Herbed Garlic Croutons

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photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns) photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)
photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)
photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns) photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)
photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns) photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)
Ready In:
16mins
Ingredients:
5
Yields:
2 cups
Serves:
4
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ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons margarine (unsalted)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 12 teaspoon basil
  • 12 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 cups whole wheat bread cubes
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directions

  • In a large skillet, heat margarine.
  • Add seasonings.
  • Cook for about 1 minute to soften.
  • Stir in bread cubes and saute until browned and crisp.
  • Scatter on tops of soups or salads just before serving.
  • VARIATIONS: - try other seasonings of your choice such as curry powder, cut into cubes.
  • Spread on ungreased baking sheet.
  • Toast in 400 deg F oven for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp.
  • Store in tin at room temperature for 1-2 days; some of their crispness will be lost if stored in plastic container.
  • They may be reheated and crisped in 350 deg F oven for 5 minutes.

Questions & Replies

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Reviews

  1. These are awesome!!! I started them on the stovetop, and then finished in the oven. Thanks Riff!!!
     
  2. VERY GOOD...I really enjoyed these and made an extra batch to keep on hand to munch on. THANK YOU for sharing.
     
  3. My crouton-loving children gave these 10 stars, lol. They ate nearly all of them straight off the cookie sheet, I barely salvaged enough for my salad! I used the oven method and the only change I made was to use olive oil instead of margarine (personal preference) and mix everything in a large bowl before baking. They were crunchy and crispy all the way through, even though my chunks of French bread were rather thick, no problems with soggy or mushy croutons. I made a second batch and played around with the herbs, changing a portion of it to rosemary and thyme (but no parsley or sage, lol) and using a mix of olive and canola oils. They were great and I love that this recipe is quick, easy, forgiving of alterations, and a great way to use bread that is otherwise too stale to use. My daughters have already asked if we could just buy a loaf of French bread and turn the entire thing into these croutons, lol! Thanks SO much for posting this winner, Riff; it will get a lot of use around here! :o)
     
  4. Instead of whole wheat cubes, we used thinly sliced soft bread sticks - Steingrim likes the round croutons. :) We also used a combination of oil and butter, rather than margarine, and made them in the oven.
     
  5. I made them in the skillet (but I did use butter, not margarine) and I felt they were a bit soft in the center for croutons. The flavor was very good, even though the spices were not as strong as I expected. Both of these things could be due to the bread I used. It was really soft and it has a strong wheat flavor to start with. I also have a feeling they would crisp up better if you used the oven method. Prepared the way I did it, they were pretty much like eating buttered toast with a mild garlic/herb butter on it. Next time I'll try starting the process in the skillet but once the bread is added and coated thoroughly, I'll transfer them to the oven to finish. I think the end results would be more like a traditional crouton. They were really good with Bleu Cheese dressing on the salad.
     
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Tweaks

  1. My crouton-loving children gave these 10 stars, lol. They ate nearly all of them straight off the cookie sheet, I barely salvaged enough for my salad! I used the oven method and the only change I made was to use olive oil instead of margarine (personal preference) and mix everything in a large bowl before baking. They were crunchy and crispy all the way through, even though my chunks of French bread were rather thick, no problems with soggy or mushy croutons. I made a second batch and played around with the herbs, changing a portion of it to rosemary and thyme (but no parsley or sage, lol) and using a mix of olive and canola oils. They were great and I love that this recipe is quick, easy, forgiving of alterations, and a great way to use bread that is otherwise too stale to use. My daughters have already asked if we could just buy a loaf of French bread and turn the entire thing into these croutons, lol! Thanks SO much for posting this winner, Riff; it will get a lot of use around here! :o)
     
  2. Instead of whole wheat cubes, we used thinly sliced soft bread sticks - Steingrim likes the round croutons. :) We also used a combination of oil and butter, rather than margarine, and made them in the oven.
     

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I'm an adventurous foodie. Cooking is how I express myself.
 
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