Croutons in the microwave for soup, salad or beer

As you know, bread is rich in fiber and various microelements. But at the same time, eating a slice of bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we feed the body with a large number of calories that are harmful to the figure. Crackers in the microwave are quickly digested due to their fragility and do not linger in the stomach.

Homemade croutons are prepared in minutes. You can make them not only salty or sweet, but also with various additives, for example, adding garlic, herbs, spices or seasonings.

Of course, there is nothing easier than going to the supermarket and choosing any crackers you like. But homemade crackers are more useful, because you can control the amount of salt, seasoning or sugar. Let's figure out how to make crackers in the microwave and how you can use them.

Cooking crispy white bread croutons in the microwave oven

Homemade salty snacks are incredibly delicious. It is believed that dried bread is absorbed by our body twice as fast. Please note that you can use white, rye, gray and even bran bread as a basis. Cooked white bread croutons in the microwave can be added to soup, cream soup, or borscht.

Ingredients

Portions: –+2

White bread 200 g
Salt ½ tsp.

Steps

4 min.Print

We take yesterday's bread. Cut into small identical squares, approximately 1 cm.
We cover the glass tray from the microwave oven with parchment paper and lay out the blanks in one layer.
Before cooking the crackers in the microwave, sprinkle them with salt. Dry at 700 W for 1.5-2 minutes. After the equipment signal, check for readiness, and if there is no pleasant crunch, then cook for another 15 seconds.

Let the crackers cool slightly and serve. It is better to carefully monitor the first preparation, because each microwave oven model works differently. This way you will understand at what power to dry the bread and for how many minutes.

Peculiarities

Of course, in situations where their appearance is not of great importance, a microwave will facilitate and speed up the process, but the peculiarities of preparing this product should be taken into account.

Microwaves operate at a depth of 2-5 cm; at a depth exceeding this figure, about 50% of the power is lost, so the bread must be cut into equal pieces no thicker than 2 cm and dried in one layer.

It is not recommended to cook small portions of food weighing less than 200 grams in microwave ovens, so the optimal size of one serving of bread to be microwaved is from 300 to 400 g.

When preparing sweet crackers, you should remember that sugar absorbs microwaves faster and, accordingly, heats up faster, so it must be dissolved.

Moisture also absorbs microwaves well, so a flour product dipped in a wet dressing will take longer to cook than one simply sliced.

In addition to these rules, do not forget about the general rules for using microwave ovens and precautions.

Having figured out that crackers can still be made in the microwave, you can begin to master recipes for their preparation.

Cut the bread into identical small squares, sprinkle them with salt and your favorite spices, mix;
Place the bread slices to dry in the microwave for one minute on each side. The furnace power should be as high as possible.

Brown bread crackers with Provençal herbs

Fragrant, spicy and very crispy crackers from black bread are made in just 2 minutes. They are perfect for a beer party and will perfectly complement the first course or salad. So, how to quickly make crackers from black bread in the microwave.

You will need

slices of black bread - 3 pcs.;
vegetable oil – 2 tbsp;
Provençal herbs – 1 tsp;
garlic – 2 cloves;
fine salt – 1/3 tsp.

Let's start cooking

Cut the bread into small cubes or in any other way convenient for you. The main thing is that the slices are small.
Place in a deep bowl, add vegetable oil, chopped garlic, salt and herbs de Provence. Mix well with your hands to evenly distribute the additives.
Place on a flat plate or microwave tray. The main thing is that the blanks are in one layer.
Cook crackers in the microwave from black bread for 1.5-2 minutes at 750 W.

If you have a group of friends at home and you are preparing for a beer party, homemade crackers will become your lifesaver in 2 minutes.

Crackers in a slow cooker

Photo by @cyharikoff

Yes, that's possible too. Now we’ll tell you exactly how.

Ingredients:

loaf of rye bread;
5 cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic);
salt, herbs and spices to taste;
3 tablespoons olive oil.

