Ciabatta Croutons

These are the easiest, yummiest little crunchy goodies ever!  They have a soft center and a crunchy outside and, best of all, they literally take no effort what so ever.  I made them to go with Potato Soup this week and they were just the perfect accompaniment.  I loved dipping them in the soup and even letting them soak a bit in the creamy broth.  Superb!  

These could be transformed into a million different combos.....make ciabatta pizza's for your kids, or as a base for a great pesto, even a tomato mozzarella salad would be a fantastic topping!  I even love serving them along side a great caesar salad with shrimp or chicken.  The possibilities are endless, and as you can see they are not so much a "crouton" as they are a garlic bread, but they're just so crunchy that they make me think of a super-sized crouton. :) Best of all, these Ciabatta Croutons are easier than opening up a box of generic garlic bread/texas toast and popping slices in the oven.  And, believe it or not, it's cheaper!  Yep, cheaper AND healthier.  After you try these, you will always have a loaf of Ciabatta waiting in the cupboard for your next creation.

Housepitalities Ciabatta Croutons 

Ingredients:

-1 loaf Ciabatta (the wider the better)
-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
-2 large cloves of Garlic
-1/2 cup of freshly grated or shaved Parmesan Cheese
-Pepper

Directions:

Slice the Ciabatta length wise into 1/2 inch slices, lay on greased baking sheet.  Grate garlic into the olive oil or finely chop.  Microwave the oil and garlic for 30 seconds or so to open up the flavor of the garlic. Brush both sides of the Ciabatta with the warm garlic oil..... and a few grinds of the pepper mill never hurt anybody ;)  Broil the Ciabatta on low for about 3-4 minutes on each side, watching closely.  Make sure it turns golden brown, but don't burn it.  Take out of the oven and immediately sprinkle with parmesan.

Done.  How easy was that?  Again, you can transform this into a thousand different dishes.  Just skip the parmesan step and you can make this crispy goodness into a vehicle for just about anything!