Tuna Noodle Casseole

I’ve made Tuna Noodle Casserole since I was a teen, but it always seemed to be missing something. It wasn’t until I was working in Hartford, Connecticut that I found the secret to a great Tuna Casserole.

 The employee cafeteria at the company where I worked had the best Tuna Noodle Casserole, you had to get on line early to make sure you got it when it was on the menu. I finally asked the chef what he put into the casserole that made it so good.

The secret is cheddar cheese. The cheese adds a smooth flavor that balances out the fishy tuna flavor.

TIPS

I use Mueller’s Hearty Egg Noodles Extra Wide, you can use any other noodles, I’ve tried other brands and I think Mueller’s makes the best. They have a substantial texture and aren’t mushy, they hold up to baking in casseroles really well.

I use the 98% Fat Free Soup and I also use Fat Free Milk, I don’t think you can tell the difference and it is a lighter alternative, but you can certainly use the Regular Soup and Whole, 1% or 2% Milk.

The topping is optional.

I use chunk light tuna in water, I think the tuna flavor is a little stronger than solid white tuna. I’ve used solid white tuna in water when I don’t have chunk light and it also makes a great casserole, it’s a matter of personal preference.

The topping is optional but I do recommend it, it adds a little crunch to the casserole. I use cornflake crumbs because my family likes the flavor of the corn, but you can use Plain or Italian Seasoned ones also.

Serve this with a small salad and the meal is complete!

This is by far the best recipe version of Tuna Noodle Casserole you will ever make. It’s quick and easy and you just have to try it.








Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe:

All you need:

1 lb. bag of noodles, cooked according to package directions
2 cans Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup milk
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
2 cans (6 oz) tuna, drained and flaked
1 can of mushrooms (I use the larger size (7 oz.), but you can use less or omit)
1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Topping (Optional)

¼ dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan combine the soup, milk and cheese and cook on medium heat until cheese is melted, stirring frequently. When the cheese is melted and incorporated into the soup and milk, stir in the tuna, mushrooms and peas.

I put noodles back into the pot that I cooked them in.

Pour the tuna mixture into the noodle pot and mix thoroughly. Pour the noodle and tuna mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until hot and sides are slightly bubbly.

In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle the topping onto the casserole.

Bake for an additional 5 minutes until topping is crunchy.

Recipe: Stuffed Tomatoes with Tuna and Herbed Goat Cheese

Warren bought a bunch of tomatoes when we went grocery shopping…. I did ask him to get Plum tomatoes… well they didn’t have any… so he bought vine ripened tomatoes…. nice thought… but they really don’t go into the recipes I’d planned…. So change of plans time.

I decided to stuff them for lunch…. I had planned on using my herbed goat cheese for something else… but again…. change of plans. I decided to make a list of ingredients I wanted to use… starting with tuna and herbed goat cheese.

I have a number of stuffed tomato recipes… and this one is a slight variation on one… a few simple ingredients… goes together quickly… and looks so very nice… a perfect lunch.

TIPS

I used herbed goat cheese… which can be expensive… you usually see it in long logs… well they also come in 4 oz…. short logs which are considerably cheaper…. also for those of you near a Walmart… check their gourmet cheese section… I found a long log of it at less than half the price at a regular supermarket….

You can also substitute boursin cheese… but I’m not so sure you’re saving that much money anyway… goat cheese has a wonderful flavor…

You can also mix in the scraped out center of the tomato… just chop it up….

I used medium sized vine ripened tomatoes… this recipe should stuff four of them.

Figure two tomatoes per person.



Cut the fresh basil using the chiffonade technique… that’s a method by which you stack the leaves and roll them…







Then cut slices… it comes out ribbon-like.




Don’t eliminate the basil… it really adds to the taste of this dish.

Do you ever do something kinda …well…stupid… so stupid… you’re shocked you did it…. well I did… when experimenting… I put the basil on before going under the broiler…. needless to say it was crisped beyond recognition… put the basil on top after it comes out from under the broiler.

