The Crunchy Old-School Shortcut That Makes Nearly Any Casserole Taste Better

There is a reason that casseroles are such an enduring culinary category. Not only are they easy to put together, but casseroles are comfort food at its finest: warm, creamy, savory, and especially wonderful when they have a nice, crisp top — and one of the simplest and best ways to top a casserole is with a sleeve of Ritz crackers. There are several advantages to this creative use for Ritz crackers and the buttery crunch complements all different kinds of casserole recipes.

For starters, it is just about impossible to find a topping that delivers a better crunch than crushed crackers. Unlike a breadcrumb topping, which can crisp up decently over time, Ritz crackers are crunchy right out of the gate. The time in the oven only enhances this, giving the crackers a mixture of textures as the bottom bit softens and the pieces on top brown and crisp. But more than just the quality of the topping, it's also really, really easy.

On their own, breadcrumbs are not so delicious — no one is dipping a spoon into that cardboard canister while they're assembling dinner. With Ritz, on the other hand, it's hard not to munch on a few while you're cooking. You can mix some seasonings or cheese in with the Ritz crackers if you really want to add pizzazz, but just blitzing them with a bit of melted butter before tossing them on top of the dish is all you really need to achieve a perfect casserole topping.

Those with a bit of culinary history under their belt know this crunchy, buttery topping was a part of more than a few recipes for those vintage casseroles everyone used to eat. But for those who don't remember the glory days of casserole, we'll delve into a few recipes where these buttery crackers really excel. For instance, it doesn't get much more classic Americana than a classic chicken casserole recipe made with Campbell's cream of mushroom soup –And when you swap out the bread cube topping for a layer of crisp, buttery Ritz crackers, it is all the better. The same, of course, applies to any tuna casserole recipe, perhaps the other most iconic casserole out there.

Green bean casserole is another legendary dish that can benefit from a crushed Ritz cracker topping. It may sound like blasphemy at first, but you can swap the crispy fried onions for Ritz crackers in green bean casserole for a deliciously crunchy new take that doesn't get soggy over time. The extra bite complements the green beans perfectly. Also, if you don't want to stray too far from tradition, you could try a combination of crispy onions and Ritz crackers as the topping. Really, it's tough to go wrong with Ritz on top of any casserole. So long as you're looking for a salty, buttery, crispy top — and every casserole benefits from that — the result is sure to please.