Make Your Own Croutons: save 50%
Croutons are a wonderful accompaniment to your home-grown salad greens this summer. And what better way to save money than to make them yourself?
This basic recipe for salad croutons is an easy and quick way to make them. Remember you can add or substitute ingredients to suit your taste. Since we are all about saving money here, I am going to follow the recipe and use the dried herbs. Fresh rosemary and/or fresh thyme would be a great addition but I don’t have any in the garden. If you have some growing on a windowsill this would be a great way to use it. Mental note: grow thyme and rosemary in my AeroGarden when I start it up again in the fall!
- 3 tablespoons olive oil | $0.48 (1 pint @ $5.11)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder | $0.08 (1 pound @ $9.91)
- 2 tablespoons Parsley flakes | $0.34 (1 pound @ $45.20)
- 1/2 bag of bread | $0.50 (1 bag @ $0.99)
- 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste) | $0.007 (1 pound @ $0.55)
TOTAL COST: $1.41
You just cut the crust off of the bread and then cut up the bread into pieces. I like 1 inch cubes but you could do whatever size you like. Then put the bread into a bowl along with all the other ingredients. Mix it around. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 325 for about 10 minutes until golden brown or try popping them under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes. I prefer the 325 degree method during the summer so the kitchen doesn’t get so hot!
Makes about 12 ounces of croutons.
Cost Comparison: 5 ounces of garlic croutons from Fresh Express: $1.25
Verdict: Making your own croutons saves you about 1/2 off the price of store-bought, seasoned croutons.
Note: All prices are from Safeway.com, lowest-priced item
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