Squeak and Sizzle mouth teasers.

I have a confession to make. I love croutons. I love store bought, homemade, about any type of croutons there is.There's something so satisfying in a handful of those crunchy, salty, herb filled little mouth teasers that I just adore. Here is the recipe for my Root toot'n winter soup croutons.

Oh,  wow, I am so happy, but sadly I ate them all..

1/2 cup of olive oil

3-4 cloves of mashed garlic

it's best to let the oil sit for at least 30 minutes to en fuse 

(I usually let this happen when I start my soup)

1 cup of Real Parmesan cheese, nothing from that little green can you know who I am talking about!

 I day old bagget works the best here

cut in half then cut those half's in quarters and cut into bite sized pieces

salt and pepper and a dash of chili powder

Add the bread and spices and strain the olive oil over the bread and toss out the garlic pieces.

Toss well and add half a cup of the Parmesan and lay in a 175 C oven for 15 minutes take out and move around and add the rest of the cheese put back in oven for another 10-15 minutes until golden. Make sure you keep an eye on them so they do not burn. Remove from the oven and add them quickly to your soup and enjoy the squeak and sizzle they make when they hit the soup. These croutons can be sealed in a bag or jar and kept for one week, but make sure they are completely COOLED before storing otherwise you will get a mushy crouton.Not so much fun. Enjoy.