Macaroni Tuna Casserole
This is a great recipe. I usually stir in cauliflower and top with crushed potato chips.
This is a great recipe. I usually stir in cauliflower and top with crushed potato chips.
- Carbohydrate 6.237075 g
- Cholesterol 56.51 mg
- Fat 14.1950125 g
- Fiber 0.540000016987324 g
- Protein 18.405125 g
- Saturated Fat 7.24823625 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (208g)
- Sodium 862.49625 mg
- Sugar 5.69707498301268 g
- Trans Fat 0.854062500000001 g
- Calories 228 calories
Step-by-step
- Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions.
- Stir in the soup, tuna and milk.
- Pour into a greased 2-qt. baking dish.
- Sprinkle with cheese and parsley if desired.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350? for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Yield: 4 servings.
Golden cheddar bubbles at the edges of a greased two-quart glass baking dish while the central starches set into a cohesive, dense matrix. Achieving the right consistency relies entirely on managing moisture before the dish enters the oven.
Visual Cues for Doneness
Avoid relying on internal thermometers for mixed starch bakes. Watch the outer perimeter instead of the center. When the grated cheddar turns a deep amber and the canned cream soup begins throwing tiny bubbles through the surface layer of pasta, pull the dish immediately. This visual cue generally occurs between twenty and twenty-five minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Letting the casserole linger past twenty-five minutes breaks the dairy emulsion, causing the fats to separate and pool into an oily layer.
Controlling Texture
The boundary between a crisp topping and soggy noodles is governed by moisture control. Drain the canned tuna thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer to remove excess packing liquid before folding it into the pasta. Condensed soup contains sufficient sodium and water to hydrate the remaining dry elements without needing extra liquid beyond the half cup of milk specified. Use glass bakeware rather than dark metal pans to prevent the bottom layer of macaroni from scorching before the cheese finishes melting.
