Family Friday: MOM’s Basic Tuna Casserole*

1. 12 oz. egg noodles (cooked)–You can also use a 12 oz. Package of macaroni)
2. 2 (6 ounce/ 170g) cans chunk Tuna, drained and flaked with a fork
3. 2 (10 ounce/ 284mL) cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
4. 1 cup frozen green peas (or 1 cup canned green peas, drained)
5. 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6. 1 1/2 cups crushed potato chips–if you don’t have potato chips handy, or prefer not to use them, you can substitute with bread or cracker crumbs. Ritz crackers work really well for casseroles!

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix noodles,1 cup cheese, peas, tuna, and undiluted mushroom soup.
Transfer to a 9″ x 13″ inch baking dish, and top with potato chip crumbs and remaining 1 cup cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is bubbly.
Serves 6

*NOTES: I’m embarrassed to say, I was a pretty fussy eater when I was a kid, so Mom’s recipe is about as basic as it gets!

But, Tuna casserole is probably the single easiest recipe to adjust to your own tastes! You can add a ¼ cup of chopped onions or a sprinkle of onion flakes to the recipe, a small can of sliced mushrooms; or a dash of garlic (fresh or powdered), pepper, dill or basil, etc.–don’t be afraid to experiment!