Choose and prepare crunchy casserole toppings with crackers or cornflakes

A crunchy casserole topping is a layer of crushed crackers or cereal flakes spread over the filling before baking. The oven browns and crisps the topping while the casserole heats through. Two Campbell's recipes show two different ways to do it. One is a mixed topping of buttery crackers, olive oil and shredded Cheddar for a turkey noodle bake. The other is a plain layer of crushed cornflakes for a hash brown casserole. Each topping is measured for the casserole it was written for.

Crackers or cornflakes: which topping fits your casserole

Both toppings add crunch. They differ in what goes into the topping itself, which pan they use and how long and how hot they bake.

Criterion	Buttery cracker topping	Cornflake topping
Recipe	Campbell's turkey noodle skillet bake	Jill's hash brown casserole (Campbell's)
Crunch ingredient	About 1 cup coarsely crushed buttery crackers (the recipe specifies Pepperidge Farm Golden Butter)	1/2 cup crushed cornflakes
Fat in the topping	2 tablespoons olive oil	None; the recipe's 1/2 cup melted butter goes into the filling
Add-ins	3/4 cup shredded Cheddar	None
Preparation	Mixed in a separate bowl	Crushed and scattered directly on the filling
When applied	Over the prepared filling, before baking	Over the filling, before baking
Pan	12-inch deep-sided oven-safe skillet, or a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish	13x9x2-inch baking dish
Oven	400°F for about 20 minutes	350°F for about 45 minutes
Done when	Filling is hot and topping is golden brown	Mixture is hot and flakes are lightly browned

Choose the cracker topping if you want a richer, cheesy crust. The oil and Cheddar are mixed into the crumbs, and the topping browns to golden in a short, hot bake. Choose cornflakes if the filling is already rich and needs a long, moderate bake. In the hash brown casserole, the butter is in the filling, and the flakes give a simple crunch that is meant to brown only lightly. Each recipe's measurements are tied to its own filling and pan, so don't treat them as a universal ratio for other crackers or crumbs.

How to make the buttery cracker and Cheddar topping

1. Coarsely crush about 1 cup of buttery crackers, leaving small pieces rather than fine crumbs.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the crushed crackers with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
3. Mix in 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar.
4. Prepare the turkey noodle filling in a 12-inch deep-sided oven-safe skillet, then sprinkle the topping evenly over it.
5. Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, until the filling is hot and the topping is golden brown.

The recipe serves eight. If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, move the hot filling to a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish and add the topping. Start checking a few minutes early, because the filling spreads over a larger surface in the dish.

How to make the cornflake topping

1. Assemble the hash brown filling in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. It uses 30 ounces of thawed shredded hash browns and 1/2 cup melted butter.
2. Crush cornflakes and measure 1/2 cup.
3. Scatter the crushed flakes over the filling. Don't add butter or oil to the topping; the recipe's fat is all in the filling.
4. Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes, until the mixture is hot and the flakes are lightly browned.

Using panko or crushed crackers instead of cornflakes

The hash brown casserole recipe suggests two swaps for cornflakes: panko (light, coarse Japanese-style breadcrumbs) or crushed crackers, either one mixed with a little melted butter. The recipe doesn't give amounts for these swaps. The turkey bake's oil-and-Cheddar proportions belong to that recipe and don't automatically carry over to panko or other crackers.

Planning worksheet for casserole toppings

If you plan several casseroles at once, record these details for each one so each topping stays matched to its filling:

Casserole recipe and number of servings
Pan type and size
Topping ingredient and measured amount
Fat in the topping, listed separately from any butter in the filling
Cheese or seasoning in the topping
When the topping goes on
Oven temperature and approximate baking time
Doneness cue for both filling heat and topping color

Example: the turkey noodle bake uses 1 cup crushed buttery crackers, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 3/4 cup Cheddar, mixed in a bowl, at 400°F for about 20 minutes. The hash brown casserole uses 1/2 cup crushed cornflakes with no topping fat, at 350°F for about 45 minutes. Whichever you make, check both that the filling is hot and that the topping has reached the color the recipe describes.