What to do with leftover bread or crust ends?  Croutons, of course!  Great on any salad, but particularly necessary on a Caesar salad.  These are amazing and far better than any store bought crouton. 

Preheat the oven to 300′.  Cut the bread into 1/2″ pieces.  You’ll want about 4 cups of cubed bread.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small dish, this should take about 30 seconds in the microwave.

Now, the star of the show….fresh garlic.  Crush 1-2 large cloves right into the melted butter/olive oil mixture.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter mixture with the cubed bread.   Toss to evenly coat.  Add a pinch of salt if you’ve used unsalted butter.

Spread the perfectly seasoned bread cubes over a cookie sheet and into the oven.  Bake for 15 minutes, then give them a turn.  Bake another 15 minutes. 

Remove the pan from the oven right onto a cooling rack.  Allow them to remain on the sheet until completely cooled.  This will assure that they will be completely dried out.  Store in a zip bag.  Makes eight 1/4 cup servings.

Homemade Garlicky Croutons

4 cups cubed stale bread, cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 large cloves fresh garlic, crushed
1 pinch of salt

1)  Preheat the oven to 300′.
2)  Cube bread and place in a large mixing bowl.  Melt the butter and olive oil together in a small microwavable dish.  Add the crushed garlic.  Pour over prepared bread and mix to evenly coat.  Add salt if you’ve used unsalted butter.
3)  Spread the bread over a large cookie sheet being sure not to crowd.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Give the croutons a turn and bake another 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven onto a cooling rack.  Allow to completely cool on the cookie sheet.  Store in a zip lock bag.  Makes 16 two tablespoon servings.