So I’m finding myself in a casserole-cooking mood lately. I’ve been perfecting a Deluxe Low-fat Tuna Casserole, which needs…stuff on top. Good stuff. Stuff that’s crisp when it gets out of the oven, and preferably stays crisp (or at least tasty) when it’s cold in the fridge. I tried crushed Town House crackers last time, but they turned mushy and pasty in the fridge. Bread crumbs were ok but didn’t add much. Rice Krispies had great texture and flavor, but got all over the place.
What do the Millions think of the other options, like:
Those scary fried-onion things
Corn flakes
Chow mein noodles
Doritos
Potato chips/sweet potato chips (I’d need the latter as I’m allergic to potatoes)
[insert others here]
Well since nobody else appreciates good casserole toppings, I’ll jump in :D. French fried onions are awesome! You have to buy the ones in the little red and white can though. I don’t remember the brand. I don’t know about the fat content, they are fried, so maybe it’s a little high. That’s okay! Just put half the can on. Mmm…green bean casserole.
Warning: I am not a cook. I have not tested any of the following ideas.
I suggest using crushed Baked Tostitos. They have much less fat than most chips and crackers. Baked Lays potato chips are also low fat, but I suspect they would get soggy faster.
Another possibility would be croutons. There is at least one company which includes a fat-free variety in their line of croutons. I can’t remember the brand name, but their croutons (including some that are not fat-free) come in foil bags. I think the fat-free ones are in green bags. I’m not sure whether you would want to crush them or not - that would depend on whether crushed ones got soggy too quickly. They have more flavor than plain bread crumbs.
You might also want to add grated cheese. Kraft makes a low-fat grated topping in green cardboard shaker cans, just like their grated Parmessan (sp?) cheese cans.
Whatever you use will be crunchier if it is not added until late in the cooking time. You might even want to turn on the broiler for the last minute or two. (Only try that if you are willing to stand there and peek at the results every few seconds - it’s really easy to burn stuff under a broiler.)
One of my favorite childhood dishes was a casserole made of ground beef, green beans, cream of mushroom soup and Ore-Ida Tator-tots. Yum Yum! If you put them on frozen at the start of cooking they’re crunchy and ready to eat by the times its finished.
And when I start breathing again, after a visit to the hospital, shots of epinephrine and an hour or two breathing through an atomiser I’m sure I’ll think they’re terrific! I just love my potato allergy…
But seriously, thanks for the thoughts everyone. The croutons sound really interesting, since I can always use herbed ones for more flavor. Or y’know - since I’ve always been an involuntary “Stove Top instead of potatoes!” person, maybe a sprinking of the uncooked, seasoned Stove Top cubes would work. Hmmmmmmmmmm.
I just love my potato allergy…