I grew up eating my Mum’s tuna casserole, both the hot version and the cold pasta salad version. But while they were delicious and fairly healthy, they aren’t what most Midwesterners think of as tuna noodle casserole. Mum’s versions were heavy on the beans: kidney beans, chick peas, and canned corn.

Today the weather is cold but in a spring-like way, with a biting wind coming off the snow. I was scheduled to make cabbage & noodles for dinner, but I want something creamier and more stick-to-your-ribs. Something like tuna noodle casserole. I don’t stock cream of mushroom soup in my pantry, so I’m going to adapt this basic recipe and replace the soup with a white sauce.

Jenn’s Tuna Noodle Casserole

• 6-8 oz egg noodles (half a bag), cooked
• 1 can tuna, drained
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 4 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• A little ground pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar or similar)
• 1 cup buttered bread crumbs (optional)
• Grated Parmesan/Romano/Asiago cheese to top (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Start cooking the noodles in boiling water according to package instructions.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. When it has completely melted whisk the flour and salt in. Keep stirring until it turns a very pale brown. We don’t need a dark roux, we just need to cook the flour. Slowly add the milk, whisking all the while.  Once the sauce is done, turn the heat off and stir in a little pepper.

Drain a can of tuna and stir the tuna into the sauce. Add the peas and the cheese to the white sauce and tuna mixture. I used a blend of cheddar & monterey jack cheese that I keep around for making burritos. Turn the heat on a low to defrost the peas. and maybe to melt the cheese.

Once the pasta is cooked, combine the pasta and the tuna mix. Put it into a greased 3 quart casserole. Top with buttered bread crumbs and grated pasta cheese. The quality here isn’t too important; even Parmesan from the green can will work.

Bake in a 350F oven for 15-30 minutes until it’s heated through. Since we’re starting with a hot sauce, it shouldn’t take as long in the oven as the recipes that use an unheated can of cream of mushroom soup.

After Dinner Report

The bread crumbs were unnecessary and didn’t go well with the rest of the casserole. Maybe with store bought ones that are more bland, but the flavor of our molasses-sweetened brown bread really didn’t go. We couldn’t taste the cheese on top. Since pasta topping cheeses like Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago tend to be expensive, I’ll skip this in the future.

We loved the casserole! Danny was a big fan. It had some of his favorite foods: noodles and peas. It was very satisfying, tasty, and cheap. Without the fuss of topping it with breadcrumbs it’s a very simple proposition and should go together in 20-30 minutes or as long as it takes to cook the pasta. I’m not sure if it really needs to go in the oven since everything starts out warm, but I’ll give it a blast in the oven for a few more times.

I can see why this is a classic!

When we have macaroni and cheese for dinner we’re looking for a substantial casserole that will satisfy us and not leave us eating the entire batch just to feel full. But mac  & cheese is also a weeknight meal, so we don’t want anything too fussy. This recipe from Cook’s Illustrated has been a favorite for years. I’m reposting it here both to share it with you and also to keep it safe; our old recipe wiki keeps getting overwritten by spammers.

Baked Mac and Cheese

From Cooks Illustrated

Bread Crumb Topping

• 6 slices bread (good-quality, about 6 ounces), torn into rough pieces
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces

Pasta and Cheese

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 5 cups milk
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese , shredded (2 cups)
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , shredded (2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon table salt

1. For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.
2. For the pasta and cheese: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.
3. Shred the cheese. (Yes, this is in the ingredients, but I forgot to do this ahead of time tonight, so I’m adding the instruction).
4. In a Dutch oven (this can be your pasta pot or you can make the sauce while the pasta cooks), heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming.
5. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute.
6. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes.
7. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.
8. Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 9-by 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning. Cool about 5 minutes, then serve.

We often halve this recipe and bake it in an 8×8 inch pan. But it also freezes beautifully and makes great leftovers.