Tuna Casserole
This was my favorite meal growing up. When my dad and I got married, I made it often because it was easy. I usually added a can of peas. After several years, we got tired of it, but my kids always asked for it again. This is Grandma Nay's recipe.
This was my favorite meal growing up. When my dad and I got married, I made it often because it was easy. I usually added a can of peas. After several years, we got tired of it, but my kids always asked for it again. This is Grandma Nay's recipe.
- Carbohydrate 23.2281 g
- Cholesterol 4.9 mg
- Fat 19.053325 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 6.89955 g
- Saturated Fat 4.9513125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (364g)
- Sodium 1979.4625 mg
- Sugar 23.2281 g
- Trans Fat 6.00598 g
- Calories 288 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat soup, milk and tuna in a small sauce pan on low until warm.
- While soup mixture is heating bring a pan of water to boil and add noodles. Cook for 7-8 minutes. (to prevent the noodles boiling over add a pat of margarine into boiling water.)
- Drain noodles after cooking and pour into 1 and 1/2 quart casserole dish.
- Add soup mixture to noodles and stir well.
- Sprinkle crushed crackers or potato chips over top of casserole.
- Bake for 25 minutes
Overcooked pasta ruins tuna casserole by turning the starch into a mushy binder that absorbs all the moisture before baking finishes. Boil the egg noodles for precisely seven to eight minutes so they maintain al dente structure inside the sauce. Adding a pat of margarine into the boiling water prevents starches from foaming over the pot sides while cooking large batches of pasta. Thermal regulation matters during the initial sauce warming phase on the stovetop; keep the heat low to prevent the milk and condensed mushroom soup from scorching on the bottom of the saucepan. Standard casserole dishes holding one and one-half quarts provide the ideal depth for even heat penetration at three hundred fifty degrees. Glass baking dishes require lowering the oven temperature by twenty-five degrees compared to metal pans to prevent burning the edges before the center reaches serving temperature. Crushing saltine crackers or potato chips finely ensures a uniform crunchy topping without dense clusters that block heat from reaching the noodles underneath. Baking for twenty-five minutes allows the dairy proteins to set fully and creates golden browning on the crumb crust without drying out the tuna.
