Herb Garlic Parmesan Croutons
I don’t really like to lecture people but… that’s right there’s a “but”… when it comes to food, I can’t resist mentioning how good it is to have a little salad at least once a day. Eating greens is very important for the function of our metabolism. I also realize that many people force themselves to eat salads because they find them “boring”. You’ve read it right… boring! I personally love eating salads because I have so many versatile recipes therefore every day I can serve salads with delicious variations.
Enough with the salad…
When I go grocery shopping, I rarely buy prepared food items. I prefer to make my own as much as I can. Some would say it takes too much time. My argument is I’d rather spend some time making homemade than losing years of my life. Prepared foods are, in my opinion, unhealthy! The food manufacturers add chemicals to food to preserve them for a longer shelf life. When you take a moment to think about it, what can 30 minutes a day do to improve your health… a lot! Just by making a few simple changes to your lifestyle and eating habits. For example, if you like to watch TV a lot during the evening, remove one program and replace it by making something homemade instead of store-bought. Little changes like this can have a big impact on your life…
Enough with the prepared food items…
Sooo, I like to eat salad and I like to make variations each day to make it more delicious and interesting. One item that can enhance a salad besides nuts, dry fruits and of course vegetables and so on is… croutons! Please enjoy my Herb Garlic Parmesan Croutons recipe! I used to buy them at the store but I stopped doing that a long time ago and I’m glad I did. The taste of homemade croutons is far superior to the boxed stuff from the supermarket. Adding fresh ingredients makes the croutons so yummy!
I make my Herb Garlic Parmesan Croutons with day-old bread. As I mentioned above, if I can make it at home, I will. This also applies to the bread so I use my own French Baguette or the leftover Hot Dog Buns to make my croutons.
A vegetable salad is so good for us but when adding these Herb Garlic Parmesan Croutons to it, it definitely gives a delicious layer of extra flavor! Although extremely tasty, I sometimes, add some to my Caesar Salad. Another dish I love to add them to is when I make my Creamy Cabbage Soup. It adds that extra yumminess to this comfort food recipe.
Here I’m sharing my Herb Garlic Parmesan Croutons recipe and if… only if you decide to walk from the couch to the kitchen during the commercial breaks, you can make this flavorful recipe. The time it takes to make them is short and the results are amazing!
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other great condiment recipes…
– Spicy Tropical Salsa
– Strawberry Butter
– Blue Cheese Dressing
– Pickled Jalapeños
– Homemade Mayonnaise
– Spicy Red Pepper Jelly
and for even more bread recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Bread
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Herbed Garlic Parmesan Croutons
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil tips & tricks
- 5 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 1 loaf French baguette see Recipe
- 3/4 cup Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated and divided
- 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 small pinch cayenne pepper
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
Directions
- In a small bowl, mix together olive oil and garlic; let it infuse for 4 to 5 hours at room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 300ºF.
- Cut a baguette in half, then half and then in cubes; place in a big bowl (*see footnote).
- Using a fine sieve, strain oil infusion over the bread cubes, pressing garlic with the back of a spoon.
- Toss very well with a spatula until the bread is completely coated.
- Mix ½ cup of cheese with thyme, oregano, basil, cayenne and black pepper; toss well.
- Place seasoned bread cubes on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper in a single layer and transfer to the preheated oven; bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and toss them again; bake for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven (they won’t be hard yet) and put them close together in the center of the baking sheet. Sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Return to the oven once again and bake until nice and crispy, about 13 to 15 minutes.
- Store them in a re-sealable plastic bag when they are completely cool.
Notes
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