A very simple recipe, these croutons are good for a Caesar's Salad or any tossed green salad.
I've been making homemade croutons for a couple of years (haven't used this exact recipe), and I just thought I'd throw in a couple of tips. I find that the best croutons are made from large, bakery-type kaiser rolls (plain ones, of course, not ones with poppy seeds or whatever). . . I just buy a bag of 6 or 8 rolls, use some of them for lunch sandwiches in the first couple of days while they're still soft, and then throw them into the fridge until I'm ready to make croutons. (Croutons are okay if made from fresh bread/rolls but better when the rolls are stale/firm.) I use garlic powder instead of garlic -- the taste ends up evenly distributed . . . just garlic powder and enough butter to coat (although you could add herbs if you wanted as well). Bake on a jelly roll pan lined with foil -- then clean-up is super-easy. And here's the best secret of all (I never would have believed this before I started making my own croutons): once the croutons are done baking, spread them on paper towels to cool . . . and then, once thoroughly cooled, put in a ziploc bag -- your croutons will keep JUST FINE in the cupboard for up to a couple of weeks. You'd think they would mold or do something else gross, but not at all -- so really, throw some croutons in the oven every week and a half or so while you're preparing something else in the kitchen, and you're good-to-go all the time! (My husband became a huge salad fan when I started making croutons a couple of years ago...) :-)
Read MoreI can't say we cared for these. They had very little flavor. I think next time I'll try adding some italian seasoning and garlic powder to them.
Read MoreI've been making homemade croutons for a couple of years (haven't used this exact recipe), and I just thought I'd throw in a couple of tips. I find that the best croutons are made from large, bakery-type kaiser rolls (plain ones, of course, not ones with poppy seeds or whatever). . . I just buy a bag of 6 or 8 rolls, use some of them for lunch sandwiches in the first couple of days while they're still soft, and then throw them into the fridge until I'm ready to make croutons. (Croutons are okay if made from fresh bread/rolls but better when the rolls are stale/firm.) I use garlic powder instead of garlic -- the taste ends up evenly distributed . . . just garlic powder and enough butter to coat (although you could add herbs if you wanted as well). Bake on a jelly roll pan lined with foil -- then clean-up is super-easy. And here's the best secret of all (I never would have believed this before I started making my own croutons): once the croutons are done baking, spread them on paper towels to cool . . . and then, once thoroughly cooled, put in a ziploc bag -- your croutons will keep JUST FINE in the cupboard for up to a couple of weeks. You'd think they would mold or do something else gross, but not at all -- so really, throw some croutons in the oven every week and a half or so while you're preparing something else in the kitchen, and you're good-to-go all the time! (My husband became a huge salad fan when I started making croutons a couple of years ago...) :-)
No french bread on hand, I used day old Dave's Killer Bread. I also doubled the garlic. Nice and simple for what I needed, but this could be easily modified for a snootier salad. WAY better than the store bought by a mile. NOTE: You can also use extra virgin olive oil in place of the butter.
Irresistable is definitely the word to describe these! I'll NEVER ever go back to store bought again! I had some bread that was going stale and this recipe was just what I was looking for.... I melted the butter in the microwave and added just a bit of EVOO. I also added some italian seasoning and oregano along with the minced garlic. I watched them carefully so they didn't burn. I turned them once during cooking. I think you can mix up just about any combination of herbs, spices, and add in some grated cheese and these will turn out great!
I read this recipe at 4PM...it is now 4:27 and the croutons are done! I can't believe I never made croutons befor, it is SOOOO easy! The "melt the butter in a LARGE Glass bowl in the microwave" is the hot tip. I used stale sourdough that I was just about to toss to the birds. I always have a jar of chopped/minced garlic in the fridge and tossed in a teaspoon of that. I sprinkled on some grated parmesian and italian herb seasoning...added some extra garlic powder (not garlic salt!) Used a non stick pan and in 15 minutes the aroma was a delight. They are cooling right now as I type...you have to try this one it is a winner. I will never toss out stale bread ever agains!!!!!
Wow, these are GOOD!! I didn't have the french bread, so I used regular loaf bread. I melted my butter in the microwave and used garlic powder along with a dash of onion powder, parmesan cheese and ground black pepper. I cut my baking time down to about 20 minutes and they were perfect! I made these to go along with my Caesar Salad Supreme, also from this site. I just put my bread cubes in a large plastic container and poured the butter mixture over and tossed well. No need to dirty up a skillet.
