Tuna Noodle Casserole

Perfect Pairing:  Rainy day

 

Tuna noodle casserole typically does not fall under the gourmet category.  It may not be fancy but it is some seriously good comfort food.

A few weeks ago after church my boyfriend and I were going to swing by the grocery store to pick up something for lunch.  It was a cold and rainy day, which is the perfect setup for comfort food and movies.  I asked him what sounded good and gave him a rundown of possible menu options and he chose pasta.  So for the rest of the ride to the store I came up with a tuna noodle casserole recipe in my head.

 

Friends…. This is good eats.  It was the perfect thing to enjoy on a rainy day (which there have been WAY too many of recently in Chicago) and it was really cheap!  The sauce is a simple white sauce that is enhanced with Dijon mustard, sour cream, and two kinds of cheese.  No canned soups here!  I swapped out the traditional potato chip topping for Ritz crackers since I had them on hand.

 

Plan on lots of leftovers!  I sent some home with my boyfriend who ended up eating it for the next four out of five meals.  I think it is safe to say he liked it.
 

 

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Greek Turkey Burgers

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Risotto with Corn, Roasted Peppers, and Pepper Jack Cheese

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Tuna Hummus Melts

Perfect Pairing: Sabra hummus

My typical Saturday morning ritual is to clean my place with the Food Network on in the background.  If I glance up and see something interesting I will shut off the vacuum and tune in.  On one such morning I saw my favorite cook, Barefoot Contessa, make a tuna salad sandwich and she served it over a layer of homemade hummus.  Brilliant!  I loved that idea.  Of course, she made her own hummus and the tuna salad still had full fat mayonnaise in it, but it gave me a great idea.  Why not substitute hummus for mayonnaise in the salad?  Even though hummus still has some fat from the tahini it is a much healthier option. 

I made Tuna Hummus Melts for a small get together at my house and I really liked them.  You truly don’t miss the mayonnaise.  I used rye bread, a few slices of tomato, and havarti dill cheese melted on top.  My favorite brand of hummus is Sabra.  The classic variety was perfect in this recipe but you could use one of the flavored versions for an added kick.

There was quite a bit of leftover tuna after the party so I made my own version of tuna noodle casserole.  I made a basic white sauce, stirred in some cheese, cooked pasta, the leftover tuna, and frozen peas.  Voila!  It was quite tasty.  Just something to keep in mind if you have some leftovers!

 

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All Purpose Breakfast Casserole

Perfect Pairing:  Texas Toast

I recently had about 15 people to my house for breakfast.  No big deal, just get up early and knock it all out.  Right?  Well the night before the breakfast I had a bachelorette party.  I knew I would want to stay in bed as long as I could the next morning.  To accomplish this, I needed to do as much prep as possible the day before the breakfast. 

I was one of the last ones standing at the party.  Make that limping.  Why do we wear such uncomfortable shoes?  Why did I not put flip flops in my purse like some of the other girls?  We ended the night at a packed taco joint in Lincoln Park around 2 AM.  Good stuff.

Needless to say, it was a very good thing I planned ahead.  I loved every last minute in bed that next morning.  The only thing I had to do to these casseroles on the day of the breakfast was top them with cheese and toss them in the oven.

Everyone needs a good breakfast casserole in their recipe arsenal.  I really like this recipe because you can make it to your tastes.  I made two versions, one with sausage and cheddar cheese and a vegetarian version with spinach, mushrooms, and fontina cheese.  While they were both great, I was surprised to find out that the vegetarian version was the favorite!

The Perfect Pairing for this recipe is Texas Toast, or thick sliced bread.  You could certainly use regular bread in this recipe but I like using thicker variety.  I think it soaks up the egg mixture better than thin bread and adds a nice texture to the casserole.

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Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Perfect Pairing:  Rotisserie Chicken and Ready Rice

While I am not a huge fan of casseroles, there are times where they definitely fit the bill.  Usually that is when you need a one-dish meal of comfort food.  One of my all-time favorite recipes, which is famous in my family, is corn casserole.  We literally have it at every family function.  It is ridiculously easy and delicious.  I can’t believe I have not posted about it yet.  It is on my to-do list…

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I had a hankering for a good ole’ casserole.  I didn’t really consult a recipe because I was pretty sure I knew that I wanted it to include chicken, broccoli, rice, and mushrooms.  So, I just went to the store, got all of those tasty items and took it from there.

I was so pleased with this recipe.  It was absolutely delicious and comforting.  I made the sauce from scratch using a basic white sauce with seasonings and sharp cheddar cheese.  It took just moments and was a lot healthier than using a can of soup, and it tasted great.

So to recap we have a healthy base of chicken, whole grain brown rice, broccoli, mushrooms, and a from-scratch sauce made with skim milk.  Health food, right?  Well, so far.  Now add a sleeve of Ritz crackers to the top.  I’m going with the 80/20 rule here.  These little suckers are what make this casserole really good.  You could definitely use breadcrumbs or Panko, if desired.  I added some poppy seeds for a little visual appeal and texture.

The Perfect Pairing for this recipe is rotisserie chicken and Ready Rice.   When I need to use chicken in a recipe like this I almost always buy the rotisserie variety at my grocery store.  It is perfectly cooked and juicy, and most importantly, a huge time saver.  The Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice is a fantastic invention.  Don’t get me wrong, cooking rice is easy, but when you are trying to get dinner on the table after a long day at work any shortcut is appreciated.  I used the Whole Grain Brown Rice variety and it was perfect in this recipe.

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