I've been making these for years, and my kids looooove them. Using french or italian bread, a garlic-salt mixture with parsley in it, and a butter-flavored cooking spray (rather than the butter) gives them a top-level restaurant taste. I also like to use ranch-dressing dry mix in lieu of the garlic salt at times--you can also use garlic powder with salted cheddar popcorn topping--the possibilities are endless!----One of my kids' fave all-time snacks are actually borne of the "crouton" premise: Called "Crustinos", you make them by slicing basic french or italian bread into approx. 1/2 inch thick slices, then spraying the slices with butter-flavored cooking spray, adding your seasoning atop, and baking at 200 degrees until they are light golden and crispy. So much better for everyone than chips--and they keep for a week or more in a sealed bag (although I cannot keep any in my house more than 24 hours--the kids eat them up fast). When you have a salad or soup,(or even need bread crumbs for a coating) take a few and break them up. Quick, easy, and a great way to use up extra leftover bread.

I used Pam Butter spray on one batch and Pam garlic spray on another - then seasonings of my choice. The spray cuts down on the calories and keeps them crispy!

A great way to use up bread that's past its prime! I like to use a lower oven temp so that the bread is crisp and dry all the way through before it starts to get too brown.

These were better than restaurant style croutons!! The only changes I made was I cut the bread into cubes first, than put them in a container with the melted butter, than I added garlic and onion salt, put the lid on and shook it all up, then dumped it on to a baking sheet. There were great!! Even my husband and 4 year old couldn't get enough!

Instead of buttering the bread directly, I poured melted butter over the sliced bread and mixed it well. It worked out great. Didn't take a lot of time.

Wonderful! I will always make my own now--it's so easy! Mine were done at 10 minutes, though, so watch them.

I'm glad to see other people make their own croutons! They are so easy and quick to make and are great to jazz up a salad. I toss cubes of bread in olive oil and freshly crushed garlic and sprinkle with a little grated parmesan before cooking ... yum!

Great recipe...only thing that I do differently when I make this is to add some garlic to it. It is great to take a whole clove and rub it on the bread when it comes out of the oven. The hot bread just melts the garlic clove and it is delicious. Thanks for a recipe that helps with that stale, left-over bread.

This recipe was a great find. The croutons are just like the "homemade" ones in fancy restaurants, except you can season them to your own taste. It's a definite keeper!

This was very helpful to me - a good basic recipe that I can enjoy experimenting with.