These are wonderful, except they are definitely not good for you. :) I will have to limit how many of these I make for myself. I make the following changes: I use 1 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoon olive oil, add 4 teaspoon parmesan cheese and add 1 teaspoon italian seasoning. I will be sure to add these to my regular rotation.
These are super! Once they're out of the oven, I like to put them in a zip lok bag and add some seasonings along with some parm cheese.
Great Recipe. Turns out much better sautung them first rather than simply baking them. I did as another posted - used a stick and a half of butter, a whole loaf of frech bread and sauteed. I also added Oregano, which I loved. This is an excellent base recioe that you can use to flavvor any way you like. Thanks.
These things are awesome. After baking I had to try some...and I almost ate all of them before putting them on the salad. Thanks for posting.
I loved these croutons. I decreased the butter by half and they still turned out great. I will never buy croutons at the store again!!
I tried one batch with olive oil, the other with butter. To my GREAT surprise, my 5 year old daughter and myself preferred the croutons made with olive oil! (and we are "butter people".) I warmed the olive oil in a small pan, then added a crushed garlic clove; took it off the heat and let it "steep" for 20 minutes while I cut the bread--perfect amount of garlic flavor (and no mincing of garlic!)
FANTASTIC & EASY...ADD BASIL, SALT & PEPPER FOR A KICK
these croutons are definitely 5 star as written, as many have already said. however in my eternal effort to cut fat/calories, i've found that spraying them liberally with PAM or butter flavored cooking spray is a pretty great alternative!
Yum, yum, yum! I made these tonight for the family with a tossed garden salad and they were fabulous! The only problem was saving them for the salad after they came out of the oven! I just used some thinly sliced Italian bread and they were wonderful. What a way to make a salad so much better. I will never buy prepackaged croutons again. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, they really were excellent!
So easy and delicious! I used day old, "Rosemary French Bread" (found here at AllRecipes.com)and my family raved!! Even my 3, 5 & 7 year olds loved these croutons! Thanks for sharing the recipe :)
I can't say we cared for these. They had very little flavor. I think next time I'll try adding some italian seasoning and garlic powder to them.
Who needs salad? These melt in your mouth croutons are so tasty, my husband pops them in his mouth like candy!!!! YUMMY
I used rye bread and also melted the butter in the microwave and then mixed the bread and butter in a bowl - which worked out great. I didn't have any garlic, so I didn't add it, but wished I had. We really liked them, although my husband did say that it would have definitely been better with the garlic. They were quite soft/stale the next day, but I just popped them into the toaster oven for a few seconds and they came out like they were just freshly made. Will definitely make again (with the garlic!)
I used the garlic butter receipe and used that to toss on the bread. Very good! Kids love them. My daughter said they're like sponge candy???
These were good and very quick and easy to make. I used French Bread, but I think I am going to try reguular bread since I have that and see if they turn out good.
I love these croutons! They're so yummy and so easy too! I will never go back to buying boxed croutons anymore! They're great on a caesar salad or just by themself as well. Thank you!
I have been baking my own croutons for years, I use 1/2 butter and 1/2 olive oil. In a pinch garlic powder or garlic salt will suffice as well. Key is to not over cook them.
Absolutely GREAT!!!! My boyfriend requests them as a snack. Will never buy store bought again.
Perfect for caeser salad
This is a great basic recipe that one can easily customize. The house smells so good when these are baking!
Great recipe, thank you. The second time I added a little freshly chopped parsley. Another time, Added a sprinkle of Paprika, and yet another, a little basil. We are salad lovers here, and very thankful for finding your recipe as we can create different flavours every time.
MMMM. I used Italian herb bread, found on this site, and sprinkled paprika (the luckiest spice in the world, for you bachelor party fans ;) on them before baking...gone. The kids ate em' all, my son mixed them in with his spaghetti, hmmm. Thanks Cathy!
Excellent! I used a loaf of artisan-style bread I'd made a few days before and had lost it's freshness. Rather than cutting back on the butter I just used the entire loaf. As others recommended, I substituted garlic powder for a garlic clove to get a more even coating on my croutons. Once I took them out of the oven I coated them with Parmesan cheese. Hubby tasted one and simply said, "Wow!"
