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| Tuna casserole worth making again! |
The closest tuna-noodle casserole I ever "kind of liked" was Stouffer's. I had one not too long ago and, like most food products today, it was "off." I have no doubt they played with the ingredients to make it more "cost effective."
Recently, I found a brand of canned tuna that I really, really like: "TunNino". The one packaged in jars is their "Cadillac" version and contains spears of plain or flavored sustainable yellow-fin tuna packed in olive oil or spring water. It's not cheap--6-8 dollars. If you want to elevate any tuna recipe, it's the way to go. It is what I use for my French tuna loaf.
But they also make affordable canned 'chunk' versions without the "fillets" packaged in water or oil. I use the one processed in water. Ironically, Walmart carries some of this brand.
A word about tuna. It's not all the same. If the first ingredient does not read TUNA, skip it. The FDA allows it to be called "tuna" even with other fish added in--the reason some can smell so "fishy." "Spring water" is better than plain water. Yellow fin tuna is preferable because it is smaller without as much metals, such as mercury. "Pole Caught" is preferred over "nets" because it is more sustainable.
If using multiple greens, scale back the amount of each. They should not visually overtake the dish. If baking, you will want the sauce to be a bit thinner since it will thicken as it bakes.
(Photos are not the best--I'm using a new camera and still trying to figure it out . . .)
Creamy Tuna and Pasta
Stovetop or Bake • Guest-Worthy • Ready in 45-60 Minutes
Servings: 3–4 portions
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
1.5 cups dry elbow macaroni (or other short pasta)
1-2 teaspoons Better Than Boullion chicken base
1 heaping teaspoon dehydrated onion flakes
4–6 large fresh white button mushrooms, sliced or
1 small jar mushrooms, drained
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 can (5 oz) tuna, drained — reserve the tuna water
½ cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup shredded Italian 4-cheese blend (plus extra for topping if desired)
1 good handful fresh spinach leaves, stems removed and/or
6-8 spears fresh asparagus cut into diagonal pieces or
Handful of frozen peas, defrosted
1 Tbsp or so dry sherry (optional but recommended) Start with less!
Dash or two of garlic powder, onion powder. If you have it a bit of celery salt.
Bacon grease (for sautéing)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper or Aleppo pepper, to taste
Grape tomatoes, halved (for serving) or
Fresh melon, sliced
Optional: A bit of ham or deli ham sliced into thin ribbons and then cut those into pieces
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil 1.5 cups elbow macaroni in water with the heaping teaspoon of dehydrated onion flakes and bouillon base until done. Drain. Never mind the dried onion. Add and mix through a pat of butter, bacon grease, or drizzle of olive oil to prevent pasta from clumping. Set aside.
- Sauté fresh mushrooms: In a large deep skillet, heat 1–2 teaspoons bacon grease over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are nicely browned (5–7 minutes).
- Add the Greens: Add spinach/asparagus/ and gently saute until spinach is wilted and asparagus begins to soften. Season lightly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, if using
- Build the sauce: Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, drained tuna. Mound in center of the pan and pour the ½ cup milk, and ½ cup cream around edge of pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and then blend with tuna mixture until smooth and creamy. Add the splash of dry sherry if using and cook for 1-2 minutes. Taste and re-season if necessary.
- Combine: Reduce heat to low. Stir in the ½ cup shredded Italian 4-cheese blend until melted. Add the cooked pasta, drained jarred mushrooms and, if using, frozen peas. Toss gently until sauce coats everything well. If the sauce is too thick, add tuna water to loosen.
- Serve: Remove from heat. Serve immediately with halved grape tomatoes on the side Or
- Fresh-cut melon slices.
- Bake: Pour mixture into a buttered one-quart casserole dish. Add one tablespoon or so of butter to about ¾ cup breadcrumbs or crumbed Ritz crackers or similar. Sprinkle over tuna mixture. Bake at 375F (190C) until hot, bubbly and the top is golden, about 20-25 minutes
Tips for Success
Bacon grease adds wonderful savory depth — use it for sautéing whenever you have it.
The reserved tuna water and chicken broth create extra creaminess and flavor.
The dry sherry gives a subtle elegant touch that makes this company-worthy.
Leftovers reheat well; stir in a splash of milk to loosen the sauce.
For a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes, Aleppo pepper (recommended) with the mushrooms/greens
If baking, save some of the pasta/broth water and add to the finished stove-top mixture for a more loose sauce that will thicken as it bakes.
For even more flavor, add a pinch or two of dried Italian seasoning to the bread-crumb topping mixture.
