Comments on: Tuna Casserole Chronicles

By: PAT

PAT — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 01:51:22 +0000

Looking for a can tuna fish cassrole that was made with large shell pasta, diced or tomatoe sauce and when it was cooked the tuna tastes like halbit instead of tuna. I just can not remember the spices that were used. I found this receipt in the Oakland Trubune newspaper many years ago. But lost it while moving.
I hope someone out there has it and is willing to share.

By: Paulette

Paulette — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:32:12 +0000

Just stumbled on this site, but had to comment on the subject of tuna casserole, which I LOVE. Thought I’d have to give it up for good when I had to go gluten and dairy free a few years ago, but then found this recipe (the review is mine with my tweaks). Hallelujah! http://www.recipezaar.com/Wheat-Dairy-Free-Tuna-Casserole-With-Rice-Pasta-339474

By: Mary Anne

Mary Anne — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:00:22 +0000

When I was young and hungry I made tuna casserole with rice instead of noodles. Yummy!

By: Joanna

Joanna — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:32:05 +0000

To make the image of tuna casserole worse, my grandmother called it tuna/pea wiggle. And it really did wiggle and jiggle. Uck.

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:22:19 +0000

I fixed tuna noodle casserole last night….and served it to my granddaughter…who we just found out is going to have a little sister next August, incidentally.

The beat goes on.

By: Marilyn

Marilyn — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:21:35 +0000

Paige, I’ll revisit the tuna melt; determined to overcome canned-tuna thing. When we were kids a friend’s mom always forked the stuff over Kraft mac & cheese, and I never got over it. Also – just noticed that one of the above vintage recipes is from Wilmette, Illinois – my hometown!

By: Vennie

Vennie — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:52:37 +0000

Gotta say I LOVE tuna cassarole — even if I haven’t had it in decades, as my husband and daughter have an aversion to anything canned — where they got their taste buds, I don’t know!! ;-)

My grandmother was a proper Southern lady, English teacher and Methodist minister’s wife. Every holiday meal was an event that included several meats, many vegetables, home baked bread and home baked pies. Needless to say, after putting on the feast(s) every year she was exhausted and stressed out.

My mother, the rebel, the black sheep and the most educated of the family — having left the South for scandalous New York City and Columbia for grad school — decided she would remedy the situation and take over the preparation of Christmas Eve dinner. She, my mother, had sufficiently raised her consciousness that she no longer felt bound by traditional convention (she also probably burned her bra and voted for Shirley Chisholm…).

So…her main dish of choice…was tuna cassarole, or on alternating years hamburger cassarole…

I grew up with Tuna Cassarole as the meal I waited for Santa on, the meal where the whole family settled down together for a “long winter’s nap”…which may explain why I still love it so…for me, it is the ultimate comfort food.

…and my grandmother was better rested to prepare the still outrageous feast that was Christmas up until the year she turned 92…

I think I might have to make it very soon here in ridiculously health conscious Northern California.

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:29:39 +0000

Oh, I didn’t bother leaving it because it’s the same as everyone else’s… First heated the obligatory can of mushroom soup, some milk, couple little cans of tuna, and I was out of peas so used frozen mixed Italian veggies, some pepper, dried parsley, dill, garlic powder, and onion powder. Then mixed with cooked noodles/pasta. I did use whole wheat (mix of noodles and macaroni — whatever was left in the packages). Topped with shredded cheese from a bag & Italian breadcrumbs out of the can. Dotted the top with Smart Balance (because I’m healthy like that).

I made too much to fit in one casserole dish so have a small one in the freezer. It will not be in there long.

By: paige

paige — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:26:47 +0000

Dan–so now I realize you’re not only the best brother in the world, but also the sweetest son? That is such a cute story, not that I would expect anything less from you.
Alison–I’m going to start looking for versions of Ali’s Bake for the next installment of the Campy Comfort Food Chronicles–I’m sure I’ve got about 12 versions lurking in my cookbook cabinet.
Michelle–I love that you have a (dark) food memory of your wicked stepmother. Very funny. And I promise not to make you eat casserole, ever again, though I’ve always kind of wanted to make Green Bean Casserole, since that was another all-American dish that totally escaped my Gourmet-magazine devotée mom.
Marilyn–I LOVE canned tuna, and only gave it up when I was trying to get pregnant the first time, out of health concerns. Every once in a while I special order some supposedly mercury free tuna, and indulge, or really treat myself with my ultimate tuna experience, a tuna melt, on rye, with swiss cheese. Now THAT’S comfort food. (And my mom, the gourmet, is now addicted to Subway tuna subs–so everything comes full circle, I suppose!)
Christine–You cannot leave that comment here without also sharing your recipe, whether here, or on your great blog. C’mon now. Get typing.

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:38:52 +0000

Funny, funny, funny. Just last week I had a free night to eat whatever I wanted because my husband wasn’t going to be home for dinner. (I even blogged about it.) Guess what I ultimately settled on — tuna casserole!!! I’m ashamed to admit I ate the whole casserole myself in just a couple meals (one of them breakfast).