The rating speaks for itself. These croutons are fantastic! As a teenager I worked at an upscale restaurant that had what I thought were the worlds greatest croutons; However, these croutons with a little extra garlic and a dash of salt quite possibly could compete. Yum!
Like everyone else - these are great. I made a larger amount of croutons. I used French Bread and added some Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic, which I let soak in the butter. Also lined my pan with foil for easier clean up. There is a loaf in the freezer waiting for me to make more right now.
I loved these Croutons!! I tore up the bread and made them good size. Made a wonderful addition to my Shrimp Cesar Salad, and made the meal more hearty. No more store bought Croutons!!
I'm rating this five stars, but only if you make this change: Instead of using a clove of garlic, use garlic salt and Italian seasoning. I tried it first using the clove, but it burns easily and tastes bitter. When olive oil is warm but not hot, sprinkle in garlic salt and Italian seasoning to taste. Try on the tip of your finger; add more if necessary. Then follow the the instructions for mixing and baking. The croutons are much better this way!
I am updating my review on 02/23/2008. What I have been doing lately is using the Italian Butter recipe on this site when making these croutons and it is delicious. Use 1 T of Italian butter instead of herbs and garlic. Super! I have made these wonderful croutons several times now and they are always delicious! I use about 3/4 parts olive oil and 1/4 part Smart Balance Margarine. I use garlic powder and dried italian herbs---superb!
These were great. I had about 1/2 loaf of bread from the crusty french bread recipe and I used this recipe for it. Instead of cubing the bread I just sliced it in about 1/4" or a tad smaller slices. I followed the butter and garlic method, but then added a sprinkle of dried parsley and basil to the croutons before baking. I made these to top soup, and they were just what I was looking for. I would like to try olive oil, to cut back the saturated fat of butter, and maybe even try some with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese next time. However, taste wise and appearance they worked great.
Absolutely fantastic! I used a whole loaf of french bread for this and increased the garlic and butter according. My only changes is I added 2 tsp of rosemary and 4 tsp of Parmesan cheese to the butter. These are so wonderful, you will want to snack on them. Another suggestion is to leave slices whole and serve with french onion soup.
A good basic recipe that you can adapt to your ingredients and your tastes. They are so yummy that I can't stop eating them by themselves. I used part butter and part olive oil.
This is a great basic recipe that you can personalize to your taste with a variety of herbs and spices. Way to go Cathy!
yum yum yum!!!! i love croutons but have had a hard time finding a recipe that i liked where they had flavor..my search is over.besides being extremely easy to make,they are VERY good!!
These were great!! I made these for a dinner with my husbands family and they were a hit. My sister in law took the recipe home and now she makes them often too. Thanks for another keeper that I have added to my recipe box
I can't believe how delicious these are. I melt 2 sticks butter, throw in some chopped garlic and sea salt. I cut up a whole loaf of french bread, and then toss the butter mixture and bread together, bake at 400 for about 20 minutes. It makes a lot, but the last in a ziplock for awhile. I eat way to many to make them last long though.
These are to die for! I didn't have french bread on hand, so I substituted plain white bread and they still tasted great. I took everyone elses advice and used 1 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp olive oil. Also, to keep from getting the burnt garlic pieces on my croutons, I simply sliced my garlic in half, and cooked them in the butter/oil mix. Before adding the bread, I took the cloves out and discarded them. This way, you get the garlic taste, but you don't have to worry about any small pieces burning. One last thing, beware if your croutons are cut in different sizes. This was my first time making them and the size of my croutons were not consistent. As a result, the smaller pieces will cook a lot faster. These turned out to be the best croutons my husband and I have ever had!
I made these croutons for a casserole, but they were so good I ate some of them plain.
thanks! its soo easy, and VERY tasty!!
So quick, easy, and delicious! The best ever!
Great basic recipe....I used garlic salt and powder, italian seasoning and parmesan cheese before baking for a terrific result.
This was my first time making crouton. They were awesome and I can't believe how easy they were!
WOW! I am not the biggest crouton lover but these are fantastic! I love them just the way they are but I can definately see playing around with them....my family is going to love them with the White bean 'n' Ham soup (From this site that I made for tonight as well) That is if they make it that long. Thanks for the recipe!
