Homemade stovetop croutons

I love to buy fresh loaves of bread from the market, but often find that I can’t finish the loaf before it starts to harden.  There are lots of recipes out there for baking croutons, but that takes time I don’t usually have.  I recently tried making them in my trusty cast iron skillet & they turned out great – crispy & flavorful – all in about 20 minutes (enough time to boil some pasta & toss up a salad).

Ingredients
Day-old bread (it’s ok if it’s still soft)
Olive Oil
1 clove minced garlic
1-2 tsp dried Italian seasonings
fresh ground salt & pepper, to taste

Directions
Heat the cast iron skillet.  Add the garlic & a healthy glug of olive oil.  Cook for a few minutes – it’s ok if the garlic starts to burn.  Cut/tear up the bread into bite-sized cubes, about one inch across.  Add the Italian seasonings then toss the bread into the oil & cover with salt & pepper.  Cook on medium high for 15-20 minutes, flipping the bread frequently.  Every few minutes, push the bread to the side & add another glug of olive oil.  Don’t mix the bread into it until the oil is hot.  Be sure to give it many taste tests & cook/season to taste.

You can keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.

Does making fresh croutons on the stovetop simplify my life? Yes!