Homemade croutons are easy to make.

Photo: Photo courtesy of the author

Homemade croutons are a quick way to dress up any salad or even some soups.  They are quick and quite easy to make.  Croutons are the perfect way to use up loaves of homemade or fresh bakery bread that tends to go bad faster than grocery store loaves.

Homemade Croutons

Ingredients

6 slices of firm white bread, cut into cubes
4 tablespoons of olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the flat of a knife
1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning mix
1 tablespoon of finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Add olive oil, herbs and garlic to cold saucepan.  Turn on to medium heat and warm, stirring, until garlic and herbs become fragrant, about 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes.   Add the cubed bread into the pan, and stir gently to coat.  When the oil is absorbed into the bread, add Parmesan, salt and pepper; stir gently.  Spread the herbed bread cubes onto a jelly roll pan in a single layer.  Cook for 15 minutes or until browned well, turning over every 5 minutes.

Use immediate, or store in a tightly covered container for up to 3 days.

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