# Comfort Tuna Casserole



## erehweslefox (Jul 12, 2016)

So Beloved Wife is having a 'difficult' week. She has been out Lawyerin', but her clients have not been cooperative and it makes her sad, because she is a good lawyer, and just wants good results for her clients, and sometimes they don't cooperate. For her, comfort food is Tuna Casserole. So this is mine.

To wit:

4 cups milk
1 big can canned tuna
16 oz Rotini pasta
1 can Ro-Tell tomatoes
16 oz frozen broccoli cuts
2 cups cheese of some kind, shredded (motz is good swiss or asiago is better)
1 tbsp mustard
2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp corn starch

OK, start by boiling the pasta, drain and reserve.

That, the can of tomatoes, the broccoli, and the tuna, put that in a big casserole dish. 

Bring the milk to a low heat, and stir in cheese and spices. You don't want to scald the milk on this, once the cheese is melted and the spices seem to be evenly distributed, add corn starch and stir.

Pour this over the rest, and stir. 

You can sprinkle some cheese, if you have any left, on the top, but this basically just goes in the oven at 345 for a half hour. 

I serve this with bread, heck I serve everything with bread, but it also freezes quite well, so make more than you need.

Cheers,

TBS (fox)


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## Roll_Bones (Jul 12, 2016)

Can we get free legal help?


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## blissful (Jul 12, 2016)

Roll_Bones said:


> Can we get free legal help?


You probably ought to say that with a tuna casserole in hand for them.

I know my mother hated me by how much tuna casserole she made for us.


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## erehweslefox (Jul 12, 2016)

Roll_Bones said:


> Can we get free legal help?



You got a workmans comp, Social Security Divisibility, or a credit card problem, I'll pass it on. If it filters through me, it isn't legal advice, because I am NOT a lawyer.

My Beloved Wife, however, is the best lawyer in Pennsylvania. There might be some PA supreme court judges that are close, but yeah, Beloved Wife is the best.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jul 12, 2016)

erehweslefox said:


> If it filters through me, it isn't legal advice, because I am NOT a lawyer.


Do you play one on television?


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## erehweslefox (Jul 12, 2016)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> Do you play one on television?



All the time, just look for the handsome troubled lawyer/cop, with a badge but issues, that is totally me!


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## CraigC (Jul 13, 2016)

Tuna casserole, NEVER going to be seen on our table. Bad childhood memory. Now a great Nicoise salad and we're talking. If using canned tuna, it has to be yellowfin packed in olive oil, from either Spain or Italy!


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## erehweslefox (Jul 15, 2016)

CraigC said:


> Tuna casserole, NEVER going to be seen on our table. Bad childhood memory. Now a great Nicoise salad and we're talking. If using canned tuna, it has to be yellowfin packed in olive oil, from either Spain or Italy!



I did a taste test with foodie friends, on that. 

Yeah tuna cassarole is the heart and soul of major childhood food trauma, right behind poorly made brussel sprouts or broccoli, which are the mussel on it. 

I just laugh, Yellowfin, packaged in Italia in olive oil... Just like sardines, unless you go with an artisnal sardine, (and yeah I know that sounds heavy hipster, but it exists, and you are the one that thinks your sardines come from a particular country). The tuna fisheries are set, you are deciding where it is processed.

I bet you couldn't tell the difference between that and the chicken of the sea tinned variety. Now not if it is left alone, as they don't grind it, and leave it looking like fish, but put into a simple dish, like a risotto, or a say casserole.

Your chosen, Yellowfin (that is something made up by tuna sellers), packaged in olive oil (mostly not olive oil) with a bit of barley starch to make a pate, vs my Weis Markets discount tuna (probably has dolphin) with canola oil (well, can't afford olive oil), and same barley starch, will you notice a difference in taste? Unlikely


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## CraigC (Jul 15, 2016)

erehweslefox said:


> I did a taste test with foodie friends, on that.
> 
> Yeah tuna cassarole is the heart and soul of major childhood food trauma, right behind poorly made brussel sprouts or broccoli, which are the mussel on it.
> 
> ...



