Tuna Noodle Casserole

Food doesn’t get much more comforting than this tuna noodle casserole! Easy to make, this baked casserole is wonderfully creamy and is a great family meal that you can make ahead of time.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces egg noodles
• 12 ounces shredded cheeses; Gruyere Sharp Cheddar or Monterey Jack; divided
• 2 cups ruffled-style potato chips roughly crushed
• 2 slices hearty white bread torn into 1-inch pieces
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter divided
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
• 1 teaspoon dried herbs divided; Fines Herbes, parsley or Herbes de Provence work well
• 1 12-ounce can solid white albacore tuna packed in water
• 1 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups Half ‘n Half or heavy cream
• 1 14.5 ounce can unsalted chicken broth
• ½ cup medium-dry white wine
• 1 10½ ounce can cream of mushroom soup
• 1½ cups frozen peas
• Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°F.
2. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Cook the noodles, to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
4. While the noodles cook, combine the cheeses in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Scoop out ¼ cup of cheese and set the remainder aside.
5. In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the metal blade, add the ¼ cup shredded cheese, potato chips, bread, 2 tablespoons butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon dried herbs.
6. Process the mixture about 10 pulses or until the mixture becomes medium-coarse crumbs; set aside.
7. Drain the tuna in a fine-mesh strainer and press with a rubber spatula to extract as much water as possible. Place the tuna in a large bowl and use a fork to separate the chunks into smaller pieces.
8. Add water chestnuts, 1-tablespoon oil, lemon juice, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and ½ teaspoons herbs. Mix lightly; set aside.
9. In a large skillet set over medium-low heat, add 1-tablespoon oil, 1-tablespoon butter and chopped onion. Cook and stir occasionally until onion is translucent and soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add the onions to the tuna mixture.
10. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same skillet set over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour is golden, 1-2 minutes. Slowly, while whisking constantly, add the Half ‘n Half, chicken broth and wine.
11. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer 5-7 minutes or until slightly thickened.
12. Remove from the heat and add the remaining cheese and the mushroom soup; stir until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.
13. Add the milk/cheese mixture to the tuna mixture and mix well.
14. Add the drained pasta and toss until noodles are coated with the creamed mixture.
15. Taste and season with salt & black pepper, if needed.
16. Add frozen peas and stir to incorporate.
17. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and top with the bread-crumb mixture.
18. Bake at 375°F for 35-45 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Allow casserole to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
19. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired, and serve with toasty bread and simple salad.
20. Enjoy!