Croutons

Heather says:

Have you been laying out good money for boxes of croutons?  Look what you’re getting in a box of Marie Calendar’s Classic Seasoned Croutons:

How about making your own croutons for a fraction of the cost and without all the unpronounceable ingredients from leftover bread?  This is a wonderful use for day-old or, oops, overbaked specials, which you can find if you don’t normally have extra bread on hand.

Basic Croutons

• 2 TBSP butter
• 2 TBSP Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic – finely minced
• approx 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 4 cups of bread cut into cubes

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Place the butter, olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a microwave-safe dish.  Microwave on high for approximately 30 seconds, just long enough to melt the butter. Stir.

In a large bowl, toss the cubed bread with the melted butter and seasoning.

Spread the seasoned bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer. 

Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until the bread is toasted.

Store in an airtight container.