Garlic Butter Croutons
Delicious crunchy garlic butter croutons take less than 30 minutes to make and are full of homemade goodness without the packaged preservatives!
I don’t know about you, but I love croutons. They are one of those things that most people see as only having a few main uses, because who would eat croutons on their own?? Yes, this is when I raise my hand and say I do! I love croutons. They are a staple if I am making a simple salad, or if I want a quick snack. Please do not judge me for having taken a small bowl of croutons and a bit of salad dressing…without any of the other salad ingredients :)
This recipe comes after a bit of a learning experience the first time. I first made these with regular bread and melted butter, and while it was seriously like candy to me, I knew they could be improved. So, things got changed up a bit! I used day-old Garlic Artisan bread from the grocery store (check the small section where they put day-old bread/rolls/baked goods) and, as you can see below, had a bit of fun with it :) I also took out all of the pieces of garlic that were in the bread, because although I like garlic bread, I did not want the garlic in my croutons. While this is not required, it is recommended.
What I learned from my first batch of croutons is that using bread that already has garlic in it is really the way to go. It helps to flavor the croutons that much more since it has previously been baked into the bread. Using spray butter also helps because it coats the croutons more evenly than melted butter, which can leave some croutons well-coated and others not quite coated enough. And you want to make sure that all of your little croutons will be deliciously buttered!
These croutons combine garlic and butter together to create a crunchy, fresh, and incredibly addictive treat that is so much more than your regular piece of extra-baked bread. I like to use croutons on my simpler salads, especially if I am using greens like spinach that do not have any crunch of their own. I highly recommend having Italian dressing with these croutons, as the flavor from the dressing blends perfectly with the butter and garlic. Seriously, I am able to (and did) eat these croutons by themselves, sometimes with a bit of dressing to mix it up.
Garlic Butter Croutons
Ingredients:
1 loaf garlic bread
Spray butter (found with oil sprays)
~1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
~1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.
Slice the bread into ½ inch to ¾ inch slices, depending on how large you want your croutons. Cut the slices into smaller pieces, again depending on how large you like croutons. I cut mine into ½ inch pieces, with some smaller and some larger.
Once all of the croutons are in bite sized pieces, spread them across the baking sheets, forming a single layer on each baking sheet.
Spray each baking sheet of croutons with the butter spray, and then sprinkle half of the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper over the croutons.
If you want, you can toss the croutons around on the sheet and repeat spraying and seasoning them.
Bake for 12-16 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like your croutons. Test them after 10 minutes; they will get harder when they have cooled completely.
If desired, spray the croutons again with the butter and sprinkle with any of the seasonings for added taste.
Let the croutons cool, and store in an airtight container for up to one week.*
*Croutons are best used within one week for the best freshness. If kept longer than that, refresh them by reheating in the oven for 2-3 minutes.
**This recipe is a Rooks to Cooks original and the recipe and photographs may not be used without permission.
Posted on 7/9/14 by Kiley
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