Saturday, October 8, 2011

Croutons




Okay, so this is a recipe I got from a friend's mom, Miss Lisa V :) You can use your leftover Italian bread to make this, but here I just got an entire loaf. To store the croutons just put them in a container or a gallon Ziploc bag and store them in your pantry. They last a long time and are so crusty and delicious I sometimes just grab a couple to eat for a snack. The croutons that come in a box are just so hard and tough to bite, these are crunchy but light too.

Leftover bread
unsalted butter + a little salt or salted butter
garlic powder
italian seasoning
parmesan cheese



First, you're going to cube the bread. Slice it in roughly one inch slices all the way down. Some people don't like crusty croutons, but I like to leave the crust on. It's really your preference. 


Next, make the slices into cubes and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. I ended up needing two because I used an entire loaf. 


Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes until just beginning to get toasty. Meanwhile, melt butter in fridge. I used about 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter(remember, an entire loaf here..so adjust according to how much bread you use.) If you run out, just melt some more. It also depends on how buttery you want it. But you need to butter to help the seasonings stick too. Also, I never buy salted butter, so I never have it on hand. I like to control the salt content so for this I sprinkle a little salt in the melted butter instead. But if you have salted butter, you can use that instead.


Using a pastry brush, brush butter on each cube.

 

Next add the spices. I pour it into my hand first and use the other hand to sprinkle it on. This gives me a little more control so I don't have a waterfall of garlic powder end up on just a few pieces of bread.  First use the garlic (another option is to mix the garlic powder in the butter, I may actually try that next time) After the garlic powder do the same thing with the Italian seasoning and then the Parmesan cheese.


Here's what it looks like with all the ingredients. Place back in the oven and bake another 10- 20 minutes. Keep and eye on it! Every oven is different so times in most recipes are only estimates. Always babysit recipes until you figure out how your oven works with it. Cook until beginning to become golden on the corners. However, if you like them a little more toasty, by all means, cook longer. They are really great croutons...Thanks Lisa V!

8 comments:

  1. Hey Jess! Thanks so much for stopping by to visit my space!! I LOVE homemade croutons - they are the best!

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  2. I love making my own croutons, too! I'll have to try out this recipe... sounds delicious!

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  3. Such a great idea! I'm going to have to try this while using some of the homemade roasted garlic oil I always have on hand (which I think you would LOVE!). Thanks for dropping by CinS earlier. I think I've found a fellow Phillies fan to link luv!

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  4. Sounds awesome! So much better than store bought! I love your blog! I would toss the partially cooked croutons into a bowl with the butter and seasonings and toss and then put back on the pan and bake the additional time. btw I love your soup freezer storage! I'm going to copy it! :-) - Aunt Cindy

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  5. Hey Aunt Cindy, Thanks! I will have to try your tip. I'll let you know how it turns out :) Do you make them that way at home? And def use the freezer tip...it's awesome..the Italian market we get roast beef from freezes their gravy that way..so that's where I got the idea. :) love you!

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