We are huge salad fans in our house and we all love that extra crunch of croutons but I just hate the idea of paying for them all the time. A little trial and error and a few over and under seasoned batches later and I came up with this lower fat Easy Homemade Parmesan & Garlic Crouton that works great for our last minute salad nights when mom is too busy to cook a full meal and tells everyone to build their own salad.
The best thing about these is they can be made at the last minute, in less than 15 minutes in little or big batches with your preference of breads and seasonings as well. Our favorite is obviously the Parmesan & Garlic but I am including a couple of other easy options your family might prefer.
EASY HOMEMADE PARMESAN & GARLIC CROUTONS
- 4 Slices White Bread {Preferably slightly stale}
- 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice bread into ½-1 inch cubes. If bread is fresh, allow to sit out and dry out slightly for an hour or two if time allows. If working with fresh bread, you will not get the “crunch” from this recipe as you do with stale bread.
Heat vegetable oil in small skillet tossing cubed bread into oil and stirring around for 4-5 minutes or until cubes are golden brown on all sides. Remove from skillet into bowl and toss with garlic powder and parmesan.
Pour croutons onto cookie sheet spreading into one layer.
Bake at 400 degrees for 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool then top salad. Store any extra croutons in air tight container for up 2-3 days in refrigerator.
Variations: Replace the garlic powder with any of the following for a different flavor profile
- Tex Mex Crouton: Teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1 Teaspoon Paprika & 1 Teaspoon Cumin for a
- Basic Crouton: 1 Tablespoon Seasoned Salt for a
- Ranch Croutons: 1 Tablespoon Dry Ranch Dip Mix for
- Italian Crouton: 1 Teaspoon Basil, 1 Teaspoon Garlic, 1 Teaspoon Oregano for an