First make a sauce from butter, garlic and spices. Cut the bread into small pieces so that it can fit at the bottom of the multicooker bowl. The resulting blanks were oiled in any convenient way and loaded into the device. Turn on the “baking” mode and wait 20 minutes.

After this, open the multicooker and mix the crackers thoroughly. Turn on the “baking” mode again and wait 20 minutes again. As a rule, two or three times are enough to get the finished dish. By the way, if you are the happy owner of such a wonderful device as a multicooker, then be sure to read our recipes for cooking with this device.

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Making croutons for Caesar salad

Crispy croutons made from wheat bread are the main ingredient of Caesar salad. They are the ones who give the dish originality. To make Caesar croutons in the microwave, you don't have to worry too much.

Required Ingredients

wheat bread – 3-4 slices;
olive oil – 2 tbsp;
garlic powder – 4-5 g;
fine salt – 1/3 tsp.

Step by step

First cut off the crusts from the bread slices. Cut the pulp into 1 cm cubes.
Pour vegetable oil into a bowl, add garlic powder and salt. Pour out the bread mixtures. Cover with a second bowl and shake well several times. This method will help distribute the oil and spices evenly between each piece.
Place the bread cubes on a flat plate in a single layer. Microwave on medium power for 2 minutes. Then turn each piece over and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Croutons in the microwave at home turn out crispy, with an unobtrusive garlic taste.

How to cook croutons for beer in a frying pan

Photo by @selskiye_budni

Do you want fried, not baked? Or maybe you don't have an oven? Especially for such cases, we have prepared a recipe for making crackers on the stove.

Ingredients:

half a loaf of bread (preferably rye);
a pinch of black pepper;
1/2 teaspoon salt;
2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil;
head of garlic.

How to cook

Just like in the previous recipes, cut the bread into pieces of the same size. Sprinkle the bread with finely chopped garlic and salt. Heat the oil in a frying pan and wait until it sizzles. Place the first batch of crackers and wait about a minute before you start turning them - otherwise you risk damaging them. Place the finished crackers on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Sweet crackers from a loaf

When you need to give your child something to chew, crispy crackers will come to the rescue, which anyone can prepare. How to make croutons from a loaf in the microwave so that they don’t burn and get a nice crunch?

What you will need

loaf or sweet roll - 5 slices;
sugar – 2 tsp;
water – 50-70 ml;
vanilla extract – 1 drop.

Making sweet crackers

Mix water, sugar, vanilla extract.
Cut the loaf into 2-3 cm slices. Spray sweet water onto the pieces from a spray bottle.
Place the loaf slices on a glass plate from the microwave oven in one layer.
Cook crackers in the microwave according to this recipe for 3 minutes at 700 W. Then turn it over and dry it for another 1 minute.

A wonderful treat for tea. The child will definitely chew on these crackers with great pleasure. They turn out sweet, aromatic and crispy. If desired, you can sprinkle with cinnamon instead of vanilla.

Foundation for weight loss

Summer is coming, and over the winter many people have become a little rounder. I want to lose weight, get in shape, fit into my favorite dress. And for this you need to follow a diet. Everyone has the right to set their own rules for eating. There are many diets that allow the use of crackers. And there are even more recipes for how to quickly make crackers in the microwave. Here are some popular weight loss techniques:

Diet on breadcrumbs, designed for 5 days. During the specified time, you need to eat one cracker instead of the usual bread. For example, for breakfast it is advised to drink a cup of coffee, eat an apple and a piece of dried bread. For lunch and dinner you can eat yogurt, egg, tomato and crackers (1 piece each). The next day you can eat a couple of pieces of beef with vegetables and a piece of dried bread.
The stale bread diet involves regularly eating crackers. Both for breakfast and lunch and dinner. Crackers complement the main menu. The course of such a hunger strike is designed for a month.
Crackers with kefir are the most common way to lose extra pounds. During the day you need to drink 1.5 liters of fermented milk product and eat 300 g of rye crackers. The diet is designed for 7 days. The most persistent and desperate can replace kefir with water and add another 1.5 liters of tea and a light salad to their diet.