I used good quality oil oil, fresh garlic and pumpernickel, light rye and sourdough bread and added some oregano. They are good for at least a week.
I will give this 5 stars because as written, I'm sure it will be very good. However, I only had stale sandwich bread on hand (whole wheat) and the garlic in a jar (which I don't really like) and some of the bread cubes were really soggy and even after 45, yes 45, minutes of baking (and careful watching, and turning) these pieces are still not 100% crunchy but I'm giving up because I don't want the other ones to burn. I had to douse these in sea salt, italian seasoning and fresh cracked black pepper because all the garlic burned off. I wish I had some parmesan cheese which might've made them better. They are ok, but not super. Still too sweet and bready. I wanted salty, garlicky and crunchy. Oh well. Like I said, I'm sure if I had done this recipe to the letter it would've been better! I think I might try olive oil next time. I love it, and I think it wouldn't make my bread really soggy like the butter did. I think you would get the best flavour if you sauteed the garlic and any herbs in the oil then strained it and mixed it with the bread with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Also I think the French bread (or any crusty bread) is a must because my good old bagged sandwich bread is just too soft and smushy and soaks up the butter and stays soggy. But that's just my opinion :) Will definitely try this again!
We LOVE this recipe!!!! We have made these croutons several times and will not buy store-bought croutons again!! We did add a little Italian seasoning to give the croutons some color and extra flavor!!
I normally do not like croutons, but these were great! I had unexpected dinner guests and needed croutons for my caesar salad... these were quick, easy and delicious. I used whatever bread I had on hand. I will now be making croutons for my salads! And this sure beats buying a box and having them go stale in my pantry!!!!! :) Thanks for the recipe!!!
These were so easy to make and came out just excellent!! SO much better than store bought..I will never buy croutons from the store again..these were just perfect!
Wow these were fabulous! I used french bread and regular bread to check the difference and french bread is a must to get the crunch. They were so good we kept eating then right out of the bowl.
Really easy and tasted great. Much better than any store brand.
Agree with the others-won't ever use store croutons again!! This is such an easy recipe and a great way to reduce wasting tale bread, rolls, etc. I'll try different seasoning to add to this base recipe. thanks
These are great! I used them with a romaine salad and the vinaigrette recipe from this site. I highly recommend these.
Very good. I've even made these with less margarine and sprayed them with Pam cooking spray before cooking to cut the calories back some. Although they sure are heavenly just as the recipe tells you to do them. :)
Trying to cook healthy adding more salads to my familys diet and this really gives our salads a kick. That we look forward to our salads!! Easy to make and way better than store bought. I hate the ones from the store that when you pock with fork it breaks...its too crunchy. Thanks for sharing and God bless!!
These are very good, much better than store bought! This recipe I highly recommend.
So simple and so good! Perfect snack food when you want something quick and yummy.
These croutons are delicious- I've been eating them as a snack, they are so addictive!!!
I traded the butter for olive oil and added a bit more garlic and the croutons were wonderful!!
great, but you can add just about anything and get fab croutons. i've heard that the reason the French think the Americans can't cook is because we buy croutons. i probably will again, but i hope not.
No surprise here -- these were delicious! I didn't have any loaf bread so I just used Sara Lee's wheat sandwich bread. It's just me and my husband and so we didn't need much. I used 3 slices of bread and melted 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave with garlic powder, a dash of pepper, and some dry parsley flakes for looks. I baked for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through bake time. I threw them in a ziploc bag and tossed with parmesan cheese. They're tasty and beautiful addition to any salad...never going to store bought again!
I thought this was a delicious recipe! I had two hard rolls that needed used up so I cubed them up. After adding the butter and garlic i drizzled a little EVOO and some extra herbs. I love homemade croutons!
OOH! This is sooo good! It's the best! Although it looks different but who cares? The taste is still the same and delicious!
Like all the rest, there's absolutely no need to buy croutons when you have this recipe ( Nor will you want too!!) I increased the amount of bread and butter and instead of fresh garlic I used garlic powder. As well, I added about a tsp of parmesan cheese to the butter mixture. Delish! These make an ordinary green salad exciting again! My 4 year old wanted to eat just the croutons for supper!!
