Fast and Easy Croutons

I found this wonderful recipe on another blog. It's so simple to do and they taste delicious!

Madame Monet’s Crouton Recipe:

Makes 1 1/2 cups, to serve 2-4 people, depending on portion size

Step 1: Remove crusts from bread (preferably whole-wheat, but any type of bread will do), and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1-cm cubes.

Step 2: In a LARGE metal or glass bowl, prepare a mixture of: 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper to taste, and 1 tablespoon mixed dried green herbs of your choice. Set aside.

Step 3: In a stainless steel pan (or Dutch Oven with a large flat bottom, especially for larger quantities) melt an equal amount of butter to whatever amount of olive oil you use (the mixture should be 50-50). For one-and-one-half cups of bread cubes, use two tablespoons EACH of olive oil and butter. When melted together, dump in the bread crumbs, stir quickly, over medium heat (if you don’t use enough oil, they will burn quickly). Leave them to brown on all sides, stirring constantly for about four or five minutes (larger quantities in a Dutch Oven will take about fifteen minutes, and should be stirred every minute or two).

When browned, dump into the bowl with the herb mixture, and fold together delicately with a spoon. To retain crispiness, do not cover before they are completely cool and dry. They will keep up to several days, unrefrigerated. It’s also easy to make a smaller quantity just for one meal.

NOTE: I used day old french bread and didn't remove the crusts. I also stirred them constantly over medium-high heat. I didn't have a stainless steel pan, so I used the only flat bottom frying pan I have. It worked perfectly!

Posted by Debi