Crispy & Crunchy: 5 Best Toppings for Casseroles

In our opinion, a golden-brown crust is the hallmark of an excellent casserole. It's the pièce de resistance, the finishing touch, that indefinable something that makes a casserole irresistible. There are many pantry ingredients that can help finish our casseroles with a flourish. Here are our favorites.

You don't really need a lot of topping to get good flavor and crunchiness. Just a sprinkling, enough for a little burst in every bite, is all you need. In fact, if we're trying to lighten up a casserole, concentrating on the topping is a good way to add flavor and texture without a lot of extra calories.

1. Breadcrumbs - A sprinkle of breadcrumbs is often all you need to give a casserole a little crunchy contrast. We like to mix them with a little melted butter or olive oil to help them turn golden and get even crispier.

2. Nuts - Pine nuts or chopped walnuts are one of our favorite toppings for grain-based casseroles. They bring out the earthy flavors in the dish and add an interesting texture.

3. Chow Mein Noodles - This is one is a holdover from childhood. You usually buy these cracker-like noodles in a can and just shake them over the top of the casserole at the last minute. They'll keep their crunch all through baking.

4. Thinly-sliced Caramelized Onions - Fried onions from a can were another feature of our childhood casseroles, but one that we haven't held onto like lo mein noodles! These days, we slice onions as thinly as possible and cook them until golden. Spread over the top of a casserole, the edges get toasted and crisped during baking.

5. Cheese - And of course, our good friend cheese! You can't really go wrong with cheese. Parmesan is one of our favorites, as it gives casseroles just the right touch of savory and salty. Mozzarella and other semi-soft cheeses melt into an even layer and bubble up with a few minutes under the broiler.

What are your favorite toppings for casseroles?

(Images: Pasta Casserole/Faith Durand and Broccoli Casserole/Kathryn Hill)

Comments (8)

I add crushed Cheerios if I'm trying to keep it lo-cal, and lightly crushed potato chips (sour cream and cheddar are especially good) if I'm not.

I recently picked up a pack of "just add water" hashbrowns potatoes at Costco. They make a really nice casserole topper, I just rehydrate them and add and egg and salt and pepper.

I actually love mixing onions caramelized in olive oil with some breadcrumbs and ground nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios - depends what's in the casserole!). So much more flavorful, but still crunchy.

Not just breadcrumbs, but panko! Definitely mix them in a bowl with your favorite fat before sprinkling over the top of the dish.

Also, I like to put a layer of gruyere cheese between the casserole and the crust. The crust says crunchy this way!

Melt some butter in a pan, add a dash of Tabasco and some freshly ground black pepper. Crush a sleeve of Ritz crackers and mix with the butter. Yum. Rich and delicious. What I don't use I freeze and then I have a quick topping on hand anytime I need a topping.

I save the ends of bags of chips and crackers (the little crushed bits that nobody wants to eat) for this purpose - it's a little bit different every time and I feel virtuous for not wasting.

I like cubed bread toppings. I make my croutons frying them in a little olive oil and seasoning them lightly, and toss them on top, usually over a layer of Daiya, and finishing with a sprinkle of paprika. That's how my mom used to make them, and it still seems like the right way to me.

my go-to crunchy topping is equal parts of crushed french fried onions, panko breadcrumbs, and cheap powdery parmesan with a sprinkle of garlic salt. Not super gourmet, I know, but don't be hatin'...it's good :)