Tuna Noodle Casserole

Here it is, my first blog, and what better food topic than the one, the only, Tuna Noodle Casserole.

As a child, the three foods I remember from the deliriously happy time when my parents would be leaving for the night assigning my gangly, extremely introverted brother in charge would be Fillet O' Fish Sandwiches, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and my mother's Tuna Noodle Casserole. She only fixed the latter when she didn't spend the hours from 2pm-5pm showering, applying copious amounts of makeup, and trying on 10 pairs of shoes- so, obviously, the destination nowhere super nice.

This bubbling hotdish, when she pulled it out of the oven, seemed to glow like a greasy little bit of Topaz. The bubbling pasta, melted cheese, and oh, that slightly burned, cripsy, salty crust of potato chips atop like an angel's halo... I remember the smell that lingered in our home the next day, even, from this hearty Midwestern treat. She served it in a dish I always considered too small. Most times I wanted seconds...thirds!...and sometimes I wanted to lick the dish, if my brother wouldn't dutifully take to finishing the dishes so fast.

I lost the trail to Tuna Noodle Casserole as I got older, swore off meat, even dairy for a while. I only thought of this dish as something to log away in the brain, as one of those silly, unhealthy Midwestern curses we all seemed to have some affinity for, but not me, no, I knew what good, healthy food was.

Eventually, I came back to my beloved taste for seafood and I started to realize a purpose for cooking things you are familiar with. I am infamous in my family for taking meals my mother would cook from scratch and creating something different based on her ground rules. My little sister, on the other hand, prides herself on recreating the exact replica of whatever we enjoyed as children- the ultimate compliment to our mother as chef! This, of course, could be a time for evaluation, but how boring and obvious. Let's stick to the subject at hand.

The Tuna Noodle Casserole I prepare now has been deemed a favorite food by my husband, and, honestly, it is NEVER made the same way twice. It's a bonafide "pantry dish" and I think that's really fun. I worked with my mother's small, simplistic, yet entirely satisfying hotdish, and made it into something no one person could ever eat in an entire sitting nor feel the pangs of heartache while another took the last helping. Please see below as I've added my mother's great inspiration and then my take- the one I made this evening, at least.

No matter how you might like to prepare it, this is a truly warming dish for a windy, merciless Winter night such as this. Cheers.

My Mom's 1980s Tuna Noodle Casserole:
2 cans tuna
7 oz. elbow macaroni
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
3 Slices of American Cheese
1/2 can of milk
2 slices of red onion, chopped
Mayonaise (enough to moisten tuna)
Potato chips (Old Dutch)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a casserole dish. Boil macaroni, meanwhile heat the can of soup mixed with the 1/2 can of milk. When the mixture is warm, tear cheese pieces, add them, and stir until melted.

2. Prepare tuna salad. (Mix tuna, mayo, and chopped red onions.)

3. Drain macaroni, add tuna salad, and only 3/4 of heated soup mixture. Sprinkle potato chips on top. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.



Gini's Tuna Noodle Casserole (variations made tonight and many times during the winter)
2 Large cans of low sodium tuna
1 bag wheat/gluten free brown rice spirals
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (a fun variation is Blue Cheese...pretty much any cheese!)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 bundles of spinach, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 cup frozen peas
Veganaise - enough to moisten the tuna salad
Salt/ground pepper
Thyme
Oregano
Potato chips or Parmesan for the top

1. Start boiling water for the pasta. Empty Cream of Mushroom soup into a pan and fill the can 3/4 full of water. Add to the soup base and stir, warming on a low heat.

2. Make tuna salad- tuna, celery, onion, and veganaise. Add thyme and oregano, also be sure to add some cracked pepper. Mustard is also pretty good here.

3. Boil pasta, stir the soup and add the cup of shredded cheddar until it melts.

4. Throw the frozen peas in the microwave with a little water to warm up.

5. When the pasta is ready, drain it and then add a touch of oil to the pan before pouring it back in. SALT the pasta a little. Add tuna salad, peas, spinach, and then pour the hot soup sauce all over that bad boy. Grab a taste to check for seasoning.

6. Pour the concoction into a lightly greased casserole and top with potato chips and/or Parmesan. Bake 20-25 minutes uncovered and then cool a bit, and savor.
Consider adding a nice mixed salad...you know, for your health. ;)


Love,
gini