However, we must remember that everything is good in moderation. You can't become a fanatic. What we do does not always work out for our good.

Advice: Before choosing a particular diet on crackers, consult your doctor. Don't ruin your body.

Useful tips

Crackers from bread or loaf in the microwave are prepared quickly, but do not turn out with a golden crust, like from the oven. But despite this, they turn out crispy and appetizing. To ensure everything works out right the first time, follow the main rules.

You can simply prepare crackers in the microwave:

Bread pieces should be no thicker than two cm. Because microwaves do not penetrate deeper.
To avoid getting burnt bread, read the instructions for your microwave model before making crackers in the microwave.
For a golden crust, use the “Grill” function.
To evenly distribute the spices with vegetable oil, place the preparations in a plastic bag and shake well.

Recipes for crackers in the microwave are so simple that even a schoolchild can handle them. Homemade snacks do not contain flavorings, a lot of salt and dyes. Therefore, cook at home and do not harm your health.

Let's enjoy the taste of a foamy drink with crispy crackers

Representatives of the stronger half of humanity love to relax and drink a glass of foamy drink on their days off. Do you want to pamper your loved one? Prepare fragrant crackers. For such a snack, it is better to take black bread, or rather, a crust of it.

Compound:

black bread;
vegetable fat – 2-3 tbsp. l.;
spices and finely ground salt to taste.

Preparation:

Chop the bread into equal cubes and place it on a plate. Use only microwave-safe utensils, otherwise you risk damaging your kitchen gadget.
Take a spray bottle and spray the oil onto the crackers.
Now it's time to add flavor. Salt, pepper and season the bread pieces with spices.
Cover the dish with foil or a lid and place it in the microwave oven.
Dry the bread for 2 minutes at maximum power.
Let's look in the microwave. The moisture has not all evaporated yet, so we will turn the crackers over and send them to fry for another 2 minutes.
Here we have a delicious snack for a foamy drink.

How to cook crackers in the microwave

You can make any croutons you want from bread - salty, sweet, with the addition of spices and seasonings. This will be a solid product that is more beneficial for digestion and figure.

You can quickly dry or bake homemade crackers in the oven (at 100-120 degrees), as well as in a frying pan. But if you have a microwave oven, then you don’t need to look for a better way to make this product at home. Microwaves, penetrating into the very middle of the sliced bread, heat them from the inside and remove excess moisture, which the oven and frying pan cannot always cope with.

Tip: if you add yeast, sugar, raisins and water to rye crackers, you can get a delicious refreshing drink - kvass.

To make crackers in the microwave, you will need to buy a loaf of bread in advance. Whether it is a white or black loaf is up to you. But the most delicious crackers are made from rye bread. Below we offer a very tasty recipe for making crackers in the microwave.

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Number of servings: 10

Energy value

calorie content – 197 kcal;
fats – 4.4 g;
proteins – 6.4 g;
carbohydrates – 33 g.

On a note

How can you replace breadcrumbs if they are not available, but you want a dish with a crispy crust? Coarse rye or corn flour, semolina, oatmeal or corn flakes crushed in a coffee grinder are perfect for this purpose. A great idea is to use crushed crackers or chips. They can be crushed in a mortar, or placed on a cutting board and rolled over them with a rolling pin. The breading of hard cheese, grated on a fine grater and mixed with your favorite spices, is very tasty.

Breadcrumbs have a higher calorie content than flour breading. Their energy value is close to 400 Kcal/100g. Keep this in mind if you need to strictly count the calories of the food you eat. In addition, when frying a product, bread crumbs absorb a lot of fat, the calorie content of which is also very high. Therefore, it is recommended to place fried foods on a paper napkin, which will absorb excess oil.

Industrial breadcrumbs must be manufactured in accordance with GOST, taking into account established technology and sanitary standards. For the production of breading, bread (bakery products) of 1st or 2nd grade, without signs of mold or potato disease, can be used. The grains should have a light golden or light brown color, be uniform in size, and without any foreign smell or taste. Ensure the integrity of the packaging. It must indicate the expiration date of the product, which is usually 1 month. To avoid troubles, it is better to purchase the product from a trusted manufacturer.