Hahahahaha! You are full of it. There are several folks on DC that tried the yellowfin (at my suggestion) vs the albacore and can taste the difference. If you don't know what you are talking about, maybe you should refrain from comment.


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## medtran49 (Jul 15, 2016)

I have written about this several times.  I will NOT touch the supermarket brands, don't even want to be in the house when one of those cans is opened, but I'll happily eat a nicoise salad made with one of the premium Italian or Spanish brands.  The appearance is like fresh tuna that has been cooked to well and there's no fishy tuna smell.  Oh, and the tuna isn't a pate.  It breaks and flakes.


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## CraigC (Jul 15, 2016)

Maybe you want to "disagree" with these other folks.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f170/premium-canned-tuna-92806.html


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 15, 2016)

Honestly, *Craig*, I swear the Bluebird of Happiness craps on your breakfast half the time.  The Grumpy Old Man routine is getting...old.



erehweslefox said:


> So Beloved Wife is having a 'difficult' week...For her, comfort food is Tuna Casserole. So this is mine.
> 
> To wit:
> 
> ...


*'Fox*, there is no way in hades that I would waste high-priced tuna in a casserole. With all of those strong flavors in your casserole, it would be  impossible to taste any difference between cheap and pricey. Still, even for my own lowly tuna casseroles I wouldn't used chunk light because it usually looks worse than the canned cat food I gave our now-long-gone kitties. I use solid, less expensive canned for tuna salad, too, because of all that I add to tuna salad. It works for us, and we are the only people I need to please. If Beloved Wife is happy with your dish, that's all that counts.

If I make a cold salad and want a good-quality tuna on my plate, I do something similar to what *Addie* said in the thread that *Craig* linked to: I take a piece of tuna, cook it, and use that. Since Trader Joe's keeps a quality frozen tuna in stock, I try to make sure I always have a package or two in the freezer, just in case.


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## erehweslefox (Jul 16, 2016)

CraigC said:


> If you don't know what you are talking about, maybe you should refrain from comment.



Oh, it is OK CraigC, I do admit that yellowfin in qualitatively and quantitatively better. Without reservation. Admitted. Stipulated. Done. 

A lot of times my cooking isn't about best results with fresh awesome ingredients, but doing what you can with what you have. And you know what I think of when I see a couple dented cans on the grocery clearance rack of Chicken o' the sea? SCORE.

I am proud of knowing how to cook, I've been on a brigade in a couple of restaurants. Have you?

So to be simple, I know what I am talking about. Yeah I would love to use fresh wild tuna that jumped into my net for a tuna recipe, why would you make that into casserole? 

Can use a can of chicken of the sea, and a packet of ramen, two potatoes, and a package of frozen peas and make a meal, can you?

I am having faith that you were trying to be instructive, and not a jerk, and didn't think I realized there were different qualities of tuna. 

You want me to give you recipes you can't execute? I can do that. 

I back down on that, and we should be friends, did you even try my recipe? or suggest a better one with 'good' tuna?

TBS


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## erehweslefox (Jul 16, 2016)

Cooking Goddess said:


> there is no way in hades that I would waste high-priced tuna in a casserole. With all of those strong flavors in your casserole, it would be  impossible to taste any difference between cheap and pricey. Still, even for my own lowly tuna casseroles I wouldn't used chunk light because it usually looks worse than the canned cat food I gave our now-long-gone kitties. I use solid, less expensive canned for tuna salad, too, because of all that I add to tuna salad.




THIS is the way to give constructive criticism on a post, Craig Jerk. 

CG, strong flavors are designed to mask the tastes. If I had good tuna, I might make it very differently.  It might be a regional thing, but I generally see chunk light cheaper than solid.  I buy on the price point, solid, after all can be light chunk with a fork in it. Canned tuna I shred the heck out of it before I use it in a recipe, no recipe I have had or, I think, will even have relies on the cohesiveness of canned tuna.


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## Dawgluver (Jul 16, 2016)

Now now boys.

Looks like a perfectly good recipe to me, thanks, Fox.

