Croutons

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword baked croutons, garlic croutons, salad croutons, stale bread recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Cubed bread tossed with oil, garlic, onion powder and Italian seasoning, then baked until crisp. A thrifty use for stale bread.

Ingredients

6 cups of cubed bread (I used one large crusty loaf)
2 tablespoons of cooking oil (I used extra virgin olive oil - butter, coconut oil & avocado oil are also good options)
1 1/2 teaspoons of granulated garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons of onion powder
1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning (or your favorite mix of dried herbs)
1/8 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the bread into cubes about 1-inch in size and put them in a mixing bowl.
Drizzle the oil over the bread and toss by hand until each piece is evenly coated.
Sprinkle on the seasonings and toss again so they spread around.
Arrange the cubes in one layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake.
At the 10 minute mark, stir with a wooden spoon.
Bake 10 minutes more, then stir once again.
After another 10 minutes (30 minutes total), check that they are golden and crispy outside with a bit of chew inside; if not, bake another 5-10 minutes, watching closely.
Serve right away, or let them cool completely and keep in an airtight container.

Notes

Cooled croutons in an airtight container will be extra crunchy by the next day; for a little chew inside, use them the same day. No longer shelf life given.