One would think it would be hard to get excited about croutons, but this simple recipe is definitely noteworthy for its ease of preparation and outstanding flavor.
There is a mystery of how I acquired this recipe, as what I have is torn from an actual hard-copy magazine—Better Homes and Gardens, to be specific. I don’t generally have anything against the magazine, but 1) a copy of the magazine would never find its way into our home, 2) I generally (and possibly unfairly) regard it as ultra-mainstream and therefore not necessarily interesting, and 3) I can’t remember for the life of me how I have a page from the magazine at my disposal. Weird.
Anyway, the crouton recipe is fantastic. Think of each crouton as a delicious little red umami-bomb. Unfortunately the crouton recipe was paired with a mac & cheese recipe that was a bit bland, so I didn’t include it here. Instead, I recommend this one.
I strongly recommend these croutons for any dish that calls for them, or even for your favorite salad. Despite my thoughts about BHG, this recipe is a winner.
What you’ll need
- 3T olive oil, or you could try melted butter
- 2T tomato paste
- 1t fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1t garlic powder
- 0.5t each salt and ground black pepper
- 5 cups cubed dense bread, such as sourdough
What to do
Begin heating your oven to 350 degrees F in convection mode, if available. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl whisk all the ingredients but the bread cubes. Add the bread cubes and thoroughly toss to coat. I used a large rubber spatula for this to good effect. Try to ensure that all 6 faces of each cube are coated with the oil/tomato mixture.
When the oven has reached temperature, spread the croutons evenly on the sheet pan, ensuring that none are touching. Bake until they take on a golden color—about 12-15 minutes.
Let them cool before eating. Try not to eat all of them at once. They’re that good!
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