A better tuna casserole?

Quoted message said:

My only tuna casserole recipe is my mom's old recipe: egg noodles,
tuna , cream of chicken soup...bake. Pretty bland.

What? ...no peas!? Yeah, add some frozen peas. Another easy trick is to
stick regular potato chips in the top, edge-wise. Just stick 'em in about
halfway. An interesting variation and the kids will probably get a kick
out of helping.

nb

"[email hidden]" <> wrote in news:ns3ot0t27gv8vmoqsqltfm1ikglaj6g4i5@
4ax.com:

Quoted message said:

My only tuna casserole recipe is my mom's old recipe: egg noodles,
tuna , cream of chicken soup...bake. Pretty bland.

I'm trying to find a kid-friendly tuna casserole that's a little more
interesting for my wife and me.

Anyone have a good one?

There are many variations on this theme.

I usually use the corkscrew pasta instead of egg noodles and cream of
mushroom or cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken soup. I add
a little chopped onion and some diced or sliced celery that have been
lightly sauteed in butter, along with bits of pimiento, and frozen green
peas that have been thawed and dried off. Some folks add sliced/chopped
water chestnuts or diced green pepper.

When all is mixed. turn into casserole and top with coarsely crushed
potato chips. Bake in a moderate oven until heated through and top is
lightly browned.

Wayne

Quoted message said:

My only tuna casserole recipe is my mom's old recipe: egg noodles,
tuna , cream of chicken soup...bake. Pretty bland.

I'm trying to find a kid-friendly tuna casserole that's a little more
interesting for my wife and me.

Anyone have a good one?

I like this one. I've made it for years. Sometimes I double it (except for the
eggs). I don't know if it's especially appealing to kids, though.

Tuna-Noodle Casserole
Source: Fannie Farmer Cookbook
(4 servings)

7-ounce can tuna, well drained
2 cups cooked narrow noodles
3 hard-cooked eggs [I usually cut in quarters]
2 cups white sauce (see below)
1 cup sliced mushrooms, sauteed
1 tablespoon minced onion [I usually saute them with the mushrooms, instead of
putting in raw]
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup freshly made bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Combine the tuna,
noodles, eggs, sauce, mushrooms, and onion, mix carefully, and put into the
baking dish. Melt the butter in a skillet and toss the bread crumbs until they
are coated and lightly browned. Sprinkle evenly over the tuna mixture and bake
20 minutes, until very hot. [Sometimes, if I'm in a hurry, I'll use premade
dried breadcrumbs instead--just enough to make a thin layer over most of the
top--then will dot with butter.]

WHITE SAUCE
(2 cups)

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk (heated)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook,
stirring constanly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it
brown--about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce
thickens. Bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and
cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

pat

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My only tuna casserole recipe is my mom's old recipe: egg noodles,
tuna , cream of chicken soup...bake. Pretty bland.

I'm trying to find a kid-friendly tuna casserole that's a little more
interesting for my wife and me.

Anyone have a good one?

Go here and search "tuna".

http://www.campbellsoup.com/index.asp?cpovisq=

Lots of great ideas.

Dimitri

Quoted post said:

My only tuna casserole recipe is my mom's old recipe: egg noodles,
tuna , cream of chicken soup...bake. Pretty bland.
I'm trying to find a kid-friendly tuna casserole that's a little more
interesting for my wife and me.
Anyone have a good one?

We like it with a spoonful of pico de gallo. I freeze up that relish in
ice cube trays for just such an occasion - just pop an ice cube or two in
the dish. Or serve it on the side if you have chile-scaredy-cats in the
house. The creamy sauce actually helps dilute the heat. Last time I made
a similar cassarole, I sauteed a green pepper and plopped that in. Was
very nice, and as I wanted that particular taste I didn't doctor it up
with any further flavors. One can get a little *too* carried away with
adding stuff.
Edrena

Thanks for the replies!

I think I'll try to integrate all of these ideas.

One question: I've seen some recipes that use cooked noodles, and
some that toss them in uncooked. When is one recommended versus the
other?

notbob contributed:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My only tuna casserole recipe is my mom's old recipe: egg noodles,
tuna , cream of chicken soup...bake. Pretty bland.

What? ...no peas!? Yeah, add some frozen peas. Another easy trick is to
stick regular potato chips in the top, edge-wise. Just stick 'em in about
halfway. An interesting variation and the kids will probably get a kick
out of helping.