I use the Starkist tuna in oil in the pouch for my tuna casserole, not having the good fortune of living anywhere near an ocean or large lake.  Catfish casserole just doesn't sound as appealing.  Which is what we get on Old Man River.  Or maybe carp, which sounds even worse.


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## erehweslefox (Jul 16, 2016)

Dawgluver said:


> Catfish casserole just doesn't sound as appealing.  Which is what we get on Old Man River.  Or maybe carp, which sounds even worse.



I am living and from Pennsylvania, but my wife and I spent four years living in Tulsa. I might have a catfish recipe, or even a carp one about here somewhere, still have my OK fishing license. 

If you want to cook catfish, or other bottom feeders, needs must a source of acid, limes, lemons, citrus fruits, etc....

Made all kinds of things from catfish. Wife is Jewish, catfish latkes? yeah, can do that. Needs potato.

Best,
TBS


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## Dawgluver (Jul 17, 2016)

Thanks for the offer!  I'm more of a walleye girl myself.  And lion fish, when I'm in the Caribbean.

I'm just saying that there's nothing wrong with canned (or pouched) tuna for casserole.


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## erehweslefox (Jul 17, 2016)

Dawgluver,

Heck, there are a lot of things wrong with canned tuna. or pouched, know that.

But it is kind of a public record, we know this.

Pouched and canned tuna is a fairly easy protein to get, this was a recipe for that.

If you have a good lionfish recipe, do share, I know they are a trouble fish, but are edible.

TBS


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## Dawgluver (Jul 17, 2016)

Can you get lion fish in PA, fox?  If you can, I will be moving there soon.  It is beyond delicious.  The best I've had is coconut crusted and fried till crunchy.  A buddy who's from Italy and owns a restaurant mistakenly throws tomato sauce all over his lion fish.  When we bring friends to his place, we tell them to order his sauce on the side, not smeared on that gorgeous lion fish fillet.


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 17, 2016)

*I've gotta crow...*

I did quick shops in two stores today, the second store for all of 3-4 items. Lo and behold when I got back to seafood for the on-sale frozen shrimp, one of the seafood cases (a small, mobile one they put out in the way of traffic to get your attenti...OOPS!) had a lovely display of wild, U.S tuna. I could not believe the price displayed on the sign: $5.99. Wha...? I asked the clerk at the counter when the fish was delivered. He told me it came in that morning. I made sure the price was right and not hiding a number "1" behind the dollar sign, and asked why it was so cheap. Apparently an extremely large catch had been made and they wanted to move a lot of the tuna along. I wasn't going to argue, Instead, I bought a number of small and medium-large pieces, wrapped each thoroughly for the freezer, and kept one out for supper tomorrow. Tuna on the menu for a while in the near future, just no casseroles. Can't do cold-weather meals when it's far from cold!


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## Dawgluver (Jul 17, 2016)

Heading to CG's house for dinner...


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## Kayelle (Jul 17, 2016)

Ykies...

Back to the topic.
Fox, (don't know what else to call you)..you may take a look at my take on canned  tuna comfort food. 

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f142/fancy-creamed-tuna-83243.html


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## medtran49 (Jul 17, 2016)

erehweslefox said:


> I did a taste test with foodie friends, on that.
> 
> Yeah tuna cassarole is the heart and soul of major childhood food trauma, right behind poorly made brussel sprouts or broccoli, which are the mussel on it.
> 
> ...


 
Personally, I think you are being a jerk, but that's just my opinion. You obviously are spouting off about something you've never seen, much less had per your own description, which is completely, totally, absolutely wrong about taste, appearance, texture, every single way. Kinda sounds like a jerk doesn't it? 

I'll guarantee both of us could tell the difference. You'd only have to pop the top off and I'd be able to tell, wouldn't even have to look at it or taste it. My reactions to canned tuna have been well documented on here in several posts. 

Oh, BTW, yellowfin is NOT something made up by tuna sellers. 

Craig already covered the fact that we WON'T be making a tuna casserole out of any kind of tuna. Not sure why you brought that up again. And I wouldn't be making or even want a meal made out of canned tuna, ramen noodles and peas. 



erehweslefox said:


> IYou want me to give you recipes you can't execute? I can do that.


