Cooper® Cheese and Garlic Croutons: Who Shrunk My Garlic Bread?

Name: Cooper® Cheese and Garlic Croutons: Who Shrunk My Garlic Bread?
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 short French baguette, preferably day old; 1/2 cup butter; 2 teaspoons minced garlic (or about 3-4 medium cloves); 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 2 slices smoked bacon, cooked and chopped*; 4-8 slices Cooper® Sharp White cheese

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Servings

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Think croutons are only for adding crunch to your salad? They’re great for that, but so much more! They’re even better when baked with a slice of Cooper® cheese melted over the top to a toasty golden brown.

Author:

Cooper® Sharp

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Ingredients

1 short French baguette, preferably day old
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic (or about 3-4 medium cloves)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 slices smoked bacon, cooked and chopped*
4-8 slices Cooper® Sharp White cheese

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Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
If using a fresh French baguette, cut into 16 slices about half an inch thick. Let sit out on a baking sheet 1 day. Otherwise, use a day-old French baguette cut into 16 slices.
Melt the butter.
In a large zippered plastic bag, combine the melted butter, garlic, and thyme with the bread slices. Shake and rotate the bag to evenly distribute the butter and seasoning over the bread.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the baguette slices onto the sheet.
Bake 10-15 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Flip each slice and top with either 1 full slice or 1/2 slice of Cooper® cheese (depending on your cheese preference and size of the bread slices). If needed, hand tear the slices and layer cheese to cover the top of the bread slice accordingly. On top of the cheese, sprinkle each slice with smoked bacon pieces.
Bake 5-10 minutes longer until Cooper® cheese is melted.
Serve as an appetizer along with your favorite soup, like our Cooper® Cheese Cauliflower Chowder with Smoked Bacon or Cooper® Sharp Cheesy Broccoli Soup.

Recipe Note

*Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.

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