The Most Important Ingredient in Your Kitchen Is...

Compared to other store-bought varieties, panko bread crumbs are more coarsely chopped, less toasted and lighter in feel and taste. They also have the power to transform whatever you're cooking—chicken cutlets, butterflied shrimp, a simple flounder filet—into crispy magic. Use them in Milanese preparations (whether chicken, pork or fish) or even in eggplant Parmesan. Or brown them lightly in garlic and olive oil and add to nearly any pasta dish right before serving for the most amazing carb-on-carb combo you'll ever eat.

3 More Amazing Ways to Use Panko

• Crispy zucchini fries—no deep fryer required
• Garlicky wilted spinach
• A lightened-up green bean casserole