COOKS' COUNTRY TUNA CASSEROLE

COOKS' COUNTRY TUNA CASSEROLE image

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

Previous Next

Ingredients

Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
2 cups potato chips, crushed
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
3 (5-ounce) cans solid white albacore tuna packed in water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
12 ounces egg noodles (7 3/4 cups)
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Steps:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine Monterey Jack and cheddar in bowl. Pulse potato chips, bread, Â¼ cup cheese mixture, 2 tablespoons butter, Â¼ teaspoon salt, and Â¼ teaspoon pepper in food processor until coarsely ground, about 8 pulses; set aside. 2. Place tuna in fine-mesh strainer and press dry with paper towels. Transfer to large bowl and flake into coarse pieces with fork. Microwave oil, lemon juice, Â½ teaspoon salt, and Â½ teaspoon pepper in small bowl until bubbling around edges, about 30 seconds. Stir oil mixture into tuna and let sit for 10 minutes. 3. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until just al dente. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water until cool, about 2 minutes. Drain again and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and Â¼ teaspoon salt and cook until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with tuna mixture. Add 1 tablespoon butter, onion, and bell pepper to now-empty pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with tuna-mushroom mixture; set aside. 4. In now-empty pot, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in half-and-half and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Off heat, whisk in remaining cheese mixture until smooth. Stir in pasta, tuna-vegetable mixture, peas, Â½ teaspoon salt, and Â½ teaspoon pepper. 5. Scrape mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish (casserole can be refrigerated without topping for up to 24 hours; increase baking time to 25 minutes, adding topping halfway through baking) and top with bread-crumb mixture. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Let casserole cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve.