Yummy Tuna Casserole– No, REALLY!

I have NEVER been fond of tuna casserole. My mom used to make it with some kind of nasty, pasty flour-y white sauce… and then she added PEAS to it!! *shudder* Even thinking about it again makes my spinal column quiver with queasiness. YUKYUKYUK

SO it took a team of horses to drag me into a tuna casserole recipe (this was a few years ago). I skipped the peas and the pasty sauce. Instead, I used cream of celery soup and cheese and lots of tuna… and YUMMMMM it was good.

Since that first brave casserole exploit 20 years ago, I’ve tried to improve the recipe somewhat with quirky additions here and there. I’ve added broccoli, used mozzarella or monterey jack cheese, dill, s video cables, Creole seasoning (OK, just kidding on the cables– who noticed that?)….

But today, my daughter made the most luscious tuna casserole I’ve ever had. HOW did she do it?? She’s so young!

Well, here’s her recipe. This was goooood stuff. It was so good that I never got the chance to snap a photo. And it was such a pretty casserole, too.

Yummy Don’t-Worry-There-Are-No-Peas Tuna Casserole
serves 6-8

4 cans of tuna, with juice
1 box medium shells pasta, cooked and drained
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 cup fresh kale, shredded into small pieces
2 Cream of Celery canned soup
1 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
minced white onions (optional)

Throw all the ingredients into a dish and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

It is SO GOOD. I think the kale is what does it for me. YUM.

Now if I can just get the daughter to improve my pot roast recipe….

The Everything Casserole

While I am not a big fan of casseroles (making them or eating them), my daughter threw this together today and it was good!

We wanted to use up a lot of the leftovers in the fridge, and make something hearty, to boot. Here’s our potpourri of ingredients (sorry about the small photo, you practically need a barska to see everything):

The Everything Casserole

Made TWO casseroles, one for tonight, another for Sunday afternoon

Leftover vegetables (about 2 cups)
Leftover rice (1 cup)
Cooked pasta
Leftover or canned spaghetti sauce (about 30 oz or so)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 boxes cooked and drained penne rigata pasta
1 pound cooked sausage
Some basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2-3 handfuls of fresh chopped kale

Stir the sauce and seasonings into the pasta. Add the sausage, rice, veggies, and 2 cups of the cheese. Stir and set in two casserole dishes. Top with the rest of the cheese.

It came out so delicious!

It’s also a great way to get more kale into the diet. Kale is so good for you. I eat some raw every day, and we add it to everything– rice, fish dishes, sandwiches.

Four Foods For Friday #112

We have another One Question Quiz, and interesting one.

What can you make with meat or poultry, rice, cheese and a vegetable?

Hmmmm. I’m not very fond of rice or chicken. And while I like cheese, I am fussy about my cheese (only Mozzarella, Swiss, and American). So this one has me as stumped as if making photo birth announcements or something. Uhhhh….

Well, I guess I like Turkey Divan. Boring, I know. Turkey is poultry! It’s a pretty bland dish, though (which is why I dislike casseroles and why I dislike rice and chicken). Last time i made Turkey Divan, I made it this way:

Turkey Divan

4 cups diced leftover turkey
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup canned roasted red peppers, drained and diced
4 leaves kale, washed and sliced into strips
4 cups rice, cooked

Throw broccoli in the microwave to thaw.

In a large casserole dish, place the turkey on the bottom. Add the kale and peppers, then the broccoli. Add the broth. Layer with the cheese.

Pop in the oven until heated through (about 30-35 minutes).

Serve with rice.

The kale and peppers spruce up the blandness of the turkey and rice, and help to sneak in a few added vegetables.

Yam Ham Scalloped Potatoes

As a kid, I hated yams. So I haven’t had yams in over 30 years. I figured I’d try them now. I used to hate onions and peppers as a kid, and now I like them; maybe I’d like yams?

NOPE.

YUK BLEACH YUK! I still hate them.

That’s probably not a very smart way to start out a new recipe post, but I do blog about foods I don’t like. I love to experiment with my foods, and this was one of those experiments in which I did not like the results. However, the Hubs and the boys of the house liked this recipe. Funny! I’m glad they liked it, encouraged, even. Not that I’ll ever make it again…

Anyway, I thought I’d post it here in case one of you readers out there is a yam maniac who can’t get enough of the stuff. Yep, this one’s for you! Me, I’d rather sell used booksthan make this again. But to each his own.

OK enough whining– here it is. Don’t blame me if you don’t like it! You have been warned! lol

Yam Ham Scalloped Potatoes
serves 6-8

2 or 3 large yams, peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces
3-4 cups ham (I use turkey ham), cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large can Cream of Mushroom soup
2-3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Pepper

Lay the yams and ham into a casserole dish.

Combine the Cream of Mushroom soup, cheese, and pepper; stir well. Pour on top of the yams and ham, and with a spoon, stir up just a little. Cover the dish with foil and place in an oven set to 350 for an hour. Uncover the dish and cook for another half hour.

It was “OK” with fresh bread, shredded cabbage, and carrots. I ate it. But I still didn’t like the yams!

The Mother of All Casserole Books

How on earth did I ever lose track of this book?? I found it on a bookshelf today. It’s a great recipe book and I can’t believe I lost it, until now!

It’s the Better Homes & Gardens Biggest Book of Casseroles. I got it when I was doing a lot of babysitting. Kids are so hard to please when it comes to food, but casseroles are generally liked by most. And they are EASY to make plus they make use of leftovers.

We’re getting more into fresh, raw foods, so maybe that’s why my casserole book was forgotten… I dislike casseroles, because they always seem bland to me. And I don’t typically like the mushy pasta-and-cheese kinds which seem to dominate the casserole realm. This BHG book isn’t too bad- it has a lot of variety, including those hard-to-find vegetable-only dishes that I prefer. When we have meat, I like it to be separate from the rest of the meal (like, a roast). That way, I can divvy it up in equal portions, and I don’t have to worry about gorging on weight loss supplements if I’ve eaten too many chicken pieces or something.

ANYWAY. If you’re looking for a nice casserole book that has LOADS of variety, the BHG is a good one! And it’s huge!

Next Page »