Tuna Noodle Casserole with Leeks and Fresh Dill

Meh. I've had better. And the chips sound like a good idea but get really mushy really quickly.

Tuna Noodle Casserole with Leeks and Fresh Dill
Courtesy of Bon Appétit 

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; from about 2 large)
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
Coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup half and half
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
8 ounces wide egg noodles
1/2 cup coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 5- to 6-ounce cans albacore tuna (preferably packed in olive oil), drained, broken into 1/2-inch chunks
2 cups coarsely crushed salted potato chips (about 2 ounces)

Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt unsalted butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and celery seeds to saucepan; sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt. Cover saucepan and cook until leeks are tender but not brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Gradually add milk and half and half; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Season leek sauce to taste with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Remove sauce from heat.

Meanwhile, cook egg noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain noodles, reserving 3/4 cup noodle cooking liquid. Transfer noodles to large bowl. Pour leek sauce over noodles. Add grated Gruyère cheese and dill and stir to blend; add reserved noodle cooking liquid by tablespoons until mixture is moist and creamy (about 8 tablespoons). Fold in tuna. Transfer to prepared baking dish. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover with foil and keep refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake noodle casserole, covered with foil, until heated through, about 20 minutes if freshly made or 30 minutes if chilled. Remove foil. Sprinkle crushed potato chips over and continue to bake, uncovered, until top is golden brown and filling bubbles, about 10 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Spaghetti With Spicy Tuna Marinara Sauce

I think I like other tuna pastas I've made better. But it's a good and relatively inexpensive option if I'm looking to switch things up a bit. As usual though, I felt like it could use a second can of tuna.

Spaghetti With Spicy Tuna Marinara Sauce
A variation on this recipe from Food Network Magazine

Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes (6 to 8 tomatoes)
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
1/2 cup dry white wine
12 ounces spaghetti 
2 5-ounce cans light tuna packed in water, drained
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, puree the tomatoes in a blender or food processor; set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is just golden, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high, add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add the pureed tomatoes and 3/4 teaspoon salt and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 6 more minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as the label directs; drain. Return the skillet to medium heat, add the pasta and tuna and cook, tossing, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.

Pasta Salad

This is tasty. But it's a bit on the oily side. And that was even after I substituted the oil-packed tuna for water-packed tuna. I'm wondering if decreasing the amount of olive oil in the recipe would help or if it would make the whole dish too dry. I have other pasta salad recipes that are better, so I'm not sure I'll necessarily make this again. I'm glad I made it though. It was worth a shot.

Pasta Salad
A variation on this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound campanelle pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
1 small or 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6-ounce) can tuna, drained
1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
8 ounces canned or frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and quartered
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a 14-inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the tuna to the skillet and, using a fork, break into chunks. Add the cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, capers, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the pasta, the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, and the parsley. Toss until all the ingredients are coated, adding a little pasta water, if needed, to thin out the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tuna Cakes and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Spinach and Arugula Salad

YUM! This was so so tasty. All the components of the dish complimented each other beautifully and also tasted wonderful on their own. I couldn't believe how especially great the salad tasted.

I did make a change to the original recipe that helped save some money though... Cod is ridiculously expensive, so I used tuna instead. I don't know if I've had cod recently, so I'm not sure how different it made the dish, but it was lovely the way I made it. Try this as soon as possible.

Edited to add (3/24/2015): I tried this again, the first time since I originally made it, and it was a disaster. The cakes wouldn't stay together and ended up making a kind of fried tuna stuffing-type pile. The oil also kept spitting at me, which has left some pretty marks on my arms. Then there's the gargantuan amount of dishes and lovely lingering tuna stink it creates. It still tasted good, but man, what a pain in the ass. I'm not sure it's worth the hassle to try it again. 

Tuna Cakes and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
A variation on this recipe by Rachael Ray



4 5-ounce cans tuna, drained
Grated peel of 1 lemon and juice of 2 lemons, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
A few dashes hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons grated onion and its juice
3 cloves garlic, grated or minced, divided
2 cups cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs, divided
2 eggs, beaten
Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
3 roasted red peppers, patted dry and coarsely chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Put tuna in a large bowl. Season with the lemon peel, half of the lemon juice, the parsley, Old Bay Seasoning, marjoram/oregano and hot sauce; season with salt and pepper. Add the onion and two-thirds of the garlic, then add half of the cracker crumbs and the eggs; stir to combine. Divide the mixture into quarters and form 3 patties from each quarter (12 patties total), about 3 1/2 inches wide. Coat the patties in the remaining cracker crumbs.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch olive oil over medium heat. Add 5-6 patties at a time and cook, turning once, for 6 minutes.

Using a food processor, mix together the roasted red peppers, yogurt, dill and remaining lemon juice and garlic; season with pepper. Serve 3 patties per person, with the sauce and salad.

Spinach and Arugula Salad

4 cups spinach and arugula mix
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges

Dress greens with salt, pepper, and lemon.

Uptown Tuna Casserole

A Rachael Ray recipe with flavor! It's been a long time since I've found one... But this one is tasty. The tarragon and Gruyere cheese give this tried-and-true recipe a really lovely tasty twist.

The only thing I did differently was omit the white wine, but that was only because I didn't have any and didn't have time to go out and get any. I think it would have made the dish even tastier though, so definitely use it.