The longer you store breaded cutlets, fish or vegetables, the less crunchy the crust will be on the surface of the product.

Choosing a method

There are many ways to dry crackers at home:

in the sun - on a window or balcony;
on the stove or in the oven, while the oven door must be slightly open so that steam can escape;
and the easiest and fastest way is to dry the crackers in the microwave.

The principle of drying is simple: microwaves penetrate inside the pieces of bread, warm them up and dry out the moisture. Therefore, bread dried in a microwave oven is darker inside than outside.

How to make delicious crackers in the microwave?

In principle, you can make crackers from any bread. Which one to take depends on the minor ingredients. If you want sweet crackers, take a loaf, but rye crackers will taste better in combination with salt and onion, or salt and garlic. It is better to take a roll for croutons that is not fresh, but one that has been sitting for one or two days, so it will crumble less during processing.

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Cut the bread into thin slices and cut off the crust. In principle, you can leave it, but then keep in mind that the crackers with it will turn out to be rough. Then we cut them into square or rectangular pieces. At the same time, try to keep the pieces the same. Place the future croutons on a dish that can be used in the microwave and select a mode.

Each microwave oven has its own power, so the first time you use it, you will have to experiment over time. Select the highest power and turn on the microwave for two minutes. Then check the crackers and if they are not done, flip them over and set the timer for another two minutes. Then the operation is repeated. Why can’t you immediately set the time for six to ten minutes?

Because burnt crackers are clouds of yellow smoke that are difficult to clear from the room, and which, among other things, can color your microwave oven a poisonous yellow color.

Garlic croutons: microwave recipe

For the recipe for crackers with garlic, cooked in the microwave, take rye bread. Not Borodino, not black or Ukrainian, but real rye, so to speak, the “classic” of drying crackers.

For our crouton recipe you will need:

one loaf of rye bread;
salt 30-40 ml, fine “extra”;
garlic – regular or granulated or dried;
olive oil.

Cut the bread into squares, diamonds, strips - as you like. Then mix the garlic and salt in a bowl. To avoid making breadcrumbs too salty or spicy, stir a little at a time. What kind of garlic should I use for our recipe? Dried and ground is best, since granulated garlic still has to be ground in a mortar, and regular garlic must be squeezed out, but there is no hassle with dried garlic - just pour it into a bowl and it’s ready.

Add the bread pieces to the bowl and mix, stirring gently with a spoon. Next, try - if something is missing for your taste, then add the missing element. It's time to join in with the bread and olive oil. Since bread absorbs oil well, it would be better to pour it in small portions onto the bottom of the bowl, rather than into pieces.

Pour the pieces into a mold; it should have wide sides, since moisture will be released from the bread during the drying process.

Heat the bread in stages, two minutes at a time. During pauses between heating, remove and stir with a fork. As soon as you hear a characteristic knock, it means that the bread is already dry and all that remains is to brown it. Next, you can turn on the microwave for three minutes, then four, until the pieces become slightly browned.

I do not eat. There are so many chemicals and harmful additives that... And I certainly don’t allow my child to eat them. But sometimes you really want something sweet or with hot spices. And if you have Caesar salad for lunch or on the menu, you can’t do without them.

Stale bread is best suited for these purposes. Moreover, you can take any baguette, not just white, for example, rye or with bran, French baguette or Borodino baguette - choose to your taste.

Let's start right away with the spicy ones, with garlic. I think that by analogy in the future you can make it with any spice you like, or without it at all

Sweet ones can be made from buns, bagels, muffins and biscuits, or from white bread, which can be sprinkled with powdered sugar.

What are they for?

Breadcrumbs make dishes more appetizing and tasty. But that's not all. They improve the quality of cooked food. The dishes have a rich and juicy taste.

Separately, it is worth saying that only certain bread is suitable for making dry crumbs. You only need the one that is made from premium flour.

