Forget Pie Crust — This Pantry Staple Makes The Best Base For Quiche And Breakfast Casseroles
There's nothing like cutting into your favorite quiche or breakfast casserole, especially when it has a crust with just the right taste and texture to complement the filling.
A bag of seasoned croutons is both a pantry staple and an unexpected ingredient for a delicious pie crust. Unlike a crumb crust, which requires copious amounts of butter mixed with crushed graham crackers or cookies, croutons are sturdy enough to arrange in a single layer on the bottom of a greased baking dish. You can even sprinkle more on top for a double-crust-style quiche or casserole.
Just because this clever upgrade lets you forget about pie crust doesn't mean you should overlook how your crouton crust and casserole filling work together. With a variety of crouton brands available, it's easy to choose the one that best suits the ideal flavor profile and consistency for your casserole. Simply let your taste preferences and culinary creativity lead the way.
Pairing crouton crusts to popular quiche recipes
The possibilities for matching croutons to a quiche recipe are nearly limitless. All it takes is enough croutons to line the bottom of your pie tin or baking dish in an even layer, which will generally require about 5 to 6 ounces, depending on the size of your casserole dish. Keep in mind that if you intend to chill your quiche before baking, the croutons will expand as the toasted bread soaks up the liquid from the filling.
There are plenty of herb-rich and flavored croutons that can easily stand in for a traditional pie crust while complementing your choice of casserole or quiche. For example, try using buttery Texas toast croutons as the crust for an easy quiche Lorraine recipe. And while store-bought croutons are a convenient pantry staple, you can always make your own to fully customize the flavor of your quiche.
Make croutons with seeded bread to use as the crust for a loaded vegetarian quiche recipe. Add a layer of shredded cheese and let it melt and crisp in the oven before pouring in your mixture of eggs and veggies. However you choose to use croutons as your quiche crust, this clever swap is a delicious way to elevate your next brunch or breakfast.
