Garlic and Herb Whole Grain Croutons Recipe
By Elizabeth Chatellier, MA, RDN | 0 Comments | Posted 11/18/2014I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t love croutons. However, the pre-made bagged ones often taste stale and chemically, and aren’t a healthy addition to top off that guilt-free nutritious salad you just prepared with good intentions. So, I decided that croutons need a serious up-grade.
That’s why I prefer to make my own batch at home. They are super easy to prepare, and when you make your own, you get to use the kind of bread you like, and season them to the spice level you prefer. I like to use whole grain bread of some sort, because it has more fiber than white bread, as well as adds a hearty dimension to the taste and texture of the crouton. They are also great to snack on.
Garlic and Herb Whole Grain Croutons Recipe:
½ loaf of whole grain bread*, cubed into bite sized pieces
¼ cup Wild Oats organic extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp Wild Oats organic garlic powder
1 tsp Wild Oats organic Italian herb blend
½ tsp Wild Oats organic red pepper flakes
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place cubed bread on a baking sheet in one single layer. Bake bread for about 20-25 minutes, until dried out and toasted.
In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil and herbs. When the bread has finished toasting, toss them in the herbed oil.
Transfer them to an air-tight container, and store them in your pantry to use as needed during the next week or so.
*Wild Oats breads are now available at select Walmart stores. They are free of Wild Oats’ 125 No-No Ingredients.