This is so easy… and a really great lunch…








Recipe: Stuffed Tomatoes with Tuna and Herbed Goat Cheese

All you need:


4 medium vine ripened tomatoes
4 oz. package of herbed goat cheese
1 can solid white tuna in water, drained and flaked
2 tablespoons jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
4-5 fresh basil leaves, cut chiffonade

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to broil.


Cut the top off the tomatoes and scoop out the inside.

Chop the insides into small pieces.

Combine all ingredients except reserve 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese and the basil.




Mix well and stuff the tomatoes.

Sprinkle the tomatoes with the reserved tablespoon of parmesan cheese.



Place on a broiler pan and broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is a pale tan color. The tomatoes will be just warm… you don’t want them to get mushy…. just heat it enough to make the insides creamy.

Remove from the oven and place on plates….

Sprinkle with cut basil.

Recipe: Grilled Apple Tuna Melts

A couple of days ago I posted my recipe for Tuna Salad… one of my fellow bloggers and regular reader… Dave from Year on the Grill… commented he liked apple in his tuna salad…. I had some tuna salad leftover and thought the suggestion was a terrific one and decided to try it out….

I decided to add a Granny Smith apple diced into my tuna salad… then I had to decide on the cheese… I make my tuna melts with all kinds of different cheeses… all of them good… for this one … I decided on cheddar cheese… it always pairs well with apples.

Now to decide on the cooking method… when I was doing research … I came across dozens of recipes for tuna melts… all kinds of ingredients… and to my surprise… all kinds of cooking methods.

I always had made them with English muffins… open face sandwiches with cheese over the tuna salad and then put under the broiler to melt the cheese. I was surprised to see so many that grilled them as sandwiches… so I decided grilled apple tuna melts it was. Since I was going to try a new method (for me anyway)… I’d now have to choose a bread as well… I decided a fresh sliced rye bread it would be…

And so I made my Grilled Apple Tuna melts….

TIP

I would recommend one Granny Smith apple per can of tuna used.

Many thanks to Dave for making the suggestion….it was totally delicious!.... Although he said I’d never go back to tuna salad without apples… I will… but I now have a variation I will use from time to time… the apples give the salad a really refreshing taste…. you really need to try it!








Recipe: Grilled Apple Tuna Melts

All you need:

For the Basic Tuna Salad:

2 cans of solid white tuna in water, well drained and flaked
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2 small or 1 large shallot, finely chopped
3-5 tablespoons Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

For the Tuna Salad with Apple Added:


2 Granny Smith apples, small dice

For the Tuna Melt:

Bread (your favorite kind)
Margarine or Butter
Cheese (your favorite kind)

All you need to do:

To Make the Tuna Salad:

Combine all ingredients, including the diced apple, in a bowl until well mixed.

To Make the Tuna Melt:


Generously spread margarine on one side of the slices of bread.

Put a small amount of shredded cheese or a slice of cheese on the on the dry side of one piece of bread….margarine side down.

Put a generous helping of Apple Tuna Salad on top of the cheese.

Put a layer of shredded cheese or a slice of cheese on top of the tuna.



Place on a hot grill pan …







Put the second piece of bread over the cheese … dry side down…. margarine side up.

Grill over medium high heat until the bottom is golden brown.




Carefully flip the sandwich and grill the other side until is also golden and cheese has melted.

Gently press the sandwich with a spatula.


Serve immediately.

Recipe: Tuna Salad

Tuna salad is an American staple…. What kid hasn’t brought a tuna salad sandwich to school in their lunch box… next to peanut butter and jelly…. I think tuna salad is the most common. Growing up we’d compare lunches… and I learned early on… as many as there are lunch boxes filled with tuna salad sandwiches… there are different ways of making it.

