Bread Crumbs and Croutons

Ever find yourself faced with this?

The sad end of a loaf of bread.  You didn’t eat it fast enough so now it’s dry and crumbly.  What can you do?

Don’t just chuck it!  You have so many options!  You paid good money.  Let’s make the most of it.

You could just make toast and be done with it…

Or you could pick something off of this timely list of uses for stale bread I just discovered in my inbox.

(Who knew? Bread as burnt food savior!)

OR!! You could jump on the DIY bandwagon with me…

homemade bread crumbs and croutons!  It’s pretty cool because now you avoid:

1.  Throwing out a hunk of bread

2. Buying croutons

3. Buying bread crumbs.

I’d call that a win.  Also none of this takes very long at all so you don’t even have to slave away in the kitchen for hours!

Here’s how:

Break it down into convenient food-processor-insertable strips and, using the grater attachment, grate them into crumbs.  Insert the sticks through the feed tube while it runs.  The whole process takes about 5 seconds flat.  You could also just grate them by hand.  All you need is crumbs…

No fancy prep work required!  Just spread the plain crumbs in an even layer on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes (for a whole sheet),  stirring once about halfway through.  Let them go until they’re nice and crispy but be careful not to let them burn!  They can turn on you quickly toward the end of their bake time.

Look at that….whole wheat Panko.  Ready top this creamy pasta dish or lend a satisfying crunch to baked sweet potato fries.

I left them plain so they’re as versatile as possible.  You can easily season them!  Just stir in your favorite blend of dried herbs.

To make croutons, slice your bread sticks into cubes.

Toss with olive oil, salt, and whatever seasoning you want.  I used a pretty classic mixture of dried oregano, dried basil and garlic powder. I won’t give measurements because it really depends on your taste and how much bread you use.  Use just enough olive oil to coat each cube.  Once I arranged them on the cookie sheet I also sprinkled them with a bit of fresh parmesan cheese.

My one inch cubes baked at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Flip each cube and bake for another 15 minutes.  They’re ready to come out when they’re golden brown and crispy!

Waste not.

Save bread and money!

((Equally valuable….right?))

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

P.S.  Happy last day of summer!  This is a day of mourning for me.  Tomorrow, however, the fall inspired deliciousness begins and I’ll be all happy again.  Get ready for pumpkin/apple/root vegetable overload!