While I am always a fan of making things from scratch, there are some things that you can really just leave to the experts: that is, the amount of effort and time required to actually make these things yourself is probably not worth it when someone else can make it better, for cheaper, even if it’s store bought (examples: Ketchup. Falafel. Bibimbap. Baguettes. Hummous. Hot sauce. You get the picture).
Then there are the items that fall into the opposite category — foods that you could buy from a store, but that are ridiculously easy to make at home and infinitely better tasting (tomato sauce. Salsa. Soup. Salad Dressing. Burgers. Stop buying them!)
Up until recently, the humble breadcrumb fell into the former category; I would just buy one of those containers you find in the bread aisle once every six months and not think about it. But recently, I made a big batch of fresh breadcrumbs to use up some rolls I had to try out a recipe for homemade toasted garlic breadcrumbs. It was stupidly easy and far better than the breadcrumbs you get at the store. So, it’s official: breadcrumbs have crossed the floor.
Breadcrumbs can be made fresh or dry. Dry breadcrumbs are made by drying out or toasting your leftover bread and then crushing with a rolling pin or grinding up in a food processor. If you ensure you get all the moisture out of the crumbs, they will last indefinitely in your pantry in an airtight container. However, fresh breadcrumbs are less work and can still be frozen for up to three months (seal them in a Ziploc bag, squeezing out excess air).
With fresh crumbs, there’s no drying process; just break up leftover bread or rolls (removing any hard crusts), and pulse in the food processor a couple times and you’re done. I like fresh ones a little better because you can control the size and texture of the crumb a bit better (the dry ones tend to be much finer), and they operate a little more like a panko than a commercial dry crumb.
Breadcrumbs are a pantry staple that are amazingly versatile — use as a binding agent in meatballs or burgers, season them with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs and use them to coat some chicken cutlets and pan fry, or sprinkle them atop casseroles for added crunch and texture.
My new favourite way to use them is to make your own toasted garlic breadcrumbs, which can be sprinkled over pasta or vegetable dishes. In this recipe for Brussels sprouts with chorizo, they nearly steal the show. You can use any kind of bread for this, but make sure you don’t over-process the bread crumbs. It’s great to have different sizes, some slightly coarser than others, for the added crunch that these will bring to the dish.
Try to get small Brussels sprouts that are roughly the same size. You can use Italian sausage in this as well and it would be just as delicious, but if you’re looking for a great place for chorizo, try Segovia’s in Kensington Market (the Colombian chorizo has leeks, cilantro and saffron, as pictured here). And if you wanted to make this a main event, you could always poach an egg over top. Just sayin’.
Brussels sprouts with chorizo and garlic breadcrumbs
20-25 small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 large (or 2 small) Mexican chorizo sausages, casings removed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, diced
Salt and pepper
1. In a wok or large pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat. Crumble sausage into pan and brown, breaking up with a spatula as you go. Remove to a bowl.
2. In the meantime, boil a large pot of water, then cook Brussels sprouts for 3 minutes (they should be almost at the crisp-tender; you should be able to pass a fork through with a bit of effort). Remove to an ice bath or rinse under very cold water, then set aside.
3. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and heat on medium low, then add shallots and cook gently. Add sausage and Brussels sprouts to the pan and toss gently on medium-high for a few minutes, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove to a serving dish and top with garlic breadcrumbs.
For the garlic breadcrumbs:
Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick pan on medium with 2 cloves minced garlic. When garlic begins to sizzle, add breadcrumbs, tossing to coat gently. Toast, tossing regularly, until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from heat.
Sara Chan is a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer, food enthusiast, unprofessional home chef and even less professional food photographer. Her favourite food group is pork.