Copycat Bluebird Deep Fried Croutons are my version of the best croutons in the world from my little hometown’s historic Bluebird Restaurant, which opened in the 1930s. Sadly, they closed a few short years ago after almost 100 years of continuous operation. Back in the 1950s, they served the real Colonel Sanders fried chicken! The unique fried chicken recipe the owners began using in the 1970s was the main draw for people around the state. But for me, it was the silly little croutons and the French salad dressing. I’ve spent 2 years and countless batches trying to figure out exactly how they made them. Read on to find out what I had to do to come the closest I ever have to the exact taste! You won’t be disappointed! 😁
Only one other place had the same exact croutons and that was Guy Welliver’s Famous Smorgasbord in Hagerstown, Indiana. Sadly, they also closed after 6 decades.
Unexpected Help from My Hometown Social Media Group
None of the dozens of versions toasted in the oven with butter, EVOO, or avocado oil tasted like the Bluebird’s. I tried an inordinate number of seasoning mixtures. Jimmie was my only tasting buddy on this culinary adventure so we tossed ideas back and forth. Who knew simple croutons could be such a conundrum? 😂 We concluded they must be deep fried! 💡
Front row, 2nd from right – the best French dressing ever! 
The magical bowl of croutons sitting at the end of the salad bar! 😋 
Hot buffet – best fried chicken in Indiana! 
The historic Round Table where the local menfolk enjoyed breakfast and lunch while sharing all the town’s happenings. My grandfather Punk Tribby, father-in-law Jr. Woolard, and Uncle Beanie Johnson were regulars. 🤗 
Dining room side. Countless family reunions, Thursday night chicken dinners with the Tribby clan, lunches with grandparents and great aunts and uncles and cousins, and after church Sunday dinners. 
Café side – Saturday morning sausage gravy and biscuit breakfasts with whichever Tribby kinfolk could make it!
Morristown, Indiana has a community group on facebook I joined to keep up on my old hometown’s happenings. Even though we moved to Florida 20 years ago, our entire family still lives in town and the surrounding areas of eastern central Indiana. I happened to be on fb at just the right time to see a post from someone asking the owner(s) who are in the group, how their macaroni salad was made. I’ll save that copycat recipe for another historic hometown post. 😉
Tapping Old Friends for Clues
Another Morristown native jumped in to ask how they made their croutons! The crazy thing about this to me is, I had just asked my son Bradley to ask his old classmate, Courtney who was a server there up until they closed. She bought the Long Branch Saloon next door (also previously owned by the Bluebird owners). She only knew they were deep fried and thought tossed with garlic and parmesan! So I asked my childhood friend, Tonya, who worked there waaaay back in the day. She didn’t remember, but her momma Marsha worked there too, and she remembered after they were fried, they were seasoned then baked to set the seasonings! David, the son of owner, Donna, replied to the crouton question in the fb group and confirmed Courtney’s recollection! So we were right about deep frying, but wrong on everything else.
About the Oils
But none of the oils I had tried were right so I jumped in to ask what oil was used and he said soy. It never occurred to me to try a soybean oil (although it does make sense in a commercial kitchen). I wouldn’t have wanted to give that a try anyway. We’re trying hard to avoid seed oils as much as possible, so I bought organic canola oil. Sadly, they still didn’t taste right. So I puzzled on it for a bit and then it hit me.
If they deep fried them, it stood to reason they used the same fryer as they used for most everything else they fried which would naturally flavor the oil. I pictured french fries, onion rings, breaded tenderloins, chicken, and these croutons. So the oil would only be fresh however often they changed it and with the amount of fried food churning out of that kitchen…
I saved that canola and added the South Chicago Packing Organic Grass-fed Lard to it, plus Epic Organic Grass-fed Beef Tallow. Then I used it to make more croutons and my Old-Fashioned Pan Fried Chicken Livers in it.
The Bread or Buns Do Make a Difference
In previous experiments, I used Bláithín’s Irish Organic Yeast Bread, cheapo hamburger buns, and Arnold Keto Bread. Of the 3, the closest was the cheapo buns. So I bought Dave’s Killer Organic Hamburger Buns. And figuring the Bluebird wasn’t using freshly grated parm, I broke down and grabbed a bottle of powdered parmesan. It’s coated with cellulose to keep the cheese from caking, but who wants to eat cellulose? 😞 I plan to try the freshly grated and coat it with cornstarch the next time I make these, which will probably be next week. 🤭 They are SO dang good!
The Seasonings
To make them taste as close as I can get to the real deal, the other seasonings I used are granulated garlic, salt, and MSG. Now I’m not saying this is the recipe used by the Bluebird. This what I came up with after countless experiments with sprinkling on stuff until I achieved the taste that came the closest to my distant recollection. I hadn’t had the great good fortune to eat there since May of 2022 and now they’re closed. 😥
Copycat Bluebird Deep Fried Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 Dave's Killer Organic Hamburger Buns
- 2 cups 365 by Whole Foods Organic Canola Oil OR South Chicago Packing organic grass-fed lard OR South Chicago Packing Wagyu Beef Tallow OR a combination of previously used clean fats
- 1/3 cup Powdered parmesan cheese or freshly grated tossed with 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Frontier Co-op organic garlic granules
- 1 tsp Hain Iodized Sea Salt
- 1 tsp MSG (monosodium glutamate)
Instructions
- Heat fat(s) in deep frying pan to 350°F or just put a tiny piece of bread in the oil and gauge the heat level when it starts sizzling.
- Meanwhile, cut the buns into 1" cubes. In a small bowl, mix the parm, garlic, salt, and msg. Line a platter or rimmed baking sheet with paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. When the little piece of bread starts sizzling well, carefully lower a couple of handfuls of bun cubes into the hot oil with a spider or large slotted spoon. Or slide off of a plate.
- Adjust the heat to medium-high so as not to burn the cubes. Frying goes fairly fast so turn the cubes often to evenly brown on all sides. Remove to the paper towels to drain.
- When all the cubes are fried, transfer to a deep bowl and toss with the cheese mixture.
- Spread on a baking sheet and toast for about 3-4 minutes. Let cool then store in an air-tight container for a week or so.
Notes
Copycat Bluebird Deep Fried Croutons
Salads piled with Copycat Bluebird Deep Fried Croutons are SO good! You have to try them to believe. 😊
I’ll be posting more hometown favorites from around Shelby County, Indiana. Sign up for email notifications of new posts! Not all my recipes will be copycats, but our roots do influence a lot of my cooking. Check out my killer Homemade Breaded Pork Tenderloins and Authentic Coney Dog Sauce!
Happy eating! ❤️
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