How to Make Restaurant-Quality Croutons

Alright people, it’s time to get serious. About croutons. I am sick and tired of my friends chipping their teeth on these tasteless, hard nuggets containing who knows what ingredients. You know, those lego blocks that are disguised as croutons. I don’t know about you, but I love a great Caesar salad, and you will not be finding those packets of sadness in a restaurant-quality salad. 

I know, the thought of making your own croutons seems like the most labor intensive process, but trust me, it’s easier than making a boxed cake. You even get to use that stale bread that you felt guilty leaving on the counter, post munchie craving after making a grilled cheese (or two). In no time, you’ll have tender, tasty cubes of crunchiness. 

Now, why are my croutons the most delightful in all the land? Because I have lived and breathed these bad boys, inhaling each one, until the perfect recipe was made. So, ladies and gents, I give you a recipe that will make you the top chef of your friends. Next stop, The Next Food Network Star. Well, actually…baby steps.

Homemade Croutons

• Prep Time:5 mins
• Cook Time:10 mins
• Total Time:15 mins
• Servings:8
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 loaf bread either French baguette or a sourdough loaf or a crusty bread and have it a few days old
• About 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons butter melted in pan
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

• Step 1

  GET YO BREAD STALE, YO.
  For real, this makes or breaks the recipe. Having stale bread enables the croutons to get that great crunch quality to them. Using fresh bread with just soak up all of the flavors, and leave you with a mushy, unappetizing square. Not so top chef quality, is it?

  

• Step 2

  In a large bowl, lather up the bread with the olive oil and then sprinkle with garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt & pepper. Make sure to add the olive slowly – you might need it all or more or less. You don’t want the cubes to be swimming in olive oil.

  

• Step 3

  Using your hands, gently toss the croutons and make sure they are coated with all the good stuff.

  

• Step 4

  Heat a large sauce pan with the butter. Once the butter is melted and warm, add the bowl of croutons. Let the cubes sit in the pan for a few minutes until golden brown on at least one side. From there, you can start tossing them around the pan.
  Keep cooking for a total of about 10 minutes, until the croutons are golden, crisp, and salad ready.

  

#SpoonTip: if you’re running short on time or forgot to leave the bread out, cut the bread into cubes and stick it in the oven at 375ºF for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Great ready to bring these bad boys to every social event for the rest of your life. Yes, they are that good.