A Play on Polenta

Scene: The Jersey Girl’s Kitchen

The Husband (entering from stage left after a long day in the newsroom): Hey, doll. Wha’cha making?

The Jersey Girl (diligently tending to matters at the stove): I’m making polenta croutons for our salad. They’re an experiment, but I think they’re going to be AWESOME!

(Awkward pause. Crickets chirping. More awkward pause)

The Husband (with perplexed, furrowed brow; headed straight to the wine refrigerator): Oh.

End Scene.

So, polenta croutons. They’re really, truly quite yummy. And The Husband, while a bit skeptical, totally enjoyed his polenta croutons experience. Thank you very very much.

You see, the thing is, when you have leftover polenta, it helps to be creative when coming up with ways to use it up. So, cubing it and tossing it with some salt, pepper and a little bit of garlic powder, followed by a jaunt in the oven transforms your leftover polenta into something quite surprising.

Since it’s summer, I used the croutons for a salad. But, I think the croutons would be magical on a soup. Just my two cent.

Polenta Croutons after light and crunchy.

Polenta Croutons taste great on a salad.

If you have awesome uses for leftover polenta, please feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments.

Polenta Croutons

About 1 ½ to 2 cups leftover polenta, cubed into ½ inch squares (For the Jersey Girl’s polenta recipe, click here)
Baking spray, such as Pam
¼ tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Spray a baking sheet with Pam. Place polenta cubes on sheet. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Flip the croutons half-way through so that both sides get crispy.

Serve with soup or salad.

Crouton 101

Homemade Croutons are served.

Stale bread is often destined for the trashcan.


The reality is fresh bread is a star – for a day. After 24 hours, it has often lost its luster.

But you can alter the course for your day-old loaf with a few basic tools and ingredients. With a knife, a pan, salt and pepper, and a bit of olive oil, you can transform that boring bread into a masterpiece: Homemade Croutons.

Your family and friends will thank you.

So will your soup and/or salad.

Any type of bread will do, although those with a crusty crust work best, IMHO.

Cutting up your bread is the first step to making delish Homemade Croutons.

Sometimes, I throw in a crushed clove of garlic for a kick.

So, here’s the formula for Homemade Croutons. You can store them up to five days in a Ziploc bag.

Homemade Croutons
(Makes four to six servings)

2 cups stale bread, cubed into ½-inch to ¾ inch pieces
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove crushed garlic (optional)

Over medium high heat, preheat a large, wide pan.

Add olive oil.

Add bread. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, if using.

The bread cubes do their thang in the pan. Have patience!

After a few minutes, gently toss the croutons with a spoon or tongs. Repeat a few times until croutons are toasty, golden brown and fragrant.

Serve with your favorite soup or salad.