Best 3 Choose Your Own Adventure Crunchy Croutons Recipes
Welcome to the delightful world of crunchy croutons, where crispy and flavorful pieces of bread add a satisfying crunch to your favorite dishes. Whether you're looking for savory croutons to top a hearty salad or sweet croutons to add a touch of decadence to a dessert, this article has a recipe for every palate and occasion. From classic garlic butter croutons to indulgent chocolate-dipped croutons, and even gluten-free and vegan options, you'll find a crouton recipe that perfectly complements your culinary creations. Get ready to elevate your meals with these crispy, golden-brown croutons that are sure to impress your taste buds.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
EASY CRUNCHY GARLIC CROUTONS RECIPE
Croutons are a great garnish for green salads and (as with any croutons), toss them in at the very last minute to prevent them from getting soggy. You want your bread to be at least a day old. It'll be easier to cut and holds it's shape better. We used my mom's ultra soft wheat bread (Visit NatashasKitchen.com for the video and photo tutorial). You could also use a basic french bread with great results.
Provided by Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Categories Easy
Time 25m
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a small sauce pan, combine: 2 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 pressed garlic cloves, 1 Tbsp chopped parsley, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir to combine then set aside and let the flavors infuse into the oil while you chop your bread.
- Cut your bread into 3/4" cubes. For goodness sake, don't remove the crust! It adds variety and great crunch to these croutons. Transfer to large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle the seasoned olive oil over your chopped bread and toss until bread crumbs have an even coating of oil.
- Spread the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 375˚F for
- -20 minutes until they are golden brown and crunchy. (mine took 20 min)
- Serve these up with your favorite green salad.
CRUNCHY RANCH CROUTONS
Instead of throwing away any stale bread, try this recipe for crunchy croutons. Enjoy on salads, on top of casseroles, soups, as stuffing for veggies or fish or meat. I have included variations too!
Provided by Sharon123
Categories Grains
Time 25m
Yield 1 batch
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Cut crust from bread and discard the crust.
- Brush both sides of each slice of bread with olive oil, melted butter or margarine.
- Slice bread into 1/2-inch strips; turn and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Optional:.
- Place bread cubes in a plastic zipper bag; sprinkle with dry salad dressing mix to act as dry seasoning. Securely seal bag and shake, coating bread cubes with dry salad dressing mix.
- Spread cubes flat on baking sheet. Preheat oven to 325°F Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet.
- Note: For bigger croutons, use "Texas Toast" style bread and slice into larger 3/4-inch cubes.
CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURE CRUNCHY CROUTONS
Follow the basic recipe then skip down to the various seasoning options to mix-n-match what goes with your salad, soup or meal. Life never has to be boring again!
Provided by Debber
Categories Healthy
Time 25m
Yield 1 loaf, 10-12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 300.
- Melt butter; remove from heat, stir in garlic powder (or other seasoning).
- Cut French (or Italian) bread loaf into 1/2-inch slices, then into cubes; place in large bowl.
- Drizzle garlic-butter over bread cubes, tossing lightly.
- Spread cubes in a single layer on a cookie sheet or cake pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes, stir; bake for 5 more minutes, stir again & check to see if the cubes are dry & crispy.
- SEASONING OPTIONS: Use seasoning ingredients listed below--instead of the garlic listed above. All other directions remain the same!
- Parmesan Croutons: 3 T. Parmesan, grated; 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder.
- Dill Croutons: 1 teaspoons dill weed.
- Cajun Croutons: 1 teaspoons Cajun seasoning.
- Onion Croutons: 1/4 teaspoons onion powder.
- Mustard Croutons: 1 teaspoons dry mustard, 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder.
- Herby Croutons: 1 teaspoons basil, 1 teaspoons oregano, 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder.
- Pizza Croutons: 1 teaspoons basil, 1 teaspoons oregano, 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder.
- Now--come up with some of your own!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 485.1, Fat 7.4, SaturatedFat 3.7, Cholesterol 12.2, Sodium 828.6, Carbohydrate 86.8, Fiber 3.7, Sugar 3.9, Protein 18.1
Tips:
- Choose the right bread: Stale bread is best for croutons, as it will absorb more flavor and become crispy. Look for a hearty bread with a dense crumb, such as sourdough, French bread, or baguette.
- Cut the bread into uniform cubes: This will help them cook evenly. Aim for cubes that are about 1-inch in size.
- Toss the bread cubes with oil and seasonings: This will help them get crispy and flavorful. You can use any type of oil you like, but olive oil is a classic choice. As for seasonings, salt and pepper are essential, but you can also add herbs, spices, or grated Parmesan cheese.
- Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet: This will help them crisp up evenly. Don't overcrowd the baking sheet, or the croutons will steam instead of crisp.
- Bake the croutons in a preheated oven: The temperature and baking time will vary depending on the recipe, but most croutons will take about 15-20 minutes to bake. Keep an eye on them, and stir them occasionally so that they brown evenly.
- Let the croutons cool completely before storing: This will help them crisp up even more. Once they are cool, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Conclusion:
Croutons are a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, from salads to soups to casseroles. They are also a great way to use up stale bread. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can make delicious and flavorful croutons at home. So next time you have some stale bread on hand, don't throw it away. Make croutons instead!
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