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Learn how to make homemade croutons to add flavor and texture to your otherwise, boring salad!

Name: Homemade Croutons
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 7 min
Ingredients: Leftover bread and/or bread ends, Feel free to use any bread you have including English muffins, dinner rolls or whatever else you have laying around; Oil, again, use whatever you like. I've used canola, olive oil and sesame oil in the past; Spices, herbs, sugar, dried maple syrup, etc.

It’s salad season! And who wants to eat a plain old lettuce and tomato salad? Not me! Learning how to make homemade croutons is a great way to add flavor and texture to your otherwise, boring salad. Plus, you’ll save a ton of money if you regularly purchase croutons from the grocery store, because my homemade crouton recipe uses leftover bread and bread ends! There are so many flavors of homemade croutons that you can make and you can put them on a lot more than your greens! Here’s just a few ideas for using traditional croutons –

Sprinkle them crushed onto your favorite cooked veggies.
Sprinkle onto the top of casseroles before baking for added crisp.
Run your homemade croutons through the food processor and use them in place of breadcrumbs in any recipe for added flavor.
Throw a few onto your soup, stew, chili or even your favorite spaghetti sauce.
Use large croutons in place of crackers with dips and spreads.

And since you’re learning how to make your own croutons at home, and can therefore add any flavor you like, here’s a few “radical” ideas –

Sprinkle them over ice cream.
Use them in place of traditional crumb topping on pies, crisps or even crumb cakes.
Crush and sprinkle on top of yogurt.

I know you’re saying “Ewwww” right now. But just think about it, who says you have to use savory spices and herbs? Why can’t you use sugar and cinnamon or maple sugar instead? (Oh my gosh, just think about the maple sugar croutons over ice cream – I’m getting hungry!) You’re probably starving by now, too and here I go, just babbling on and on. In fact, I’ll bet you’re screaming at me, right now, for not just handing over the recipe…am I right? So, let’s get on with it, shall we?

Homemade Croutons

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes

Total Time 7 minutes

Ingredients

Leftover bread and/or bread ends, Feel free to use any bread you have including English muffins, dinner rolls or whatever else you have laying around
Oil, again, use whatever you like. I've used canola, olive oil and sesame oil in the past
Spices, herbs, sugar, dried maple syrup, etc.

Instructions

Place a large skillet on the stove. Drizzle lightly with oil and heat on medium temperature.
While you're pan is heating up, dice the bread into 1/2" or 1" cubes.
Sprinkle a single layer of bread cubes into the pan. Stir continuously. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bread is golden brown.
Remove from pan and sprinkle your homemade croutons with your choice of flavors. Repeat with remaining bread cubes.

Enjoy!

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