At this time of year, I love to make stews and soups and casseroles. With all of the holiday activities and preparations going on, it is nice to make something early in the day and have dinner ready to go into the oven when you get home. This is my version—I make it with whole wheat egg noodles and I like them better than regular egg noodles in this—they hold up well and have a nice color.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup sherry
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 6-ounce can tuna in olive oil drained
8 ounces medium egg noodles (I use whole grain)
¾ cup Panko bread crumbs
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray or butter a 2-quart baking dish.
Cook the onion with a pinch of salt in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to release their liquid, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and continue to cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has cooked away. Add the sherry and boil the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to a syrupy tablespoon or so. Remove from heat.
Melt the butter in a 2 to 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, for 3 minutes to make a roux. Add the stock in a steady stream, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil, whisking. Whisk in the milk, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes.
Stir the mushroom mixture, lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt into the sauce. Flake the tuna into the sauce and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Cook the noodles in a 6 quart pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon of salt) until al dente. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot. Add the sauce and stir gently to combine. Transfer to the baking dish, spreading it evenly.
Toss together the bread crumbs and cheese in a bowl. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and toss again, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the casserole. Bake until the topping is crisp and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.
Note:
The casserole can be assembled, without the topping, up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Make the topping and add it to the casserole just before baking.