When we made homemade chicken Caesar salads the other day, I was craving fresh and warm garlicky croutons. So I decided to make some. Typically, when I make croutons, I season them with salt, pepper, and Everything but the bagel seasoning, so these were a little different from the norm around here.

But no worries, they're still effortless to make — you probably won't want to buy them from the store after trying this recipe.

You can use any leftover bread, but an artisan or a more dense bread is best; baguettes, sourdough, ciabatta, brioche, focaccia, etc.

Those $1 french baguettes from Walmart make the best croutons!

Ingredients:

• Two handfuls of sliced bread, approx 1/4" thick

• Olive oil

• 1 to 2 tsp minced garlic

• Parmesan (shaved, grated, or shredded)

Instructions:

1. Cut the baguette in half length-wise (you'll only use half), and then the side you're using cut down the middle. Slice in about 1/4" pieces

2. Throw in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Don't drench; we simply need enough oil so that the seasonings will adhere to the bread.

3. Add the minced garlic and Parmesan (I use the shaved Parmesan and crumble it into smaller bits, but grated Parmesan would also work great). Add pepper and a bit of garlic salt if you like it garlicky.

4. Toss until the croutons are evenly coated.

5. Toss in the oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until desired crispiness!

xx, Riss

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