Uptown Tuna Casserole
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



1/2 pound extra-wide egg noodles (I used 12 ounces, and it worked out well)
Salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 leeks, thinly sliced, washed and dried
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 to 2 cups whole milk or half n half or cream
1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard
Black pepper
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves, loosely packed, chopped
3 cans good quality tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked (I used the kind packed in water, and it worked out well)
6 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded, about 1 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives or parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for noodles. Salt boiling water and cook noodles to al dente.

While water comes to a boil, place oven rack in center of oven and turn on broiler. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with oil, a turn of the pan, and butter. When butter melts into oil, add mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes. Then add leeks and garlic and allow leeks to wilt, 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle flour over leeks and mushrooms and stir 1 minute. Then whisk in wine for half a minute, then whisk in milk and half and half or cream and simmer a couple of minute to thicken and reduce sauce. Then stir in Dijon mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in peas, tarragon and tuna, then return sauce to bubble and turn off heat. Add cooked noodles to sauce, transfer to a casserole and top with Gruyere cheese. Pop casserole in oven and broil until bubbly and brown, 3-4 minutes. Garnish with chives or parsley and serve immediately.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

I think I have some sort of tuna noodle casserole addiction... I keep trying different recipes. But this addiction is paying off. Because this was awesome. Seriously, crazy yum. It was totally worth the 30-minute tantrum Benjamin threw about us making him try some. Especially when, after all that fuss, the little punk ended up liking it. Enjoy.

Edited to add: Try to eat this all the first day you have it. The leftovers are a little overwhelming because when the sauce reheats, it gets runny and somehow even creamier.

Tuna Noodle Casserole
Courtesy of Cooking Light



8 ounces wide egg noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/3 cup chopped carrot
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 3/4 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 (5-ounce) cans albacore tuna in water, drained and flaked
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler.

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and carrot; cook 6 minutes or until carrot is almost tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk until slightly thick. Stir in cream cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in noodles, peas, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and tuna. Spoon mixture into a shallow broiler-safe 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Tuna Salad Lasagna Stack

I think this dish confused my mouth a bit when I first tried it. It looks like lasagna. But it really really isn't. It just has the same noodles and is layered like lasagna. It's served cold, like regular tuna salad, and instead of layers of meat and/or veggies, tomato sauce, and cheese, it's layers of a tuna mixture, arugula, and roasted red pepper sauce. It took me a minute or two to convince my brain that there wasn't something seriously wrong with my lasagna, but when my brain caught up, I really liked it!

I had gone light on the salt while I was making it since I have felt like I have been going a little heavy on the salt lately, but I found when I ate it that it actually needed a bit more.

I think it would be a really fun thing to bring to a picnic. Even if just to mess with people's heads.

Tuna Salad Lasagna Stack
Courtesy of Katherine Barreira



4 red bell peppers
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound lasagna noodles
Three 6-ounce cans tuna packed in water, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 cups torn arugula
1/3 cup minced chives

Preheat the broiler. Place the bell peppers on a baking sheet and broil, turning every 5 minutes, until charred all over, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover; let sit for 10 minutes. Using your fingers, peel and discard the charred skin. Discard the stems and seeds.

Meanwhile, grease a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the lasagna noodles until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet to prevent sticking.

In a medium bowl, combine the tuna, dill, lemon juice and 1/4 cup olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

Using a blender, puree the roasted peppers, sherry vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With the machine on, pour in the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil in a slow stream, blending until thick, about 30 seconds.

Place a layer of lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of the arugula and one-quarter of the bell pepper sauce. Repeat 2 more times, using the remaining tuna mixture and arugula and topping with the remaining noodles. Top with the remaining red pepper sauce and the chives.

Renaissance of Tuna Casserole

Yes, that is really what this recipe is called. And it may have a "fancy" name, but it's a simple and really tasty meal. Definitely not your typical tuna casserole with the layer of breadcrumbs on top. And at least according to Jonathan, so much better. Though I do occasionally want that crunchy-topped casserole, I think I agree.

Renaissance of Tuna Casserole
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



Salt
1 pound fettuccine
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 (6-ounce) cans Italian tuna in water or oil, drained
1/2 cup tender sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine (try not to substitute with broth, it really makes a difference)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Black pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
Couple handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves, shredded

Place pasta water on to boil. Salt water then add pasta and cook to al dente.

While pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Sauté garlic and onions until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tuna and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to heat through, another 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and cook it down a minute then add cream and season sauce with salt and pepper. Toss hot pasta and peas with sauce and cheese. Serve on dinner plates and top with shredded basil.

Tuna-and-Tomato Pasta

I had the stomach flu from Saturday evening into yesterday afternoon. I basically couldn't get off the couch or out of the bed all day on Sunday. And last night was my first attempt at real food. So far, nothing's come back to visit me after eating it, but food is a little less than appealing.

However, this dish sounded strangely appealing. And I didn't have a chance to make it last week, so I thought I'd give it a shot for tonight's dinner. We'll see how my stomach likes it.

I know it's delicious. We've had it before. And it claims that it only costs $1.46 per person to make. Though I think the claim that it only serves 4 is a bit generous. So it's even less expensive to make! Woo!

Tuna-and-Tomato Pasta
Courtesy of Every Day with Rachael Ray



2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 can (6 ounces) white tuna, drained
1 box (1 pound) pasta shells

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons parsley and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Whisk in the butter, then stir in the tuna.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain. Add the pasta to the tuna sauce and stir in 3/4 of the remaining parsley; season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining parsley.