May, I'd toss the romano and panko together, then drizzle with some melted butter. Then sprinkle over your casserole... sounds good to me. I make Turkey Tetrazzini, very similar.

Nancy

I like crushed corn flakes better than panko for casseroles....doesn't seem to "sog out" upon standing as quickly as panko.
Linda C

Panko may sog out as Linda said, so toast them lightly in some olive oil first - get a pan nice and hot, add the panko and stir quickly until they are golden.

I only use Panko as bread crumbs. Haven't had a problem with it sogging out. I generally sprinkle it right from the bag onto the casserole, then give it a light spray of butter-flavored cooking spray, and bake as you normally would bake the casserole.

If I'm using Panko for something that won't be baked, I put a little butter in a skillet with the panko, and stir and saute until the panko turns golden.

Scuse me....I thought she wanted to put on the panko before storing the casserole....then is sogs out in the freezer or the refrigerator...but fresh on top just before being baked, it's delicious!

I like using panko on casseroles and sauteed fish and chicken. Everyone loves the crunch. I've gotten my kids using it now. I was reminded of how much I like panko when I had a potato casserole the other night and they put corn flakes on it.

Oh, now you've done it. My grandmother used to make homemade mac and cheese in the oven with crackers crumbled over it. I'm thinking the same idea with panko would be yummy!

I love using panko - which I've only recently added to my cooking arsenal. But from what I've divined from watching cooking shows it seems to do best as a complement to an item with fat that it can grab onto. As a toss on a sauce it appears that it can lose it's character. So unless it is a topping on a dish drizzled with EVOO for example it can just become another breadcrumb. I could be wrong but I'm just going on what I've seen as of late.

Not to high jack but is Panko good for Lump Crab Cakes??

To answer your question eileen, from my personal experience with crab cakes, panko is fantastic! I mix the crab and other crumb/egg mixture/seasong first, then pat on panko. It still needs something to hold it together, but the panko on the outside is just right for the textures.

Eileen, yes, panko is all I use anymore for the coating on crab cakes. I like the crispy texture.

Nancy

OK, last night we ate the chick-spag. I sprinkled the top with grated romano, then sprinkled the panko over that, then baked it. It turned out pretty good, the toping was crunchy and got its flavor from the romano. Might have been better if I'd drizzled with evoo or butter, but I didn't want to add the extra fat and I think it was pretty good as is.

I think I am the odd one out here. I don't like Panko. I've given it a try a couple of times and I just don't like it. I prefer homemade bread crumbs over panko. For a crumb topping I usually saute fresh bread crumbs in a little butter, season with a little garlic, and salt and pepper and depending on what I'm making I might mix in a little fresh grated parmesan before sprinkling the topping on the casserole.

Ann