If you’ve followed me for awhile, you saw my Insta post making fun of homemade croutons. This just seems like one of those foods that is ridiculous to make yourself. They take forever, and I feel like like Ina Garten. But, this garlic parmesan crouton recipe is so dang good, I have to share it.
Croutons are versatile, going on top of pretty much any salad or soup (like my sweet potato bisque). I love to add fresh herbs when I have them on hand, but they’re perfectly lovely without that extra step. These garlic parmesan croutons would be particularly delicious on a caesar salad.
What’s fun about croutons is that while time consuming, there are no hard and fast ingredient rules. You can clean out old spices, or use up some leftover cheese. There’s pretty much three basic ingredients–bread, oil, salt–but you can let your imagination run from there. I’m thinking of trying some Indian curry spiced croutons…
Be sure to find baguettes, NOT french bread. Baguettes are harder, and more dense. They make far better croutons than any other kind of bread. You can often find day old baguettes for less than $1 at your local grocery store.
Additionally, if you choose to go the butter route instead of olive oil, make sure to know if it’s unsalted or not. If it’s salted, you’ll want to only use HALF my recommended amount of salt. However, don’t be salt shy here, because croutons are supposed to be salty, and aren’t eaten in bulk–unless you’re me watching Game of Thrones.
Croutons are a labor of love, while my recipe provides a guide, feel free to increase or decrease any ingredient as you see–or taste–fit.
Garlic Parmesan Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 French Baguette Day old is best
- 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil OR melted butter
- 1 TBS Sea Salt
- 1 TBS Minced Garlic
- Fresh Herbs to taste I like to use fresh sprigs of rosemary & thyme
- Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
- Chop baguette into 1 inch cubes
Season
- In a food processor, blender, or mortar and pestle (if you're sadistic), combine all ingredients except the bread.
- In a stainless steel bowl (or Ziploc bag), shake the seasoning with the bread crumbs, making sure they're all coated. If they're looking dry, add more butter or olive oil.
Bake
- Spread the seasoned cubes in one layer on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake in 10 minute increments, shaking the pan, turning over the cubes in between each session.
- Bake for a total of 30 minutes, or until most of the sides of the croutons are golden brown. Watch closely, because they can burn fast!
As always, I love to see your results! If you try these garlic parmesan croutons, be sure to tag me on IG and Twitter @thechicgourmay
