Croutons - One More Great 365 Crockpot Recipe

Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 1/2 cups cubed firm or day-old French or Italian bread (1⁄2–3⁄4-inch)
Vegetable cooking spray

1. Spray bread cubes with cooking spray; arrange in single layer on jelly
roll pan. Bake at 375 degrees until browned, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cool; store in airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Variations
Dilled Broccoli Soup—Make recipe as above, omitting thyme, nutmeg, and Croutons. Add 2⁄3 cup loosely packed fresh dill weed to soup when puréeing.
Broccoli-Kale Soup—Make recipe as above, omitting the milk, Croutons, and nutmeg. Stir 2 cups lightly packed kale into soup during the last 15 minutes of cooking time.
Broccoli and Cucumber Soup—Make recipe as above, adding a thickly sliced medium cucumber and omitting thyme, nutmeg, and Croutons. Stir 1 cup lightly packed cilantro into soup during last 15 minutes of cooking.
Cream of Asparagus Soup—Make recipe as above, substituting 2 pounds asparagus for the broccoli, and reserving 18 small asparagus tips for garnish. Omit thyme leaves. Add 1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves and 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest. Steam reserved asparagus tips until crisp-tender, and use to garnish soup.