Spicy Herb Croutons

Am I the only one who feels like they're getting ripped off every time you hand over $2 for teeny-weeny bag of - let's face it - stale bread? I agree every good salad needs a crunch, but those babies are overpriced and under-flavored. I mean... bo-ring.

However, I never believed there was another way until I... ahem... totally goofed up a loaf of white bread I was baking... Don't ask me why the center was a giant doughy air bubble...! Anyway, since I completely hate to throw out food, I thought to myself, "Self, isn't there something we can do with all the outer parts of this loaf? They're still perfectly edible. Just... oddly shaped." And then my self had a lightbulb moment and thought, "Croutons!" A few minutes of googling later, I had a recipe that looked promising.

Boy, was it so much more than promising. These croutons are dynamite. Like, try-not-to-eat-all-of-them-off-the-sheet-tray-while-they're-still-300-degrees good. Ruin-a-loaf-of-bread-specifically-to-make-croutons good. Make-you-look-forward-to-every-salad good.

Spicy Herb Croutons
Adapted from Guy Fieri
Makes: about 4 cups

You'll need:
1/3 olive oil or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t dried parsley
1 t dried basil
1 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t cayenne pepper
4 cups bread, cut into small cubes (Italian, sourdough, homemade, white... your choice)

Mix all ingredients except the bread, then pour over the bread cubes, tossing and stirring to coat evenly. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Cooking time will depend on how large your bread is cubed.

Allow the croutons to cool, then store in an airtight container. Try not to eat too many straight off the pan... save them for those salads. :)