Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs

This is a pretty straight forward recipe from Taste of Home for bread crumbs that taste a hundred times better than the kind you buy in a cardboard can at the grocery store.  They're also much cheaper, especially if you use stale bread or the heels, which we never seem to eat!  You can store heels in the freezer until you have enough to make bread crumbs.  This recipe doubles well, too.  I haven't tried freezing the bread crumbs yet, but suspect it would work better to freeze them before toasting, and toast them when you're ready to use them.

 

Quick Note:  Please note the amount of garlic in these breadcrumbs, and that salt is added. I added salt because packaged bread crumbs are salted already.  Be aware of the garlic and salt in the bread crumbs if the recipe you're using them in also calls for garlic and salt!  

 

 I swear, these aren't made from kitchen table wood shavings!

Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs

  

4 oz bread (use a scale)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried thyme or marjoram

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

 

Tear the bread roughly and place in a food processor along with the remaining ingredients.  Pulse until you have fine bread crumbs.  

   

Pour bread crumbs into a large skillet, set the heat to medium, and toast, stirring frequently, until golden.  Cool completely before storing.  They will keep in a jar at room temperature for a week or so.

 

Yield:  Approximately 1 cup