Rusks made from other types of bread are too coarse and unsuitable for frying. In order to cook poultry or fish, it is advisable to use larger crumb crumbs.

And for preparing dishes with minced meat, it is better to give preference to finely ground crumbs.

Breadcrumbs can be used to prepare dishes such as:

chops,
cutlets,
nuggets,
zrazy,
schnitzels,
cheese croquettes,
bits,
cheese sticks,
fish fingers
mashed potato balls.

This list can still be supplemented. They are also used to prepare various desserts. For example, dry bread crumbs are included in recipes for chocolate “Potatoes” or charlottes. The product is sprinkled onto the bottom of the baking dish to avoid burning.

They are needed to prepare the sauce. There is even a type of sauce where the base is bread crumbs. It is served with meat and fish dishes.

Homemade always tastes better!

How to soften stale bread in the microwave

A microwave oven will also be a wonderful helper if you need to make stale bread soft rather than dry it. But just remember that it is rational to use this electrical appliance for this only if you plan to eat the product immediately. Otherwise, after a short period of time you will again get dried out or “stony” bread. And in order for you to succeed as best as possible, we will share with you several working life hacks.

To soften dry, weathered or stale bread, you will need a clean plastic bag or foil (the steam in them will soak the crust and then the flesh of the product). Place a loaf of bread or slices in it and place in the microwave for a minute or two, depending on the power and heating temperature. The bread may get a little wet using this method, but it will turn out as if it had just come out of the oven.

You can also soften bread in the microwave using another, no less effective, method. To do this, cut the stale loaf into narrow pieces (about two centimeters thick), lightly sprinkle them with a small amount of clean water and place them in the microwave. Send a small glass of liquid there and heat everything together for 60 seconds, checking the condition of the product every twenty seconds. The main thing when using this softening method is not to overcook the bread and turn it into crackers.

And finally, let's consider the third option for obtaining a soft, tasty baked product using a microwave oven. First of all, lightly dampen paper kitchen towels (or thick napkins) in water, wring them out as thoroughly as possible and wrap them around the loaf of bread - this will give more moisture and allow you to better retain steam inside the loaf itself. Then place the bun in the microwave for 15-20 seconds and take out the already soft, tasty product. Now you will know how to make stale bread soft.

Tip: to better retain moisture when heating, it is recommended to cover the product with a special plastic lid for microwave ovens.

You learned how easy it is to give a “second life” to a stale loaf by preparing healthy products or semi-finished products from it. Therefore, do not rush to throw away “yesterday’s” bread, but turn on the microwave to use our tips to make delicious and crispy crackers for any occasion!

What are breadcrumbs used for?

Thanks to its property, the crumb provides a golden crust. Which retains the released meat juice during frying. What makes the dish juicy and tasty.

Since fresh breadcrumbs absorb liquid, they are good for use in baking. Oh, how delicious meat rolls, cutlets and meatballs turn out when we use fresh breadcrumbs. For example, in my article Flamenquines - with jamon and cheese, I clearly described how breadcrumbs can be used.

What can replace breadcrumbs?

Imagine you come home after a hard day at work. You want to cook delicious chicken in breadcrumbs. Oh, we're out of breadcrumbs. There is no bread to cook them either. What to do? What can replace breadcrumbs? I'll tell you some tips for replacing breadcrumbs.

So, flour or semolina is good for this purpose. By the way, if you use semolina, then frying the product will turn out softer and juicier than jelly if you use breadcrumbs. First, the product that will be fried into the egg, and then into the breading.
The second good alternative to replacing breadcrumbs is oatmeal or corn flakes. To do this, it is advisable to pass them through a meat grinder or blender. This breading is good for cutlets and fish. Before frying cutlets or fish, be sure to dip them in an egg and then in a breading of crushed flakes. Thanks to this breading, the dish becomes tasty and aromatic.

Crushed nuts. Roast the nuts in a dry frying pan. Pass through a blender. This breading is well suited for chicken fillets, meat and fish. Since the nuts have a high oil content, you will get a tasty and aromatic crust.