Nikki's Lockdown Croutons

Inspired by Rachel Cooks

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

  • 4 heaping cups cubed white bread (We used a day or two old fresh white bread, but explore with other loaves as well)

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme.

  3. Add bread cubes and toss to coat all bread cubes with olive oil mixture.

  4. Spread the bread cubes into an even layer on a sheet pan. Don’t crowd the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, stirring once to ensure even toasting. If you’re using super fresh bread, they’ll take a little longer to become golden brown. If the bread is stale and dry, it may brown faster, so keep an eye on it!

Nikki was under tremendous pressure to chip in, offer up her part, do the work, essentially provide a contribution to the numerous meals prepared during our stay in Maine during the COVID-19 pandemic. What she came up with was a crouton for the ages. Perfect for any salad let alone a Ceasar salad. This became a staple of countless salads including Glazed Salmon, Grilled Chicken, as well as a perfect complimentary side salad to a Porterhouse. She proved many wrong in her ability to flourish under such a burning spotlight. Nikki's capacity to chip in was never questioned again.

~ Michael