Kitchen Tip: Homemade Croutons

~I have many loves; one of which is fresh baked artisan bread. The slight crackle of rustic crust, the heady aroma of bread just out from the oven…However, I can only stuff myself so much. One option is to freeze the leftover bread, to be reheated later on. While this step may help salvage the bread, anyone who has ever tried it- knows that the texture of reheated frozen bread cannot compare to the fresh baked product. My solution is to just make my own croutons. It is so much tastier and far more fragrant than anything store-bought. Toss a handful in salads or on top of soups which call for bruschetta. As my 5yr old commented, “Mommy, this is just too, too good.”

Ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil

Italian seasoning

fresh ground pepper

garlic salt

leftover fresh baked bread or stale artisan bread

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 305 degrees.
2. Cut bread into small cubes. It is up to you how big or small you want your croutons. Bear in mind that these will be very crunchy so a bigger piece may be rougher in your mouth. Since I have little ones, I make smaller cuts.  
3. Place bread in a large bowl and drizzle generously with olive oil. Add a dash of Italian seasonings, a light sprinkling of garlic salt, and a few cracks of fresh ground pepper.
4. Toss thoroughly to ensure olive oil and seasonings are distributed evenly.
5. Spread seasoned bread evenly onto a flat baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15min or until crunchy. Try one of the croutons in the middle.
7. Can be stored for up to one week.