Tuna Casserole

The past week has been all about settling into new schedules and routines.  Or slipping back into old schedules and routines I suppose, depending on how you look at it. 

Finding gorgeous clementines at the grocery store.

Reading.

Hockey equipment strewn about the foyer, every day.

Packing lunches.

There have been less take-out, less fend for yourself, less quickie dinner nights.

I've cooked real meals almost every night.  Except for pizza night of course.  We don't mess with pizza night around here.

Chicken fajitas, tacos (made with my homemade taco seasoning), roast chicken with green beans and potatoes, honey pineapple chicken, and tuna casserole.

This tuna casserole is a regular in my meal rotation.  It is requested often and makes the best leftovers, so I almost always end up doubling the recipe.

This is comfort food.

I sometimes add frozen veggies, in an attempt at boosting the nutritional value, but the kids tend to eat around the offending additions so I usually don't bother.  It calls for canned cream of mushroom soup, which isn't my favourite ingredient, but sometimes you just have to talk yourself into using processed ingredients for the sake of making something tasty that everyone will actually eat.  I've tried replacing the canned soup with a basic white sauce, something that works well in a lot of casserole recipes I make, but it just isn't great in this tuna casserole.  

It's an ordinary looking dish, and doesn't photograph well, but sometimes the least attractive things can also be the most wonderful.  This really is the best tuna casserole.  I use egg noodles, which are my favourite, but it works just as well with elbow macaroni, rotini, fusilli or small shells.  I use old cheddar for the best flavour, but any cheddar will do.  I've also used a combination of cheddar, mozzarella, marble, and farmers cheese to accommodate whatever I may have had on hand.  All worked well.  I always use Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup.  Other brands will work, but somehow it just isn't the same.  Sort of like the time I tried to use the basic white sauce instead :)

Tuna Casserole

1 package (12-oz / 340 g) extra broad egg noodles*

2 cans of tuna**

1 can of Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup of milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 cups cheddar, shredded, divided***

Salt and pepper to taste.

Panko bread crumbs 

Boil noodles according to package directions, until al dente.

In a large bowl, combine tuna, condensed soup, milk, mayonnaise, and half of the shredded cheddar.  Stir to combine, breaking up any large chunks of tuna.  At this point you could add some frozen peas or frozen mixed veggies, or not.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Add drained, cooked pasta.  Stir to combine.  Transfer to a casserole dish, top with bread crumbs and remaining cheddar cheese.  Bake, covered, at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, until heated through.

*The egg noodles I buy come in 375 g packages.  The small difference in quantity doesn't seem to make a difference, so don't stress if your package quantity isn't exactly the same.

**If doubling the recipe, use three cans of tuna.  Four cans ends up being too much

***Also, when doubling the recipe, twice the amount of cheese isn't necessary.  I use about three cups total, divided. But extra cheese may not be a bad thing either :)

*Update*

I found a reciped for homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup.  I'll be trying this next time!