Croutons

Description: A perfect way to use up a stale loaf of bread or leftover baguette. My little niece used to eat homemade croutons as a snack by the handfuls. These are so much better than the store bought kind and can be used to serve with salads and soup. From Bride and Groom, First and Forever Cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups bread cubes (preferably from day-old bread cut in 3/4 inch pieces)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (add more if you would like the croutons to be more tender)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt, such as Lawry's
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Toss the bread cubes with the butter, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
3. Spread the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned about 20 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.