Mouth Watering Croutons

In my circle of friends I am known for a few of my recipes, but there is one recipe that sticks out... my croutons. My husband refers to our family as the crouton snobs. He says that no other crouton compares to mine. Therefore, we keep a plentiful stock of croutons on hand. I usually pay about $0.50 to $1.00 for about 3 months worth of croutons. In order to ensure that you get the desired flavor there are a few points I would like to bring up...
First, be creative with it and adjust the recipe to your desire, it is very flexible.
Second, the bread. I mix it up on a regular basis. I ALWAYS go to the bakery and choose one of the Day Old Breads that are discounted. You can use almost any type of bread; french bread, sourdough, rye, pumpernickel or bagels are a few ideas for you. When I get home from the grocery store I cut my bread and put it in the freezer to be used at a later time.
Third, the seasonings. I always play with the seasonings that I use. But I always use garlic, the garlic adds that strong garlic flavor that (I think) every crouton needs.
Fourth, the butter. 1/4 c of butter is a lot of butter. If you are heart healthy you can do half butter and half olive oil. I use Smart Balance which cuts the cholesterol dramatically with out compromising the flavor.
On with the recipe....

Mouth Watering Croutons

1 loaf of bread french bread
Cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup of butter
1 lg clove garlic minced
2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

Heat butter in large skillet. Once melted add garlic and Italian seasoning, saute until garlic becomes lightly browned. Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese. Add bread cubes, stir until all cubes are coated in butter mixture. Spread cubes on a shallow baking pan. Bake in oven on 300 degrees for 10 minutes, remove from oven and stir the croutons. Place the croutons back into the oven for about 5 more minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
You can store these croutons in a plastic container (with a tight fitting lid) in the refrigerator.
Bon Appetite!