Simply Delicious Homemade Croutons

I'm not a salad freak, but occasionally we eat it. My husband will only entertain the idea if protein is a major building block and the salad is variant and so massive it's helplessly falling off his plate as he feasts. I used to make it as a side to our main dish until I realized Jason would habitually dodge the salad and go for the "real deal." What a waste. The next several days would ensue a battle between the salad and me. Could I choke it down before it turned brown and slimy?

Gone are salads as a side dish or appetizer in our home (guests get preferential treatment). If we eat salads they ARE the main dish. And, boy, are they large and in charge!

If you've read my previous posts, you'll remember that I'm cheap. I'm so frugal that it's become painful for me to purchase those measly bags of croutons sold at stores. C'mon, really? You're going to sell me 5-6 slices worth of cut up bread for $1.00-$3.00? No thanks!

I've realized it's easy peesy to make croutons at home. I know what's in them and I actually like them better. Before you despise me for making homemade croutons, let me tell you I'm not a kitchen superhero; they really take minutes to throw together. Yes, you'll have a few dishes to clean afterwards, but that's life. Major kudos to the genius who invented the dishwasher!

Let's get started with this simple project. Begin by grabbing whole wheat bread (you can also use texas toast, but I never have it on hand and plain ol' wheat bread works just fine). Slice 6 pieces into 1" cubes (or smaller if you prefer) and toss them into a large mixing bowl.

Take your olive oil and slowly sprinkle it over the bread as you gently shift it around with a utensil. Make sure the oil is evenly saturating the bread cubes.

Next, mix the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese and sprinkle these dry ingredients over the bread cubes as you gently move them around. Again, you want it evenly dispersed. Taste the bread and feel free to adjust the seasoning portions to your liking!

Grab a cookie sheet, line it with parchment paper, and spread out the bread cubes on it. Pop them into the oven and bake 'em for 15 minutes. I like to bake the croutons for 7 minutes, move the bread around, then bake for another 8; this just helps them bake more evenly.

Pull the croutons out of the oven and you're done! There's a lot of flexibility with this recipe so if you like them darker and crunchier feel free to bake them longer. Sprinkle these delightful morsels over your favorite salad or eat them like chips (yes, I'm guilty). A personal benefit of making homemade croutons is that I eat more salads- a great thing!

"Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

"Jesus answered, 'It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

SIMPLY DELICIOUS HOMEMADE CROUTONS

Prep time: 10 min.

Cook time: 15 min.

 

Ingredients

• 6 slices of whole wheat bread
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground peppercorns
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Cooking Directions

1. Set your oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Take 6 slices of whole wheat bread and slice them into 1" cubes. Toss the cubes into a large mixing bowl.
3. Slowly sprinkle the olive oil over the bread cubes as you stir them, making sure the oil evenly saturates the bread.
4. Mix the dry seasonings and sprinkle them over the bread as you gently stir it, making sure the seasonings are evenly dispersed. Feel free to "taste test" the bread and adjust the seasonings to your liking!
5. Spread the bread cubes out on the cookie sheet and bake them for 15 minutes. To help them evenly bake, shift them around about halfway through.
6. Once the croutons are cooled, store them in a zip lock baggie and use them as needed!