Cranberry Pistachio Gruyère Croutons

Okay, y’all. To keep life simple at the holidays, I’m sharing a five-ingredient recipe your guests will beg you to make for each gathering for months to come: Cranberry Pistachio Gruyère Croutons.

Doesn’t that sound fancy? Wait till I tell you how easy they are to make.

These savory-sweet bites start with store-bought bread (hooray!). Go to the bakery section of your grocery store, and pick out a crusty loaf with fruit and nuts. My store carries a delicious cranberry pistachio loaf, but the sky’s the limit: raisin walnut, cherry pecan—anything to infuse that sweet-savory magic.

Here’s a tip: buy a few loaves, and stick the extras in the freezer, so you can make these all season long. These are super to have on hand, if you have neighbors who are going to stop in and pop in.

Once you make them, these croutons last for a couple of days, and they are so delicious. I put them on tossed salads and use them as toppings for soup. But my favorite is to just pop them straight in my mouth and enjoy with a little holiday cheer, like  bubbly champagne or this Satsuma Whiskey Cider.

Cranberry Pistachio Gruyère Croutons

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Little bites of heaven you can serve to holiday guests—or pop in your mouth, one by one.

• Author: Kristin Schell
• Yield: Serves a crowd

Ingredients

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• 1 loaf store-bought bread with fruit and nuts, cubed in 1.5-inch bites
• (I use cranberry pistachio, but you can use whatever your store has: raisin walnut, cherry pecan, etc. Sadly, banana bread won’t work for this.)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cup (3 oz.) Gruyère cheese, grated
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• Flaky sea salt (I use Maldon or Falksalt)

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Instructions

1. Move the oven rack to the highest position, and preheat the broiler.
2. In an ovenproof skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
3. Add the bread cubes. Let them toast for about 2–3 minutes until golden brown on the bottom.
4. Flip over the croutons, add the remaining butter, and cook the other side for two minutes. When they’re golden brown and almost ready to eat, remove them from the heat
5. Sprinkle the Gruyère cheese and chopped rosemary on top, and add a generous sprinkle of sea salt.
6. Place the skillet under the broiler for 30 seconds—you’re going to want to watch this closely, you don’t want them to burn—until the Gruyère is bubbly and melted.
7. Serve while piping hot!