I second the pea & potato chip additions, though I'd recommend Ruffles
instead of "regular" potato chips. They hold up better. Also, try adding
curry powder to the glop, and serving it with chutney on the side.

(Where's Jimmy Tango when you need him?)

Bob

Quoted message said:

My only tuna casserole recipe is my mom's old recipe: egg noodles,
tuna , cream of chicken soup...bake. Pretty bland.

My mom always uses cream of mushroom soup. I know tuna casserole gets a bum
rap but it's always been one of my favorite comfort foods.

Quoted post said:

Thanks for the replies!

I think I'll try to integrate all of these ideas.

One question: I've seen some recipes that use cooked noodles, and
some that toss them in uncooked. When is one recommended versus the
other?

And I used to make it with noodles,peas, tuna, canned mushroom soup
and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top. The cheese offers a nice
color addition. Even to the fussiest of the 4 kids, they all love
Tuna Casserole.

aloha,
Thunder
smithfarms.com
Farmers of 100% Kona Coffee
& other Great Stuff

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted post said:

My only tuna casserole recipe is my mom's old recipe: egg noodles,
tuna , cream of chicken soup...bake. Pretty bland.

I'm trying to find a kid-friendly tuna casserole that's a little more
interesting for my wife and me.

Anyone have a good one?

Substitute cream of mushroom soup for the cream of chicken. Why mess
with perfection? "-)
Add some green peas and sauteed fresh mushrooms. Top with crushed
potato chips the last 5-10 minutes of baking. HTH. Purists would
either not consider eating this or might insist on making their own
cream soup base from scratch. Whatever.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> More on 1-4-05 - Chicken Tortilla
Soup, and Swiss Steak.
"Are we going to measure or are we going to cook?" -Food writer
Mimi Sheraton

Quoted message said:

My only tuna casserole recipe is my mom's old recipe: egg noodles,
tuna , cream of chicken soup...bake. Pretty bland.

I'm trying to find a kid-friendly tuna casserole that's a little more
interesting for my wife and me.

Anyone have a good one?

Mom's recipe is tuna, frozen peas, cream of chicken soup topped with
mashed potatoes. Bake.

My spiffing it up was to add a bit of onion to the tuna mixture and to
top with garlic mashed potatoes rather than plain mashed potatoes. My
kid approves.

Jessica

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted post said:

Thanks for the replies!

I think I'll try to integrate all of these ideas.

One question: I've seen some recipes that use cooked noodles, and
some that toss them in uncooked. When is one recommended versus the
other?

I'd cook the noodles but not the frozen peas--just dump them in with the
cream soup and tuna.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> More on 1-4-05 - Chicken Tortilla
Soup, and Swiss Steak.
"Are we going to measure or are we going to cook?" -Food writer
Mimi Sheraton

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the replies!

I think I'll try to integrate all of these ideas.

One question: I've seen some recipes that use cooked noodles, and
some that toss them in uncooked. When is one recommended versus the
other?

Cook the noodles first.

The recipes that do not, add enough water to cook the noodles and IMHO that
much liquid dilutes the other flavors.

Dimitri

INGREDIENTS:

4 ounces spaghetti, broken, cooked, and drained
1 can or pouch (approximately 7 ounces) tuna, drained and flaked
1/4 cup (2 ounces) chopped drained pimiento
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded American or mild Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crushed potato chips

PREPARATION:

In a bowl, combine cooked spaghetti, tuna, and pimiento.

In a large saucepan, combine soup, milk, and cheese. Heat and stir until
cheese is melted. Add tuna casserole mixture and mix well.

Pour into a 1-1/2 quart casserole; sprinkle tuna casserole with crushed
potato chips.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Tuna casserole serves 4.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------

Tuna Noodle Delight

1 pkg (12 oz) medium egg noodles, cooked, drained
2 cans tuna, drained (7 oz each)
1/2 cup minced onion
1 1/2 cups diced celery
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup diced pimiento
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 can cream of shrimp soup (may substitute other cream soup)
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine noodles with tuna, onion, celery, mayonnaise, pimiento, and salt.
Mix soup and milk together in a 2-quart saucepan over medium low heat until
heated through. Add cheese and stir until smooth and cheese is melted.

Pour over noodle mixture and stir to combine.

Pour into two 2-quart greased casseroles; bake at 375 degrees F. for about
45 minutes.

