanging around you can use any old stale bread you do have on hand.

Ingredients

All you need is 5 simple ingredients you probably have on hand to make garlicy seasoned croutons for your soups and salads.

• day old bread, bread or leftover focaccia
• melted butter: you can use slated or unsalted butter. You can even use olive oil if you like.
• Parmesan cheese: I like to use a block of real Parmesan. I have used the powdered Parmesan in a pinch and it works pretty well.
• chopped garlic: I like to convenience of jarred chopped or minced garlic because I use so much when I cook. You can use equal amounts of fresh minced or chopped garlic.
• dried parsley

Directions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375.

Step 2 Cut a few slices of stale sourdough bread or leftover focaccia into 1 inch cubes to measure 4 cups.

Step 3: Melt the butter in the microwave in a spouted measuring cup. Set aside.

Step 4: Place the cubed bread into a large bowl. Add the shredded Parmesan cheese, the minced garlic and the parsley flakes to the bowl.

Step 5: Pour the melted butter over the bread cubes in the bowl. Toss the ingredients together with a large spoon until the bread cubes are coated on all sides with melted butter and the seasonings and cheese are evenly dispersed.

Step 6: Spread the butter coated cubed bread over a large cookie sheet in a single layer.

Step 7: Bake the croutons for ten to fifteen minutes in the preheated oven. Every five minutes using a spatula toss the bread cubes so they brown on all sides. Bake until golden brown.

Step 8: Cool to room temperature before serving.

Serve the seasoned croutons with, soup or salad. They also make a delicious crunchy snack.

Storing homemade croutons

Store the croutons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Recipe FAQs

Recipe Expert Tips

• What kind of bread to use?:Although you can make croutons with regular sandwich bread using a good loaf of sourdough, baguette, or focaccia makes a much better tasting crouton.
• Seasoning: garlic and parsley are just a start when it comes to seasonings that can be used. Rosemary is another option. You can try some of your other favorite herbs and spices.
• Making them crispy: The trick to making croutons crispy is to cook them in a single layer and to not crowd the pan.

Email questions or recipe requests to flouronmyface@gmail.com. Follow me on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.