Croutons Should Never Come Out of a Bag

I recently heard Martha Stewart say on her new Netflix series that you should never take croutons out of a bag.

And she is not wrong.

She is actually pretty much never wrong.

We had a few leftover buns from barbecue earlier this week, and they were sitting on the counter in that very specific stage where nobody was going to eat them as buns anymore, but they were still perfectly good. So I cut them up and turned them into croutons for Caesar salads for lunch this week.

This is barely a recipe. It is more of a reminder that some of the best things in the kitchen start with whatever you already have.

The easiest homemade croutons

I cut the buns into rough cubes. Nothing precise. Some were bigger, some were smaller, and that is completely fine.

Then I tossed them with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a good shake of Trader Joe’s Aglio Olio seasoning blend. It is garlicky, a little spicy, and basically made for this.

That was it.

You’ll need

• Leftover bread, buns, rolls, baguette, whatever you have

• Olive oil

• Aglio Olio seasoning, or any garlic-and-herb seasoning you love

• A little salt, if needed

• Freshly grated Parmesan, optional but highly encouraged

  
  

How I made them

Cut the bread into rough bite-size pieces and toss them with enough olive oil to lightly coat everything. Add your seasoning and toss again.

Spread the bread out in the air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for about 6 to 7 minutes, giving them a shake or toss once along the way. Mine were good at six minutes, but honestly could have used seven. You want them properly crisp and golden, not just warm bread with ambition.

Depending on the bread you use and your air fryer, they may need a little more or a little less time. Just keep an eye on them toward the end.

Make more than you think you need

These were technically made for Caesar salads. Technically.

But homemade croutons have a way of disappearing before the lettuce ever gets involved, so make extra.

They are better than anything in a bag, they use up bread that might otherwise get tossed, and the whole thing takes just a few minutes.

Martha was right. Again.