I love tuna casserole – I mean, is it even possible to have
grown up in the 70s and not love tuna casserole? I can’t remember if this is
something my mother ever made, but I know I had it at friends’ houses and it
was always a favorite. I’ve been making it for years using the recipe from the
back of a package of egg noodles and it’s always yummy. But… what if you don’t
want a can of soup? What if you want to reduce the fat in the dish? I know,
radical moves, man… but it can be done!
First, no canned soup. Toss the tuna with lemon and some
olive oil for brightness, and then make a heavenly cheese sauce in place of the
soup. You will be so happy, you’ll never go back to The Old Ways. Oh all right,
we’ll keep the frozen peas. Frozen vegetables retain more of their vitamins
than canned and don’t contain preservatives, so they get a pass. (Gotta keep
the mid-century feel somehow.)
Noodles play a big part in many casseroles, especially this
one. Heck, some versions are called Tuna Noodle Casserole, so you see they’re
not messing around. You can use traditional egg noodles, but I like whole wheat
pasta and I like to vary the shape, from spirals to penne to shells. Go crazy…
it’s like the art you made in kindergarten with pasta and glue, only you eat
it. (You didn’t eat the glue, did you? Oopos sorry.
sautee the onions first...
Finally, you can make this with canned salmon if that’s what
floats your boat, and I must say that is a mighty tasty version. I might consider adding chopped scallions or
chives next time. Who knew tuna casserole was going to turn out to be such a blank
canvas! Whip some up for dinner today and let me know how you like it.
12 oz noodles
Salt and pepper
3 (5 oz each) cans tuna (in water) drained thoroughly
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
½ onion, chopped fine
1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup ½ and ½
6 oz shredded cheese
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp butter
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring 4 quarts
water to boil on stove top in Dutch oven. Add noodles and 1 tsp salt and cook,
stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.
2.
Combine tuna, 2 tsp oil, lemon juice ¼ tsp salt
and ¼ tsp pepper in a medium bowl and flake tuna into chunks with a fork; let
sit for 10 min.
3.
In now-empty pot, heat 1 tsp oil over
medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook till translucent, 6-8
min. whisk in broth and ½ and ½ and bring to a simmer for 2 min. Remove from
heat and whisk in shredded cheese, a handful at a time, till melted. Stir in
cooked noodles, tuna mixture, peas and ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper (to taste).
4.
Transfer mixture to casserole or baking dish.
Toast panko breadcrumbs in small pan with melted butter and sprinkle on top of
casserole. Bake until sauce is bubbling around edges, 12 to 14 min. Let cool
slightly before serving.
toasting breadcrumbs with butter to top it
