Bread Crumbs

Several of the recipes at The Camping Journal use bread crumbs. While it is easy and inexpensive to pick up a tubular container of plain or seasoned bread crumbs at the supermarket, why not make your own? Bread crumbs keep well in the freezer, are great to have on-hand and are great to bring along in the RV. Don't waste those odd few-inches of a baguette - here are a few ideas:

Bread crumbs three ways: Plain, toasted and fried

Delicious bread makes delicious bread crumbs, so don't use stale bread. If you have a bit of left-over bread, store it in plastic in the refrigerator for a few days, or in the freezer until you have several cups of bread. Get out your food processor or blender and get to work.

To make basic plain bread crumbs, whirl torn pieces of bread in the bowl of a food processor to the consistency you desire. (Bread will crumb best in a food processor before it is dried-out.) It is a matter of personal (or recipe) preference if the crusts are removed or not. Four slices of bread will produce approximately one cup of fine bread crumbs. Use the crumbs soft, or spread the shredded crumbs in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and dry them in a 400° oven for five minutes. If you want toasted bread crumbs, leave them in a few more minutes, stirring once. To produce the extra-fine bread crumbs needed for breading cutlets, simply whirl the toasted bread crumbs in the food processor again and they will become nearly powder-like. Store in the freezer in a zip-top bag or plastic container.

Toasted seasoned breadcrumbs

Seasoned Bread Crumbs are a bit more interesting and we have two easy ways to produce savory crumbs to use as toppings on casseroles, soups or to toss in pasta. There are two basic methods - toasting or frying.

To make Toasted Seasoned Bread Crumbs, tear about four slices of bread (or 4-6 inches of a leftover baguette) into pieces and place them in the bowl of your food processor. Add a bit of salt and about a teaspoon of your favorite herbs (or a herb blend such as Italian Seasoning). Pour about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over the top. Process this mixture until the crumbs form - just a few seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir well. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet and toast in a 400° oven for 5-10 minutes, stirring several times. Allow to cool before storing in plastic containers.

Fried - Seasoned Garlic Bread Crumbs

My favorite are Fried Garlic Bread Crumbs. The crumbs are best made with ends of baguettes (crusts and all) and are only whirled a bit in the food processor, so many larger chunks are left in the mixture, and the size is not uniform. Heat a large skillet and coat the bottom with a a few Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, add a few cloves of crushed garlic, throw in the chunky bread crumbs and stir over a medium heat until the crumbs are golden brown. Add herbs (such as basil or oregano) and salt if desired.

Keeping a small plastic container of Fried Garlic Bread Crumbs in the freezer is very convenient - and especially great in the RV - for adding that special last-minute touch to a casserole. (Try the Fried Garlic Bread Crumbs on our Macaroni & Cheese recipe!) For an easy meal, toss one cup of seasoned bread crumbs and 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese with a pound of hot cooked pasta - this dish is very common and popular in Italy. Other uses for Seasoned Bread Crumbs include in meat loaf, as soup toppings or sprinkle over tossed salads.