Wonder Bread Croutons

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For a crunchy textural addition to a Salad or Soup, Croutons are a fantastic addition to so many meals. They’re a super-versatile ingredient that is so easy to make at home and can be flavored with so many unique tastes. This is our recipe to make the most delicious homemade Croutons using leftover White Bread. That’s right! This is a recipe for amazing Wonder Bread Croutons, making great use of those last few slices of Bread that may otherwise end up in the trash. Save those slices and make this amazing Ingredient that will keep in the pantry for a few weeks!

Making Wonder Bread Croutons may very well be the most economical recipe ever

Let’s face it, very few of us 100% a loaf of bread. Even with a hungry household devouring bread every day, there’s more than likely going to be a few slices left in that loaf before it goes stale. Especially the crusts, which are so often neglected!

Making Wonder Bread Croutons is therefore a supremely economically efficient use of this leftover bread. It’s essentially a ‘free’ recipe when you really think about it. Either throw the bread away or make Croutons! The decision couldn’t be easier!

Perhaps the best part about this recipe is that the often-neglected crusts / end pieces of a loaf of bread make for the best tasting Croutons. The naturally sturdier exterior of the crusts will become beautiful and crunchy when they’re transformed into Croutons. They’re also more robust than the typical slices of bread, so you get more bang for your buck too

How to make these tasty Wonder Bread Croutons

This is a super-simple recipe to make. Grab a few leftover slices of White Bread (it doesn’t have to be Wonder Bread!) and place them on a large cutting board. For this recipe we used 4 slices, which was enough to ultimately fill up a medium sized sheet pan

Stack the bread on top of each other and then cut them into cubes, about ½ inch apart. No need to be too measured about it, just get them cut up into rough cubes. Scatter the cubes over a large sheet pan, trying to avoid them stacking on top of each other (this will result in a more even cook). Give the Bread a generous drizzle of good quality Olive Oil (at least 3 tbsp. worth, maybe even a bit more if you’re feeling generous) and season well with Salt

Try adding these delicious Croutons to your favorite Salad and Soup for an amazing flavor and texture

Adding aromatics like Herbs and Garlic will infuse the Croutons with flavor

This is the point where you can start to add even more flavor to your Croutons. The Olive Oil and Salt are going to work wonders, and by themselves will make for more than amazing tasting Croutons. However, if you want to add some more flavors, now is the time!

For our recipe we added some Rosemary. About 3 sprigs worth to be precise. Just peel away the Rosemary spines from the stems and scatter them evenly throughout the sheet pan. Once baked, the Rosemary is going to infuse its flavor and aromas into the Bread

Another great choice to consider is Garlic. You can peel whole cloves of Garlic and roughly slice them up. The same rule applies, scatter them all over the sheet pan to get a nice garlicky twist to the Croutons. You can also consider other types of herbs. Oregano, Thyme, and Tarragon will also work really well. In short, feel free to experiment with different aromatics to season your Wonder Bread Croutons!

Oven Roast the Croutons for 12 – 15 minutes until golden-brown

Cooking your Croutons is easy. Just whack them in the oven that has been pre-heated to 400F and roast them for about 12 – 15 minutes. We recommend turning them halfway through. No need to be precise here, just grab a spatula and give them a good mix through before returning to the oven

You’ll know once your Croutons are done because their color will turn to a beautiful light golden-brown. Their texture will be firm, and they’ll be super-crunchy and crispy when bitten into. It’s probably worth giving them a test to check for doneness. If they’re golden-brown and crunchy, they’re ready!

Your golden-brown, crunchy Wonder Bread Croutons are immediately ready to eat. No need for any more seasoning as you’ve loaded them up with flavors before they were roasted. Simply sprinkle them over your favorite Salad, Soup, or anything else and enjoy!

Storing the Croutons will only further intensify their beautiful flavors

Once you’re done with enjoying these delicious Croutons for your meal you can store the leftovers (there will be lots!) in the pantry. The best way to do so is in a sealable container or Ziploc bag. Once sealed up, the Wonder Bread Croutons will keep for up to a month in the pantry before going stale

Given the bread was likely already on the verge of turning stale before you turned it into Croutons, this is a great way to prolong the lifespan of the bread. They’ll be a handy, reliable source of flavor just ready to go in your pantry for the next time you want to make a yummy Salad or Soup

Wanna know the best part? The longer the Croutons stay sealed up in that bag, the more intensified their flavors become. That beautiful combination of Rosemary and Olive Oil flavors are going to concentrate in the bag. After about 1 week the flavor is going to be so intense you’ll be amazed you’ve made this dish yourself. It will taste (and smell) like something straight out of a fancy restaurant!

Wonder Bread Croutons Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 – 5 slices of White Bread (including Crusts)
• 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 4 Rosemary Sprigs, stems removed
  
  

Instructions

1. Stack the slices of Bread on a cutting board and then cut the Bread into cubes approximately 1-inch thick
2. Scatter the pieces of Bread on a large sheet pan, ensuring they don’t overlap. Drizzle the Bread with Olive Oil and Sprinkle with Salt
3. Remove the Rosemary spines from the stems and scatter them over the Bread. Mix the whole thing well then roast in the Oven pre-heated to 400F for 15 minutes, flipping them halfway through
4. The Croutons will be done once they turn a light golden-brown color and are firm and crunchy. Remove from the Oven and enjoy
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can store the Croutons for up to 1 month in the pantry provided they are placed in an air-tight container or Ziploc bag
• Try substituting (or adding to) the Rosemary with other Herbs and Aromatics such as Thyme, Tarragon, Oregano, and slices of fresh Garlic
  
  

We just know you’re going to love these Wonder Bread Croutons as much as we do! They’re such a fantastic use for leftover Bread, especially those crusts that always end up getting thrown in the garbage!

Once you’ve made these fantastic Croutons, why not try using them as a topping / garnish to some of these amazing Salads and Soups:

• Creamy Tomato Soup
• Potato and Leek Soup with Roast Garlic
• Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad
• Kale Caesar Salad with White Anchovies
  
  

Happy Cooking!