Cornbread Croutons

We don’t have cornbread very often, but recently my mother in law stopped by with a huge batch of it leftover bread from a recent party, I certainly wasn’t going to say no… but there was so much of it! Cornbread isn’t really Kevin’s favorite thing and I knew there was no way I’d be able to eat it all before it went bad. So I had to figure out another solution. Something to extend its life so we could avoid throwing away a majority of it. I wasn’t really sure what we were going to do, but I was willing to get creative.

I decided to follow a hunch… Enter my default anytime we have leftover bread. Would these? Could these? make the perfect croutons? Imagine it: Spinach, cranberries, goat cheese, red onion, and of course cornbread croutons. My mouth is watering just thinking about the sweet, warm crunch so perfectly complimenting the cold salad. So I decided to give it a go.

It took a few tries and a decent amount of cornbread to figure out the perfect combination of spices and length of cooking time, but I finally got it. These croutons will take any dish and elevate it to taste like fall instantly. The sweet but savory element of the cornbread really compliments the crunch and crumble of the crouton.

Don’t feel like making homemade cornbread? I don’t blame you! Store bought cornbread from the bakery section of your local grocery store will work just was well. The key is to make sure your cornbread pieces are all evenly cut to guarantee all pieces bake the same. Make these croutons ahead of time and store in an airtight container to serve at any holiday function or party. Or simply add them to your regular salad for a special treat!

Check out this quick and easy recipe for cornbread croutons and add it to your favorite fall soup or salad.

These croutons are sweet and savory making them absolutely perfect for fall inspired salad, chili, or butternut squash soup.

1 8×8 Pan of cornbread
3 tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp Salt
3 tsp Freshly cracked pepper

Preheat your oven to 350°F
Cut your bread into bite-sized pieces. Our cornbread was pretty thick, so I sliced it in half before cubing it.
Drizzle olive oil over the top of the bread.
Sprinkle on salt & pepper and mix together until the bread cubes are evenly coated.
Bake for about 20 minutes, mixing once half way through. The cornbread dries out quickly so keep an eye on your croutons from the 15 min mark on.

Remove from the oven once croutons are lightly browned and let cool.
Once cooled, place in an air-tight container. Enjoy with your favorite soup or salad!

cornbread, crouton, salad, soup

Like the cornbread croutons, but want to go back to the original? Try our classic crouton. They’re beyond good and the perfect use for leftover bread. Let’s be honest with ourselves, Kevin and I will buy full baguettes just to make croutons. In an airtight they can easily last one to two months. If we don’t eat them first!