Sam's Croutons

One of the things I've noticed on the competitive cooking shows is the use of small things for big flavor impact on normally simple dishes. So with this in mind, for dinner tonight, I will be serving a Caesar salad on the side. For the salad this afternoon, I've made homemade croutons.

Few slices of my wife's homemade artisan bread.

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter, mix in a heavy dose of Penzy's Tuscan Sunset (Italian Seasoning blend), garlic powder and basil. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes take out of heat.

Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over slices and drizzle a couple of tablespoons of virgin olive oil over everything. Put back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until golden and crispy with the cheese melted well into the bread.

Let cool and then cut into crouton size pieces. Store for use in plastic bag in fridge.

Later tonight or tomorrow I'll report on the Chicken Tuscany I'm making for dinner tonight and how big (or not) a hit these croutons were.