When I was in middle school I used to to work at my uncle’s deli during summers. Some of my job duties included making sandwiches, baking cookies, prepping salads, and making seasoned croutons using leftover sandwich bread from the day before. The nice thing about making croutons at home is the ability to make fresh croutons for salads and soups in small batches. However, I like making croutons because it helps me not to waste stale bread which otherwise may be tossed out and thrown away. Besides, how many times have you bought a box of croutons to make for a salad, only to let the rest of the box go stale (bye bye $3)? By making your own, you can make small batches which is great for being frugal and saving money. This recipe uses only a few ingredients you likely have in your cupboard and can also be used for “seasoned cubed bread” needed in stuffing recipes.
PS: Kids and grown-ups love snacking on them. Enjoy!
{WARNING: Children have been known to swipe cubes of freshly cut white bread because they have no self-control. Just thought you should know.}
- 6 slices regular, gluten-free, or low-carb bread (fresh or day old), crusts trimmed and cubed
- 3 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder and a pinch of salt OR ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- Preheat over to 300 degrees. Mix melted butter, garlic powder/salt, and parsley flakes until garlic powder is dissolved and mixture is clump free. Toss butter mixture with cubed bread in a medium bowl until cubes are evenly coated. Spread coated bread cubes on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes and check to see if they are dry, crispy, and golden brown. Stir the croutons around and bake for an additional 15 minutes until done. Store croutons in air-tight container or ziplock bag. Enjoy!
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Oh, i forgot:
We do not aim at getting the croutons all dry. We like them crispy and golden brown on the outside and tender inside. They are to be served hot at once or when cooled. We would make fresh ones whe we need them.
And I would personally use at least the double amount of butter. But this is a personal preference.
I love cooking homemade it makes everything better when I’m mad I love to cook. So much with mom we cook a lot.
These are faaaantastic!
Thanks for the recipe. I used it today to go with a home made chicken soup. They were delicious and buttery – yummm
I found English toasting bread works the best for people with sensitive teeth, it is much easier to chew and the taste is out of this world! I use garlic powder, sea salt, very little pepper and pinch of cayenne pepper.
My Mom and Grandmom always used egg instead of butter and fried them quickly in olive oil. Then she kept them in refrigerator for storage the night before. My mom would take them out and put them in bowl on table so you can put as many as you wanted in your Italian Wedding soup. I think this was the old Italian way.
Those were great. Thanks!
Thanks so much for this recipe! So easy, had all the ingredients in my little apartment already, and they turned out fabulously! Was a nice, extra homemade touch to dinner (meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and salad… good old fashioned comfort foods)! 🙂
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and I love it! I make it with the oil instead of butter and the only thing I do differently is leave the crusts on the bread. There really isn’t a reason to cut them off, they don’t become impossibly hard or anything after baking. I’m glad I found this recipe first when looking for one!
I used some fresh garlic cloves finely diced instead. Used a french stick that had gone stale after a week but it turned out surprisingly tasty and fine.
What is the shelf life? I’m wondering if I can make a batch and let them sit in my pantry for like a month or something? Thanks for sharing!