Thursday, July 10, 2014

Gluten Free Italian Seasoned Croutons

Since being gluten intolerant, I have longingly eyed the bags of croutons as I go down the grocery store aisle.  I have searched for a gluten free version of a crouton in the stores, but as of yet had not found one.  Wouldn't you just know, I ended up finding them in my own kitchen (that is, after I made them).

I am a salad loving Mama.  I love my greens, but I really love the extra "goodies" in a salad, you know, some nuts, goat cheese or other crunchy things.  Croutons is one of those extra goodies I love in my salad.  These Gluten Free  Italian Seasoned Croutons are crunchy, buttery and nicely seasoned, and they really hit the spot in completing a well put together salad.
Gluten Free Italian Seasoned Croutons

 After making some Gluten Free Honey Oat Bread I was down to my last chunk of the loaf, so I thought, hey, let's try to make some croutons out of this!  And guess, what?  I did!  They were so easy and so yummy, I could have just popped them all in my mouth one by one...no salad needed.  They would be great on top of some soup too (although they might get soggy quick).  I had to keep my family from eating one every time they walked by, so I could take a picture of my Gluten Free Italian Seasoned Croutons before they were all gone.  If you haven't made a loaf of homemade gluten free bread, you could use store bought gluten free bread, but you will need to cook them for less time, as they will not be as chunky as the ones I made and will cook quicker (but here is another good reason to try to make the Gluten Free Honey Oat Bread ).

GLUTEN FREE ITALIAN SEASONED CROUTONS
Recipe from:  Goodies Gone Gluten Free
Yield: 1 1/2 cups of croutons
click here for Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups of cubed gluten free bread (preferably homemade so you can get big chunks)
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. Italian herbs (seasoning)

Cut bread into cubes ( I used about a 2 inch chunk of  homemade bread to get 1 1/2 cups of cubes).  In a small bowl melt butter in the microwave or over low heat in a small saucepan.  Stir in garlic salt and Italian herbs.  Stir in cubed bread until coated and pour cubes on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 5 minutes and then turn the bread cubes with a spatula.  Continue baking for about 15 minutes or until browned and crispy, turning over the cubes every 5 minutes or so.  If they are browning too much on the outside, but are still too soft, turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.  and continue to cook until they harden more.  They will crisp up a bit more after you remove them from the oven.  Store in an airtight container or baggie.  If they soften  while storing, you can crisp them back up in the oven before using them. Enjoy!

No comments:

Post a Comment