Recipe for: homemade croutons

This is a very yummy recipe that I found in a book...and I don't know why it took me so long to try it!  It is crazy easy to do, and the result is a flavorful, crunchy batch of croutons that are just as good to snack on as they are in a salad.  The original recipe calls for roughly 4 slices of bread, but I found that only 2 bagels does the job perfectly.  I would leave them to go just a bit stale before preparing, so that they aren't as moist. 

Croutons

Ingredients

two bagels (white and wheat work nicely for this)

2 1/2 T. butter

2 T. olive oil

1/2 t. dried basil

1/2 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut bread into small cubes, leaving crusts on.  Melt butter and oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add bread cubes and toss with all seasonings until evenly coated.  Scrape the mixture onto a baking sheet and bake until evenly golden brown and crunchy...10-15 minutes.  Remove from pan right away and store in an airtight container for up to a month.