 
Unless you have a recipe that requires some kind of special equipment that we don't have or ingredient that we can't get or it's something using your junk canned tuna, I HIGHLY doubt it couldn't be executed in our household. Before boasting, again, about something you know not and putting foot firmly in mouth, I'd suggest you look at some of the things that come out of our kitchen... Might not be as prettily plated as a professional kitchen, but will taste the same. 

And, no, neither of us have worked in a brigade, something you seem to like to boast about. Hmm, a pattern here maybe? But we have had a chef at out home for dinner and recieved rave reviews of our food, with requests for recipes that I know for a fact that he used to make the dishes himself.


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## erehweslefox (Jul 17, 2016)

medtran49 said:


> Personally, I think you are being a jerk, but that's just my opinion.



Yep you are right, I apologize.

I got my back up unnecessarily. I really personally dislike looking down on certain ingredients as 'worthless' as they have been sometimes what I could afford, but I shouldn't have taken it personally. 

My apologies to everyone and particularly to Craig. 

I'll tell him in person. 

I do tend to admit it when I'm wrong. Thank you for pointing it out politely.

TBS


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## CraigC (Jul 17, 2016)

erehweslefox said:


> Yep you are right, I apologize.
> 
> I got my back up unnecessarily. I really personally dislike looking down on certain ingredients as 'worthless' as they have been sometimes what I could afford, but I shouldn't have taken it personally.
> 
> ...



No problem. Its all good! I'm a self taught cook, originally out of desperation. When my Oma passed there were no other cooks in my family. What ever I made, I ate no matter how bad it was. Trust me, that inspired me to improve quickly for the sake of my taste buds! The main salvation was my lobstering and spearfishing.


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## erehweslefox (Jul 17, 2016)

CraigC said:


> The main salvation was my lobstering and spearfishing.



I have tried and tried to attract lobsters here to Pennsylvania, and been very unsuccessful.  is a mystery to me as Wegmans seems to have a full tank of them, every week. I get a trout every now and again here in the river, but not one lobster.

Your spicy lobster recipe looks awesome, BTW, as I am traveling end of month to coastal Virginia, I might re-purpose it to crab. 

Nice you use Colemans dry mustard in the mix, I feel about mustard in the bottle, (a plague on thee Frenches!) What you feel about canned chunk lite tuna.

Cheers,

TBS


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## medtran49 (Jul 17, 2016)

erehweslefox said:


> Yep you are right, I apologize.
> 
> I got my back up unnecessarily. I really personally dislike looking down on certain ingredients as 'worthless' as they have been sometimes what I could afford, but I shouldn't have taken it personally.
> 
> ...


 
Thank you.  And I'll apologize for writing "junk canned tuna," shouldn't have written that as some actually like it.  

There have been times that Craig and I, separately or together, have had to live on a strict budget and we've had our SCORE moments too.  I understand where you are coming from, BUT, I'll eat a steady diet of peanut butter and crackers rather than eat regular canned tuna.  Even the premium stuff I'll only eat because of him.  Get right down to it, canned tuna is all pretty much junk to me personally, just don't like it, though some of it is at least tolerable.  

Nicoise salad is in our meal rotation this week.  I'll try to remember to take pictures of the Ortiz tuna straight out of the can and then broken apart so you can see how it flakes and the difference between it and the supermarket varieties.  My plate will be heavy on the veges and the eggs.  Craig's will have the majority of the tuna.


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## RPCookin (Jul 17, 2016)

Yet one of my absolute favorite summer foods growing up was my mother's tuna macaroni salad, made with (among other things) plain canned tuna, Creamettes rings, and Miracle Whip.  Also had celery, onion, horseradish, a dash of ketchup for color, and green peas.  I still make it at least once each summer - not sure I could survive a summer without it.  It is best with canned chunk tuna, works with either oil or water packed.  

I guess I'm one of those rare people who really isn't a fan of grilled tuna steaks.  I've only bought raw tuna a couple of times in my life.  There are so much better fish in the ocean (in my opinion) that I don't see what is so great about tuna fish.  I'd rather have my tuna like what I grew up with.


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