Serves 8 to 10.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------

Tuna-Macaroni Casserole

1 cup elbow macaroni, cooked until just tender and drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup milk
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (can use 98% reduced fat)
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup pimiento (optional)
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 can flaked white tuna, drained
3 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
buttered bread crumbs, French-fried onion rings or other topping

Put margarine in a large skillet over medium heat; add onions and peppers.

Cook until onions are softened.

Add flour, milk and soup; stir until thickened.

Add pimiento, vegetables, tuna, mixed vegetables and cooked macaroni. Taste
and add salt and pepper.

Place in a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole or baking dish. Cover with crumbs
or other topping and bake in 350° oven for about 30 minutes or until nicely
browned.

Serves 4 to 6.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups milk
1 can (7oz) tuna, drained
1 teaspoon chopped pimiento
1 can (4oz) mushrooms, sliced -- drained
2 hard-boiled egg -- diced
1 teaspoon minced onions
..
Cheese Biscuits:

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk

PREPARATION:

Melt butter in saucepan; add flour and salt, mixing well. Add milk slowly;
bring to boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Pour into a 2-quart casserole.

Arrange cheese biscuits on top.

Cheese Biscuits:

Sift dry ingredients together into a bowl; cut in shortening. Add grated
cheese. Add milk, stirring with a fork until all flour is moistened. Turn
out onto a lightly floured cloth-covered board and knead gently for 20
seconds. Roll to 1/2-inch thickness; cut with lightly floured 2-inch biscuit
cutter. Place biscuits on top of hot tuna mixture in casserole dish.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------

Enjoy
Chef R. W. Miller
Marriott Resorts & Hotels
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------

Quoted post said:

My only tuna casserole recipe is my mom's old recipe: egg noodles,
tuna , cream of chicken soup...bake. Pretty bland.

I'm trying to find a kid-friendly tuna casserole that's a little more
interesting for my wife and me.

Anyone have a good one?

Along with the other suggestions, you might try adding a bit of cayanne
pepper. Not enough to actually create heat, but a little will perk it up a
bit.

---jkb

--
"I drank what?"
-- Socrates

In article <[email hidden]>, "Chef R.
W. Miller" <[email hidden]> wrote:
(recipes snipped)

Quoted message said:

Enjoy
Chef R. W. Miller
Marriott Resorts & Hotels
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Never mind the Marriott recipes -- can you get your hands on
Doubletree's Cookies that they give you at the desk? <grin>
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> More on 1-4-05 - Chicken Tortilla
Soup, and Swiss Steak.
"Are we going to measure or are we going to cook?" -Food writer
Mimi Sheraton

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, "Chef R.
W. Miller" <[email hidden]> wrote:
(recipes snipped)

Quoted message said:

Enjoy
Chef R. W. Miller
Marriott Resorts & Hotels

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Never mind the Marriott recipes -- can you get your hands on
Doubletree's Cookies that they give you at the desk? <grin>

No no no Keep the Marriott (or whatever) recipes coming; they
are interesting and well written and appreciated by at least one
of us. Well yeah, the cookie recipe too, which is pretty easy to
find on foodgeek:

pavane

Foodgeek: Jenny
Rating:
Servings: 20 servings
Prep. Time: :30
Total Time: 1 day
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rolled oats
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet, chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions:
Grind oats in a food processor or blender until fine. Combine
the ground oats with the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium
bowl.

Cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and lemon juice in
another medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until
smooth. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture and blend well. Add the
chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix by hand until ingredients are
well blended.

For the best results, chill the dough overnight in the
refrigerator before baking the cookies.

Spoon rounded 1/4 cup portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Place the scoops about 2 inches apart. Bake in a 350°F oven for 16-18
minutes or until cookies are light brown and soft in the middle. Store in a
sealed container when cool to keep soft.

"Jeff Bienstadt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Along with the other suggestions, you might try adding a bit of cayanne
pepper. Not enough to actually create heat, but a little will perk it up
a
bit.

I do the same with mac n cheese ... I go a little heavy on the cayanne.
Just tweaks it.

nancy

Another variation is to put some of those canned fried onions on top for the
last ten minutes of cooking.

Michael O'Connor - Modern Renaissance Man

"The likelihood of one individual being right increases in a direct proportion
to the intensity with which others try to prove him wrong."