Chunk light… solid white…With celery… without celery… with egg … without egg… with onion… without onion… made with mayo… made with salad dressing… made with a little lemon juice….. the list goes on and on… tons of variations…

My Mother liked to put onion in hers… I liked it a lot… but found the onion taste was a bit overpowering… I began using shallots a number of years ago… I love the onion flavor… but it’s a mild onion flavor… I think a much better choice …. She also diced a hard-boiled egg in it… and again… I think this adds to the flavor of the salad…

So here’s my version of a tuna salad…

TIPS

I always use solid white tuna in water… I don’t care for the oily tuna that you get when it’s canned in oil… and for tuna salad I like the solid white kind… the chunk light tuna has a stronger tuna flavor that I don’t care for in salad…

Use fresh parsley… I never use dried parsley… there just is no comparison … once you’ve used fresh parsley.. there’s no going back to dried parsley… dried parsley has virtually no flavor.

I have a tip I posted a while back about how to make hard-boiled eggs without that gray ring around the yolk…

I chopped the egg, shallot and parsley in the mini chopper (each separately)… it’s quick and easy… just pulse until you get the desired consistency.

The mayonnaise quantity in this recipe is a range of 3-5 tablespoons… amount depends on how much you like in your salad… I used 4 tablespoons.

Hellman’s Mayonnaise is the best… at least in my opinion… I imagine it’s whatever you’re used to… but if you haven’t tried Hellman’s … you should give it a try.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.








Recipe: Tuna Salad

All you need:

2 cans of solid white tuna in water, well drained and flaked
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2 small or 1 large shallot, finely chopped
3-5 tablespoons Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

All you have to do:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well mixed.

Recipe: Tuna Noodle Casserole

I’ve made Tuna Noodle Casserole since I was a teen, but it always seemed to be missing something. It wasn’t until I was working in Hartford, Connecticut that I found the secret to a great Tuna Casserole. The employee cafeteria at the company where I worked had the best Tuna Noodle Casserole, you had to get on line early to make sure you got it when it was on the menu. I finally asked the chef what he put into the casserole that made it so good. The secret is cheddar cheese. The cheese adds a smooth flavor that balances out the fishy tuna flavor.

TIPS

I use Mueller’s Hearty Egg Noodles Extra Wide, you can use any other noodles, I’ve tried other brands and I think Mueller’s makes the best. They have a substantial texture and aren’t mushy, they hold up to baking in casseroles really well.

I use the 98% Fat Free Soup and I also use Fat Free Milk, I don’t think you can tell the difference and it is a lighter alternative, but you can certainly use the Regular Soup and Whole, 1% or 2% Milk.

The topping is optional.

I use chunk light tuna in water, I think the tuna flavor is a little stronger than solid white tuna. I’ve used solid white tuna in water when I don’t have chunk light and it also makes a great casserole, it’s a matter of personal preference.

The topping is optional but I do recommend it, it adds a little crunch to the casserole. I use cornflake crumbs because my family likes the flavor of the corn, but you can use Plain or Italian Seasoned ones also.

Serve this with a small salad and the meal is complete!

This is by far the best recipe version of Tuna Noodle Casserole you will ever make. It’s quick and easy and you just have to try it.








Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe:

All you need:

1 lb. bag of noodles, cooked according to package directions
2 cans Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup milk
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
2 cans (6 oz) tuna, drained and flaked
1 can of mushrooms (I use the larger size (7 oz.), but you can use less or omit)
1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Topping (Optional)

¼ dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan combine the soup, milk and cheese and cook on medium heat until cheese is melted, stirring frequently. When the cheese is melted and incorporated into the soup and milk, stir in the tuna, mushrooms and peas.

I put noodles back into the pot that I cooked them in.

Pour the tuna mixture into the noodle pot and mix thoroughly. Pour the noodle and tuna mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until hot and sides are slightly bubbly.

In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle the topping onto the casserole.

Bake for an additional 5 minutes until topping is crunchy.