The Ultimate Tuna Casserole is comfort food at it’s finest. It’s sure to please even the pickiest of eaters and easy to put together any night of the week.
Well, it’s crazy what a week brings. This Covad-19 thing has completely gone insane and I am having a hard time understanding a lot of it. It’s amazing to me comprehending human behavior. This was so evident in the shops this week. In my whole life, I have never seen so much mayhem at the grocery. I only needed a few things (thank goodness), but I did have to take my mom to stock up. It was a three-hour adventure to find food that they can use over the next few weeks. We got most things on their list except TP. LOL!
All this being said, I am following all the rules and staying home except for a quick errand here and there. This “social distancing” has been ok, my neighbors and I get to chat which has been nice. I had no idea that I would ever hear those words being said, but sadly I think it’s going to be the new normal. My folks are in lockdown in their retirement community as my dad has immune issues, so I really need to stay healthy just in case they need my help in any way.
It’s all good though, we can all get lots of projects done, cook and spend quality time with loved ones.
The Humble Tuna Casserole
The humble tuna casserole dates back to the 1930s and became a household stable among housewives in the 1950’s when canned soups became the “wonder” food saving Mom’s everywhere time in the kitchen. Families loved this casserole and it soon became the comfort food that we all grew up eating.
That being said and fast forward 60 years, I like the 1930s version where this warm and comforting dish originated from, totally from scratch with no canned soup! I jazzed this version up with extra veggies, like red pepper, mushroom, and peas, to make it the Ultimate Tuna Casserole! I also used elbow noodles as I think they hold up better than the traditional egg noodles.
This casserole is something super tasty to make up this week that your whole family will love. It makes a lot so be prepared for leftovers which are good right now!
I must admit, this is a gorgeous casserole before it goes into the oven. It was hard not to dig in at this point!
If this isn’t a sight for sore eyes, I’d be missing something! This is just a beautiful casserole.
Are you looking for other great comfort food recipes? Well, here you go!
Until next week! Enjoy!!
Ultimate Tuna Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta or your favorite pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup diced red pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2-7 ounce tuna, drained I use albacore tuna
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1/2 cup parmasan cheese
For the bread crumb topping
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and place in a buttered 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan melt the butter and the oil. Add the onions, mushrooms, red pepper, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions become translucent and the mushrooms become soft. About 6-7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mix and stir until combined. Cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock and milk. Turn heat to low and continue cooking until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir the tuna, cheese and the peas. Pour this mixture over the pasta and combine well.
- In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, cheese, pepper, and the butter. The bread crumbs should be moist. Sprinkle the crumbs over the casserole and place it in a 350-degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until the topping is browned. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.