The Dressing Mix You Should Be Seasoning Croutons With

Homemade croutons are a great way to jazz up salads, soups, or casseroles. But if all you're adding is crunch, you're missing out. Next time, gussy them up with a little ranch dressing mix for an extra spark of flavor.

You can make croutons in the skillet or the oven. Any loaf will do — in fact, it's one of the best ways to use stale bread. Cut or tear the bread into bite-sized pieces. Some cooks also like to remove the crust since it won't absorb as much flavor. Pour a little melted butter or oil over the top and give them a toss, coating them evenly so they'll hold the seasoning. Then get ready to sprinkle them with ranch dressing mix before you brown them.

You can use a store-bought packet or mix up your own ranch powder recipe. Onion powder and garlic powder are the stars of this show, with pungent aromas and tastes that stand out even in small amounts. Dried chives, parsley, and dill add their green, herby notes, and powdered buttermilk rounds it out with tart creaminess. All together, it's a mix that makes each bite of crouton burst with flavor.

Of course, these tastes go well with the garlic and lemon in Caesar salad dressing, but why stop there? Ranch is far and away the favorite dressing in the United States, and its proponents think it goes with everything — even pizza. While we've never seen croutons on deep dish, there are plenty of other places to give these ranch dressing-flavored bits a try.

Sprinkle them over fresh tomato or French onion soup, where their tops will stay crispy while their bottoms soak up the rich broth below. Throw a handful over baked macaroni and cheese or any other casserole, adding a satisfying crunch and zippy flavor to the top layer of the dish. Toss them into scrambled eggs, adding instant seasoning and a hearty texture to your breakfast. 

If you find you've made a few too many, you can always rethink the scale. Crush the extras to make ranch-flavored breading for chicken, or mix them into meatballs. That signature flavor everyone is wild for belongs just about everywhere.