Greek Croutons Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large (10-inch) saute pan until hot. Add the bread and cook over medium heat, tossing frequently, until the bread is evenly toasted and browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk the butter, olive oil, oregano and garlic salt. Toss with the bread cubes. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and toasted, 15 to 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Make the croutons: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut each slice of bread into 1-inch-wide strips. Tear each strip into 1-inch pieces, removing the crust as you go if it is very thick. Transfer to a large baking sheet (or use 2 sheets, if necessary to prevent crowding). Drizzle with olive oil and toss until evenly coated.
• Bake until golden brown and crunchy on the outside, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the baking sheet and turning the croutons halfway through so they brown evenly, and checking them every few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a light sprinkling of salt, if needed. Let cool on the baking sheet.
• Make the salad: In a colander in the sink, toss the cucumbers with about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place a bag of ice cubes or an ice pack on top to chill and firm the cucumbers. Let drain while you prepare the other ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes with about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Slice the halloumi about 1/4-inch thick, then cut into bite-size strips. Smash and peel the garlic cloves and combine with 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl to steep.
• Pour off excess liquid from the bowl holding the tomatoes. Add drained cucumbers, red onion or scallions, fresh herbs and 2 tablespoons vinegar to tomatoes and toss well. Remove and discard the garlic cloves from the extra-virgin olive oil, add the oil to tomatoes and mix well. (If desired, the salad can be made up until this point and refrigerated for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain off excess liquid in the bottom of the bowl before proceeding.)
• When ready to serve, add about half the croutons to the salad and toss so they can absorb the liquid. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar.
• Cook the halloumi: Line a plate with paper towels and lightly coat a nonstick skillet with extra-virgin olive oil. Heat oil over medium-high until rippling. Working in batches, cook the halloumi strips on both sides until golden-brown and crusty, about 1 minute per side. Remove to the plate to drain.
• Taste and add more croutons to salad as desired. (If there are too many, the salad will be starchy; too few, and it will be wet.) At the last minute, toss in the halloumi, add another good glug of extra-virgin olive oil, mix gently and serve immediately. (If desired, transfer to a clean bowl or platter for serving.)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove crusts from stale bread slices. Brush bread on both sides with melted butter. Cut bread slices up into small cubes. Sprinkle with garlic salt (if desired). Arrange cubes on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until browned. Let cool. Store croutons in a covered container or plastic bag. Serve in soups or salads.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Melt butter in a pot over medium heat.
• Cut each bread slice into 16 cubes; add bread cubes and garlic powder to melted butter. Stir to coat. Transfer coated bread cubes to the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Make croutons: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pull 1- to 2-inch chunks from the inside of the sourdough bread and add to a small mixing bowl (you should have about 1 to 1½ cups of bread crumbs). Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt, mixing well with your hands to combine. Spread the bread in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet and toast for 25 minutes.
• Remove the croutons from the oven and set aside to cool. Marinate tomatoes: Remove and discard any stems. Cut into varying sizes, then place the cut tomatoes on a plate and season with salt. Drizzle with olive oil. Tear and scatter the basil and parsley leaves over the tomatoes.While the tomatoes are marinating, prepare the feta cheese. Drizzle the cheese with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper, and set aside.
• Make the vinaigrette: Combine the dried oregano, black pepper, salt, grated garlic clove, vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.Slice and set the cucumber aside. Quarter the onion lengthwise, and slice into thin slivers. If you have time, rinse the raw onions in ice water. Set aside.
• Assemble the salad: Spoon the marinated tomatoes onto a serving platter. Dress the croutons with a little of the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add the sliced cucumbers and onions to the croutons, then drizzle with a little more vinaigrette. Layer the mixture on top of the tomatoes. Scatter the olives around the salad, crumble the feta cheese on top, and add a little more oregano and olive oil to finish.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Stir olive oil and garlic together in a bowl. Let sit at room temperature until flavors are infused, about 3 hours.
• Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour garlic oil through a strainer onto the bread; toss to coat bread with oil. Add 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Italian seasoning, paprika, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper; toss to coat. Spread bread cubes out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Turn croutons and bake 15 minutes more. Push croutons together with a spatula so that they are in a compact rectangle on the baking sheet and no longer spread out; sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the top. Bake until cheese is melted and the bread is crispy and crunchy, 10 to 15 minutes more.