Tuna Casserole

I've been rolling this idea around in my head for a few weeks now.  As I'm a big fan of "comfort food", that would include casseroles.   Monday's are made for comfort food, aren't they? I think the last time I made a tuna casserole was like when my son was little so maybe 20 years ago or more and, GASP, I probably used "Tuna Helper" out of a box too.  Anyway, I know he didn't like it, lol.


SO, it was time to re-do it!  It was time to make it likeable!  The one food I have detested all my life is PEAS (though I love split pea soup), so they would not be making an appearance... Broccoli sounded like a fine replacement.  I was thinking about topping it with crushed potato chips, but in the end decided I'd just use cheese as it makes everything better.  Then I decided to use some Panko too.  I read a bunch of recipes and then came up with this idea for us:

• 2 cans of Wild Planet low sodium, albacore tuna 
• 1 package of Trader Joe's organic brown rice and quinoa fusilli pasta (It's still super carby, but it is healthier)

• 1 bunch of broccoli crowns, chopped coarsely in small pieces
• 1 bunch of organic red kale, stems stripped off and chopped coarsely
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, diced with seeds in
• 1/2 cup of white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
• 1 can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup (come one - it's a casserole 😊 so I had to...)
• 250 ml of non-fat sour cream
• 2 cups of Kraft Cracker Barrel old cheddar, grated
• Fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tablespoon Trader Joe's no salt "21 Seasoning Salute"
• Handful of Italian parsley, chopped finely
• Couple of good shakes of Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup of Panko

I preheated the oven to 350°F. I got all the veggies chopped.  I did the broccoli in small pieces.

I put the kale on top of the broccoli next.

I chopped the parsley.

I stir-fried the mushrooms and jalapeno in avocado oil.

I started the pasta to cook at this time too.  I added the garlic and seasoning next.  When the mushrooms were browned, I added the wine and deglazed.

I cooked for a couple of minutes and then turned off the heat.  Everything else but the cheese went into the pan.  I got my absent sous chef son to grate that for me.

I stirred until I had a nice sauce, then added the pasta when it was ready.

I decided I needed more tuna, so threw one more can in from Spain with olive oil.  I mixed it all together again.

I poured it into a "Pam" sprayed 13" x 9" baking dish set on top of foil lined baking sheet.

I topped with the panko and then the cheese.

I baked for 30 minutes.

I served mine on a smaller side plate so I wouldn't load up on the carb wagon, but I did load that side plate up, lol...normally when I do things like that, I end up going back for seconds, but I was full when finished, thank goodness.

This was very good in our opinions.  There was a nice heat from the peppers.  The broccoli was still crunchy which we both liked and it gave the right contrasting texture.  Nothing worse than soft, mushy broccoli in a casserole (been there, done that).  The pieces were small so it wasn't like big hunks of crunchiness that were off putting.  We liked the pasta - it wasn't mushy either.  Interesting dish with flavor abounding.  Not bad, not bad at all...it does stink the house up though, lol.