I just made these tonight. I really do not like croutons on my salads but I liked the idea that I can make them to my size liking. I had some leftover sandwich rolls & regulare white bread. I cut the crusts off the regular bread (which I don't think was necessary) I also added some seasoning according to comments but I will be making these for now on. No more store bought. I wonder what restaurants would think if I brought my own. LOL. Thank you Cathy
Delicious. A million times better then store bought. An easy way to jazz up a salad.
Yummy! I tried this recipe when I was out of the store bought kind, and I will never use the ones in a bag again!! Very simple, and you can add whatever seasonings you like.
Wow, this was so easy... Nice favor and very crunchy... I have used this recipe many times... Thank You...
These are so easy to make, and ten times better than anything you could purchase in a box.
I just made this recipe 20 minutes later it is ready and the house smells amazing! I did add more garlic and after 6 minutes I tossed the bread as to not get one side too done.
These were great! And very easy. I followed the recipe exactly except that I added an extra dash of garlic powder, and generous amounts of dried parsley and grated parmesan. I also cubed 3 slices of whole grain flax bread instead of French because it made them a little healthier ;) I baked them for 5 minutes longer than suggested for extra crispiness, and tossed them the next day with a homemade Caesar salad. My mom gave the croutons RAVE reviews and asked me to email her the recipe! That's saying a lot since at first she couldn't understand why I'd bother making croutons when you can easily pick them up at the store.... now she gets it!!!
By far, these are the best croutons I have ever had. I make my french bread from scratch, and I think that helps the flavor too. I will have trouble ever buying again, and will avoid it whenever possible in favor of these.
were okay, just missing something. Will try again with some other spices to jazz it up. I love garlic but it needs something else.
this recipie was incredibly easy and the end result was fantastic. I even vary some of the ingredients, like instead of french bread, i used rye, and instead of minced garlic, i used minced onion, and it still turned out great.
I really liked these. I doubled the garlic though because my family LOVES garlic. Next time I'm going to try them with sage too. I ripped the bread instead of cutting it which resulted in some very rustic looking croutons that went great in the broccoli cheese soup I made. I will definitely make these again.
yum!
Very crunchy and great flavor. Hummy on ordinary salad. Thanks a lot, all family appreciate this recipe.
I made some bread last night and forgot to add the salt lol. So now it is in my oven becoming croutons. Easy peasy. Thanks for the recipe and instructions!
These were delicious!!! Better than store bought. Will make them again..and will never buy store bought croutons again!!!! lol! Very easy to make too.
These are the best! I had a full loaf of stale french bread. I cut the bread into 1/2 inch rounds instead of making cubes. It was easier for me and the croutons are really big! I used a large frying pan and melted 2 sticks of butter. I added garlic powder and Italian seasoning. I used my tongs to dip them into the butter mix. After dipping both side, I layed them on the cookie sheet and put in the oven! Very crispy and delish! Some people added salt, but I don't think it needs any. The seasonings have enough flavor. Great with soup & pastas! Enjoy!
these croutons are super-quick and easy to make. and they taste so much better than storebought croutons. i'll be making these again and again!
So simple and so tasty, that you will NEVER go back to the store bought kind! I added a little more garlic. I have tried this recipe with different types of breads and it ALWAYS comes out great! Thanks Cathy.
ummmmmm, these should be illegal! They are wonderful, and easy, and not so good for you. Have them once, then hide the recipe, till you have company.
Lovely croutons! My husband and I loved them! We used whole-wheat bread, and I didn't have any butter, so I used olive oil. I added some italian seasoning and parmesan cheese, too....basically, I didn't do much by the recipe, but I used the basic technique. This is a very versatile recipe, and will be used often in our house!
These are really good! My father-in-law always makes croutons, but they're never any good. I'm pretty sure with this recipe I don't have to worry about that anymore! I changed it up just a tad, though. I didn't have stale bread on hand so I used some regular sourdough bread, which I don't think affected it since it's still delicious and very crouton-y. And I used olive oil instead of the butter because I wanted it to be a bit healthier. It's a really good recipe! Definitely using it more in the future!
Wow- the biggest challenge with these croutons is actually getting them on the salad without eating them all! :) I melted the butter and sauteed with garlic in a skillet and then poured it over the cubed bread on a baking sheet. After 15 minutes, I pulled them out of the oven and stirred and added some garlic salt and parsley- yum! They turned out perfect.
