homemade croutons

  Homemade Croutons

I love croutons, but if you have ever looked at the ingredients on the back of one of those boxes, you will see that you can’t even pronounce half the ingredients, and let’s not leave out the fact there is trans-fat in every box. So, I made my own, and they are simply delicious. It doesn’t have to be with just a salad, you can make them large or small to use as a side to almost anything. On my grocery days, I buy two French bread loaves and I slice them into crouton size right away, put in freezer bags and freeze. When you want them, just let them thaw a little and they are ready to be made into gourmet croutons!

Olive oil

1 loaf of French bread sliced, turn and cut the other way to make into crouton size.

½ teaspoon pepper

½ salt

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. thyme

Always tasting and checking for the right seasoning. If you need more olive oil during the sauté process, add more oil. This might need to be done in two batches. Only use enough bread to make a single layer in the pan.

Heat about 2 tbsp. Olive oil in the cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add the French bread and stir until all pieces are coated with the olive oil. Add the seasonings and sauté until golden brown and let cool on paper towels.

I use a large platter to hold my lettuce for my salad (see salad recipes in side dish section) and arrange my gourmet croutons around the outside of the dish.  Your family will absolutely love these, and talk about impressing your friends!