Not everything is worth the trouble of making yourself. Puff pastry? No thanks, they sell that at the grocery store and it is just as delicious and far less time-intensive than homemade.

Breadcrumbs, however, are a different story.  You can buy them at the grocery store, but they are ultra-fine and generally flavorless. They’ll work in a pinch and are good to have on hand for when you can’t or don’t feel like making homemade breadcrumbs. But once you go down the path of making your own breadcrumbs, you’ll probably never go back.

These homemade breadcrumbs are buttery and crispy and add so much texture to everything you put them on – pastas, soups, casseroles, fish filets. The best part is that they’re so simple to make!

Start with slightly hardened bread. You don’t want it to be rock hard, just a little on the stale side. If you don’t have stale bread, just pop your fresh bread in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes until it is slightly crusty. Tear it up and put it in your food processor and process until…well..crumby.

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. If this seems like a lot of butter, it’s probably because it is. Your tastebuds will thank you later. And remember, you’re probably only going to be eating a couple spoonfulls of this. (Or you can eat them cereal-style like I may or may not do…)

Once your butter is melted and bubbly, add your breadcrumbs. Toss to coat in the butter and cook 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until your breadcrumbs have reached your desired level of crispiness.

Now, spoon them on anything and everything you eat and enjoy all that buttery, crunchy deliciousness!

Homemade Breadcrumbs

• Time: 25 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Yields 1 cup breadcrumbs

Ingredients

• 3 ounces slightly stale bread (about 1 1/2 cups raw breadcrumbs)
• 3 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Place the bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse for about 10 seconds, until coarse crumbs form.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, add the breadcrumbs. Toss to coat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until breadcrumbs are browned and crispy. Use immediately.

If you don’t have stale bread on hand, bake fresh bread at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, until crusty on the outside.