Whole Grain Croutons with Thyme, Rosemary and Parmesan are the perfect way to get new life from day-old whole-grain crusty bread! You’ll love having these hearty, flavorful whole grain croutons ready for salads, for topping soup or simply snacking!

Hey, all! So, without getting preachy or holier-than-thou, I’m starting a new feature here at From A Chef’s Kitchen that deals with food waste. Specifically, NOT wasting food.

On the way back from Europe a couple of weeks ago, I watched the late Anthony Bourdain’s movie, Wasted. It really opened my eyes as to how much food we waste as a nation and frankly, it made me pretty uncomfortable. Thankfully, there’s an entire movement happening right now that deals with this issue.

How often as kids were we told, “Waste not, want not.” Or, if we left food on our plates, we were made to feel guilty about the starving children in China?

We may not be able to solve the world’s food problems, but all of us as individuals can be more mindful of the bounty we’ve been blessed with and be better stewards of that bounty.

Let’s start with something simple like bread.

Bread is not something we eat a lot of anymore because consumption of carbohydrates equals gaining weight. If we do have it around or occasionally indulge, it’s going to be whole-grain bread and as hearty as possible.

So, what to do with leftover hearty whole-grain bread? You could always grind them up for breadcrumbs to use down the road. But how about Whole Grain Croutons with Thyme, Rosemary and Parmesan?

Oh, yeah, baby! Homemade whole grain croutons are super easy and so tasty!

How to make Whole Grain Croutons with Thyme, Rosemary and Parmesan :

Cut the bread into large cubes.
Heat the butter, garlic and herbs in a large skillet.
Toss in the bread and coat with the butter, garlic and herbs.
Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, toss on some cheese….

Transfer to a baking sheet
Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes
Throw a little extra cheese on the croutons during the last 5 minutes of baking…

And voila!
Delicious, hearty, flavorful whole grain croutons! They should be crisp and toasty on the outside yet beautifully chewy on the inside!

Here’s a lovely autumn-inspired salad recipe that puts these Whole Grain Croutons with Thyme Rosemary and Parmesan to a beautiful use! Autumn Panzanella!

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Yield: 4 cups

Whole-Grain Croutons with Thyme Rosemary and Parmesan

Whole Grain Croutons with Thyme, Rosemary and Parmesan are the perfect way to get new life from day-old whole-grain crusty bread! Ready for salads, for topping soup or simply snacking!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 stick unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups day-old whole-grain bread, cubed
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat well. Add half the grated cheese. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and black pepper.
Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes.
Stir and return to the oven. Bake another 5 minutes.
Add remaining cheese, stir and bake another 5 minutes.
Remove oven and let cool. Croutons should be crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Notes

The nutritional information below is only an estimate. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 374 Total Fat: 14g Saturated Fat: 5g Unsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 16mg Sodium: 624mg Carbohydrates: 55g Fiber: 8g Protein: 12g