Thursday, March 11, 2010

Homemade Croutons


Nothing makes a salad more flavorful (or if you're not a fan of salads, tolerable) than some delicious, crunchy croutons. But did you know that you can make these at home, easily, while at the same time using valuable food that you might otherwise throw out? You can!

Getting rid of leftovers the tasty way!

You will need:

Bread -- homemade or store-bought*
Spray olive oil
garlic salt
pepper
other seasonings of your choice

*Not moldy, but stale or close to stale. Leftover bagels are my favorite and can create some very interesting flavors, but any bread is fine. Note that the texture of the bread will reflect in the texture of the croutons.


Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

While it is heating, cut the bread into 1-inch squares.

Spray a baking sheet with the olive oil, and spread the bread squares onto it.

Spray the squares lightly, then sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper and any other spices that you feel like -- paprika, chili powder, lemon pepper, parmesean cheese, curry powder -- the possibilities are open!

Bake for 15 minutes, then enjoy on a salad, soup, or as a snack by themselves! Will keep for a week in an airtight container.


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