One Man's Trash, Another's Treasure

Don't throw out that leftover French bread... make croutons! Years ago a cookfriend taught me the simplest thing which I have done over and over. She encouraged me to use hot dog buns for croutons because 3 long cuts and simple crosscuts make cubing a breeze. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, touch of seasoning salt, herbs of your choice, then sprinkle olive oil over and toss. In a 350 oven, toast bread cubes in single layer 10-15 minutes. Your kitchen will smell divine! When you have leftover French bread, just cube it and prepare it the same way, toasting same way. Cool on wire rack and place in ziploc bag until ready to use. Croutons will stay fresh for several days. These croutons are much better than ready-made which are generally so hard you could crack a crown on them. Also, watch for discounted rolls/buns/etc. to use for cubing. Great savings and so much better tasting. Bring on the salad!