Bought too much bread at the grocery store? Wanted a few hamburgers but had to buy an 8-pack of hamburger buns? Homemade, Easy, One-Bowl Croutons are the solution! (And P.S-they are way better than any store bought crouton you can get!)

THE INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE, EASY, ONE-BOWL CROUTONS:

Leftover Bread: Truly any bread works for this recipe, so use what you have on hand! Stale bread, since the moisture of fresh bread would bake out in the oven anyway, works great in this recipe. Personally, we believe that leftover hamburger and hotdog buns make better tasting croutons than regular sandwich bread. 

Salt: A basic ingredient! Part of the reason why these croutons taste so good. Reducing the salt is ok, but you will sacrifice some of the flavor. Adding more may also work-you know your salt limits best, so do what tastes best for you. 

Black Pepper: Another basic ingredient! Just like salt-reduce or increase this spice as much as you want, based on your preference and/or tolerance. We believe the amount listed is best, but again-some can’t handle the peppery flavor and some like strong seasoning, so do what is best for you! This recipe is (obviously) a recipe, but you can also see it as just a guideline. 

Italian Seasoning: These homemade croutons are based off of Italian-Style croutons that you can find at the supermarket. We believe this amount is just right for plenty of herby flavor.

Garlic Powder: Another important spice in Italian-Style croutons! This amount of garlic makes flavorful croutons, yet has enough restraint that the herbs are still the primary flavor. 

Fennel Seed: A less-common spice in your spice cabinet, fennel seed pairs incredibly well with garlic and Italian seasoning. It is a flavorful spice, which is why not a lot of it is needed to make an impact on these croutons. 

Olive Oil: Although just about any liquid fat goes well in a crouton recipe, we wanted to keep these croutons simple-so no need to be getting out a second dish to melt butter! Olive oil immediately brings up thoughts of Italian cooking, which makes it perfect for Italian-Style croutons! 

KEY INFORMATION:

Why do you turn croutons halfway through?: Flip the croutons halfway through to ensure even browning on both sides. If they are not flipped, one side may appear too dark and the other side too light. 

Serrated Knives: We recommend using a serrated knife to cut the bread. Using a regular, sharp knife can make it difficult to cut through the bread, leading to oddly shaped pieces. Serrated knives have sharp, triangular grooves that work better than a traditional knife when it comes to cutting things, like bread and tomatoes, that are a bit more unstable and more likely to “squish down” than be cut through.