Casseroles are delicious when topped with cheese, but they are even tastier when covered with buttered crumb toppings. They add tremendous flavor and texture, especially after they brown in the oven. Hot main dishes look better and taste phenomenal when seasoned with crunchy brown crumbs made from bread, crackers or something unique. Use these easy crumb toppings for casseroles, and make them tastier and more appetizing than ever.
Make Easy Crumb Toppings with White Bread
It is a waste of money to buy bread crumbs for toppings and any other culinary purpose. They are easy to make with either fresh or stale slices of white bread, and they turn out delicious every time. The bread does not have to dry out on the kitchen countertop for days. Simply put two slices in the microwave, and remove the moisture by heating them from 60 to 80 seconds. They will come out hard, dry and unevenly brown. Do not bother grating the dried bread. To minimize the mess, place it in a plastic bag and roll it into crumbs with a rolling pin or a heavy can. The plastic bags can be used for storing individual crumb toppings until ready to use.
Make a crunchy and flavorful casserole topping by tossing the contents of one bag with a tablespoon of melted butter. Two slices of bread makes just enough to cover an 11-inch oval casserole. Add more or less according to personal preference. Keep bags on hand for quick and easy crumb toppings for casseroles and side dishes. The toppings can be seasoned beforehand with an Italian blend, lemon pepper or another favorite mixture of spices. They are ideal for topping creamy noodle dishes, macaroni and cheese, chicken and more.
Use Butter Flavored Crackers on Casseroles
Butter flavored crackers also make fantastic crumb toppings for casseroles. Best of all, they do not have to be tossed with real butter. They are ideal for low fat casseroles that need something crunchy on top. Place as many crackers as desired in a plastic zipper bag, and crunch them up with a rolling pin, a wooden meat mallet or a heavy can. Make them as fine or as coarse as desired. The cracker crumbs can be blended with spices of your choice for casseroles that will look and taste outstanding.
Make Easy Crumb Toppings with Potato Chips
My favorite crumb toppings for casseroles are made with potato chips. The crumbs in the bottom of the bags should never go to waste since they can be used to make toppings for casseroles. Crush any flavor desired in a plastic zipper bag. When using the plain variety, toss them with a spice blend of your choice. Chicken casseroles are great with lemon pepper crumb toppings, BBQ or sour cream and onion. Toss the crumbs with melted butter, and use them to cover the tops of your favorite casseroles just before baking. The potato chips will turn out golden brown and crunchy, and they will add tremendous texture and flavor to otherwise ordinary casseroles of just about any type.
Source: Personal Food Preparation Experience and Experimentation
