The Recipe For Cheese Crouton

CHEF JOHN'S HOMEMADE CROUTONS

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.

HOW TO MAKE CROUTONS

Steps:

• For oven method croutons:Preheat the oven to 375º F.In a large bowl, combine the bread, olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss well to distribute the ingredients.Spread the bread cubes out on a sheet pan, giving them plenty of space in between. Bake the bread cubes for about 10 minutes, or until slightly golden brown and crisp. Keep in mind that the staler and older the bread, the quicker it will brown, so color is a good indication of when it's done.Remove the croutons from the oven, and enjoy!For skillet method croutons:Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the torn bread pieces to the pan, and sprinkle with the dried thyme. Let the bread cubes sit in the pan for a few minutes until golden brown on at least one side, then you can give it a stir. Keep cooking for a total of about 10 minutes, until the croutons are golden and crisp. Enjoy!Storage: Croutons will keep in an airtight container for a couple days at room temperature. Make sure the croutons are completely cool before storing.Note: Recommended bread for croutons are any of the crusty loaf varieties, like sourdough, ciabatta, boule, etc.

GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
• In a small bowl, combine butter and thyme. Spread over one side of each bread slice with the butter mixture.
• Place 3 slices in the pan, buttered side down. Top with the cheese, then with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.
• Cook, turning once, until toasted on both sides, 3-5 minutes per side.
• Remove the sandwiches from the pan. Let them cool slightly, then cut them into 1" squares. Use in soups(tomato is especially nice), on top of salads, etc. Enjoy!
• Makes about 60 croutons.

CHEESE GARLIC CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Put bread cubes in a large bowl; drizzle with melted butter. Toss to evenly coat. Spread onto a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until croutons are crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Mix Parmesan, salt, paprika, and garlic powder into a bowl; sprinkle over croutons. Toss to coat.