I'm Making Everything with the World's Tiniest Crouton and Couldn't Be Happier

Salads aren't salads for me without something crunchy on top, and my go-to favorite is the crouton. But I am not a fan of the current trend of huge ungainly "restaurant style" crouton. I like the old-school ¾-inch cube of toasted, unseasoned crouton like you find on salad bars in the big tub. Reese makes my favorite, but the local grocery that used to carry them closed a while back, so I have been ordering them by the case online.

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Until last month when they were out of stock. Doing a search on small croutons, I found a new brand called Best Select. A tall canister instead of a bag, but they still looked like a nice small square crouton, so I ordered them. And when they arrived? They were teeny tiny little croutons. Maybe 1/8-inch cubes. Like little dollhouse croutons. My husband and I had a good laugh at my inability to judge scale and put them in the pantry.

But when I started using them? I stopped laughing. Because these things are my new favorite crouton.

These mini croutons are made of a slightly denser stuff than my usual crouton, so they don't get soggy as fast once dressed. They are tiny enough to distribute evenly throughout my salads, so I get a bit of crunch in every bite. But because they are so small, I have started to use them in all sorts of other applications!

Instead of basic breadcrumbs on top of casseroles, these miniature cubes really provide amazing textural balance. I love them sprinkled into soup or on top of chili instead of oyster crackers. Tossing them in butter and using them as a crust on a rack of lamb or pork loin roast, or to coat chicken breasts for baking, gives a crunch that almost feels fried instead of baked. 

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I also have been having fun playing with them for canapes and appetizers. I made a version of a Caesar salad by filling endive spears with a Parmesan mousse and topping with a few croutons. I tossed them with olive oil and za'atar and sprinkled them on top of cucumbers stuffed with hummus. And I used them instead of breadcrumbs when making cocktail meatballs where they absorbed the meat juices to keep them tender, but still provided enough structure to make them hold together after a long simmer in the sauce.

Add all that up, and you can see why these tiny little delights are a big part of my winter cooking in addition to being my salads' best friends. Best Select Mini Croutons come in different flavors beyond Original (Caesar and Onion & Garlic), and you can get regular and whole wheat versions. And coming in a resealable cannister, they stay crunchy longer than boxed versions. Try a combo pack of two to get started! 

To buy: Best Select Mini Croutons Whole Wheat Caesar and Onion & Garlic ($18.99 for 2 pack), amazon.com