Toasted or fried breadcrumbs add flavour and texture to a dish. As a crunchy gratin topping on mac and cheese or fried in butter or olive oil and used to top cooked vegetables such as cauliflower, or over pasta; they make everything taste better.
How to make your own from good bread:
Spread on a baking tray and dry in a 300ºF oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until light golden brown and fragrant. The dried crumbs will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container, or up to three months well-wrapped in the freezer. I like to pack in small ziplocs in order to pull out exactly what I need.