Three Step Croutons

I've mentioned my love of cooking before on the blog but I haven't really shared any recipes, which is something I definitley want to start doing! Lately I've been experimenting with making ingrediants from  scratch, saying goodbye to jars of sauces and packages of seasonings. I usually start by researching a whole bunch of different recipes for the same thing,  finding the similarities, reading the comments if there are any and then diving in headfirst! 

Last week I made homemade croutons and after using them in salads all week and crushing them into bread crumbs to use over mac & cheese I don't think I'll be going back to packaged croutons any time soon! They were so easy to make and a big batch should last 2-3 months. 

Ingredients 

• 6 Cups Stale Bread Cubes (I used 10 dinner rolls)
• 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 3 Tablespoons Oregano 
• 2 Tablespoons Parsley
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Pepper

*Seasonings are something you can really play around with! I knew I would mainly be eating these in salads so I wanted them to have a traditional Garlic & Herb taste. The next time I make them I think I will play around with cayenne, paprika and garlic to create a spicy crouton. 

Directions

Pre-Heat oven to 375. 

Step One: Spread cubed bread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. 

Step Two: Sprinkle with olive oil and spices. Use your hands to toss the bread with the oil and spices. Step Three: Bake for 30 minutes, turning the croutons halfway through cooking. 

Keep your eye on the croutons! Depending on the temperature of your oven and the thickness of your cookie sheet they may not take as long to cook, or cook more quickly. If your croutons aren't fully dried out they will either go stale when you try to store them or will get mouldy. 

I added some to a salad with baby spinach, red onion, feta cheese, mushrooms and bacon topped with balsamic vinaigrette. And it was so good! I know croutons aren't the most healthy of salad toppings but I love having a little extra crunch in there and making them at home is definitely better than the bags from the grocery store!