CHEF JOHN'S HOMEMADE CROUTONS

Chef John's Homemade Croutons image

Don't let stale baguettes go to waste! These garlic-parmesan croutons are the perfect crunchy topper for salads and soups. And they're ridiculously easy to make.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Crouton Recipes

Time 3h55m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 9

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Ingredients

½ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 (8 ounce) loaf French bread baguette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
¾ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Steps:

Preheat oven to 300. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
Stir olive oil and garlic together in a bowl. Let sit at room temperature until flavors are infused, about 3 hours.
Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour garlic oil through a strainer onto the bread; toss to coat bread with oil. Add 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Italian seasoning, paprika, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper; toss to coat. Spread bread cubes out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Turn croutons and bake 15 minutes more. Push croutons together with a spatula so that they are in a compact rectangle on the baking sheet and no longer spread out; sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the top. Bake until cheese is melted and the bread is crispy and crunchy, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 473.9 calories, Carbohydrate 34.1 g, Cholesterol 13.2 mg, Fat 32.4 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 12.7 g, SaturatedFat 6.6 g, Sodium 889.9 mg, Sugar 1.7 g