I had to stop fighting it. I had two food blogs, Funky Brown Foodie and Erin Joy, both of which have been hacked and destroyed. I tried so hard to separate my love of cooking from my beauty blog, but the struggle has ended. The Scandalous Beauty weekend edition will feature my culinary adventures, as well as whatever else is happening in life.
Bloggers: Don't Limit Your Blogs
I have to thank Justin at Uvanity.com for chosing this name. He had been screaming at me to start a blog called Scandalous Foodie, and here it is. Kind of.
I haven't bought croutons since I learned to make my own. They are way cheaper than buying a box at the store.
It's a really, really easy recipe. Preaheat the oven, cut the bread, season the bread, bake the bread. Croutons. Voila.
I definitely suggest trying different seasoning blends. I have used Mrs. Dash time and time again, but I also like the Everyday Seasoning Blend from Trader Joe's. I also opt for freshly cracked salt and pepper. It's more coarse and has more bite. The same goes for the cheese. I've used gouda, cheddar, asiago, parmesan, you name it. I also suggest that you buy a block and grate it versus purchasing it pre-shredded. The taste difference is out of this world.
Tip: The bits of baked cheese and seasonings that stick to the baking sheet are a delicacy. I love to scrape them off an add to a salad, or nibble on them as I go. Yum.
I made Tyler Florence's french onion soup last year and man, it's freakin' out of this world awesome. I used the croutons on top instead of the single slice of bread. The kick of the croutons is to die for. It was definitely a great recipe.
If you'd like to make the croutons, here's a guideline to go for. A couple of notes:
- Day old bread works best. It's more firm, which makes it easier to cut.
- After you toss the croutons the first time, taste one. They need a lot of seasoning to have that true "bite". Sometimes I feel like I've added too much seasoning, and it ends up not being enough. You can also add the spices after they're done.
- Watch your croutons! They can go from golden brown and beautiful to pitch black in a matter of seconds. The smaller the chunks, the less time they need to cook.
| Crunchy, Flavorful, Perfect Croutons |
- 1/2 French Bread or Baguette
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( To Drizzle)
- 1/2 cup Asiago, Parmesan, Guyere (or Other Cheese of Your Choice)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Seasoning Blend of Your Choice (i.e. Mrs Dash, Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Cut bread into bite sized chunks
- Drizzle the bread with olive oil, enough to slightly coat the bread
- Add a liberal amount of salt and pepper, as well as the seasoning blend of your choice
- Lay the bread evenly on a greased cookie sheet covered in foil or parchment paper
- Sprinkle evenly with cheese
- Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, turn, then bake for another 8 minutes