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Monday 7 May 2012

Tuna Casserole




When it comes to the Caker Hall of Fame, Tuna Casserole is right up there with meatloaf, mock apple pie and the neon-green coleslaw from Kentucky Fried Chicken. But there are dozens of Tuna Casserole recipes and I’ve been suffering from performance anxiety. I couldn’t decide which recipe would be [insert echo effect] The Mother of All Tuna Casseroles…roles….roles….roles…

So when a family friend approached me recently, promising me that she had in her possession the “best tuna casserole recipe ever,” I told Carmelle to send it along and I’ve give it a whirl.

I’m thrilled to report that Carmelle’s version is not only the Mother of All Tuna Casseroles; it’s the father, the kids, the in-laws and your web-fingered third cousin. In short, it's got everything: canned vegetables, crushed potato chips, French Fried onions and a sodium content so high, you’ll be sticking your head under the bathtub faucet two hours later.

Thanks, Carmelle!

Think your tuna tops this recipe? Post it or email me at cakercooking at gmail dot com.

1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
½ cup milk
2 cans of tuna
1 cup green peas
1 ¼ cup crushed potato chips
1 can sliced mushrooms
½ can French Fried Onions

Empty soup into a small casserole. Add milk and mix thoroughly.  Add tuna, 1 cup potato chips, peas and mushrooms. Stir well. Sprinkle top with remaining ¼ cup of potato chips. Bake at 350ยบ for 30-35 minutes. Five minutes before end, sprinkle with onions.
Source: Caker Carmelle
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12 comments:

  1. Godzilaw7 May 2012 at 08:04

    OMG. Must try! Although I might have to mess this up and use fresh mushrooms ...

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    1. Brian Francis7 May 2012 at 16:43

      Now why would you want to go and muck up this dish with fresh vegetables, Godzilaw? I mean, is nothing sacred any more?

      Delete
  2. Mimi7 May 2012 at 08:58

    Nice Pyrex! Hooray Carmelle! I am a fan of anything containing potato chips.

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    1. Brian Francis7 May 2012 at 16:47

      Mimi, I hear you. While many tuna casseroles have a potato chip crust, what sold me on this dish was that the chips go on top as well as INSIDE the casserole. It's simply chiptacular.

      Delete
  3. kirsty9 May 2012 at 07:50

    a tuna casserole without macaroni noodles? sacrilege.

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    1. Brian Francis9 May 2012 at 17:09

      Kirsty, you raise a good point. I struggled a little with the noodlessness of this dish. Tell you what - I'm going to source another tuna casserole recipe that has noodles and I'll post it at some point. Then, we can let the people decide: to noodle or not to noodle.

      Delete
  4. kirsty9 May 2012 at 20:49

    ok! not that I won't try this, but I have to admit to never purchasing a can of mushrooms before. Is this the beginning of the end?

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    1. Brian Francis10 May 2012 at 12:59

      Don't think of it as the beginning of the end. Think of it as never having to worry about perishable vegetables again.

      Delete
  5. dunnadam14 May 2012 at 17:59

    I made this tonight.
    - Tastes good? Check!
    - Bathroom faucet? Check!
    - Web-fingered third cousin? Check!
    It's a hit!
    And I think it may actually help me lose weight as there's so much salt I can't eat more than 1 bowl at a time. Actually, how do you follow these recipes and stay so slim?

    I would like to see one with noodles and with cheddar cheese. Mmmmm....

    What is in the person's hand on the paperback cover on Natural Order? I clicked the link, enlarged it, and I still don't know. Something tells me even if I didn't know I wouldn't understand the relevance. Explain please! Also are they going to throw extra stuff into the paperback to force me to buy it after already buying the hardcover and the ebook?

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  6. Brian Francis15 May 2012 at 17:06

    Adam, I'm always surpr...er, I mean...delighted to hear when someone actually makes a dish from Caker Cooking. I'm glad you enjoyed the tuna casserole. Another commenter was requesting something with noodles, so leave it with me and I'll see what I can dig up.

    I think it's confetti in the person's hand. But I also see cupcake sprinkles. And either of those work for me. ;) Included with the paperback is a bonus CD of Freddy Pender singing "Moon River" and Fern's salmon loaf recipe. (OK, maybe not. But dare to dream!) There's a Q-and-A included and short essay by yours truly about seniors. I got your other comment and no worries re. the tone. It didn't come across that way at all.

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  7. Lisa MacColl16 May 2012 at 06:39

    My mom made a similar version of this. Layer of potato chips. Layer of cream of mushroom soup. Layer of tuna. Repeat. End with cream of mushroom soup (undiuted of course) and then you pour a little milk over it to bolser the nutritional value...potato chips, tuna and cream of mushroom soup. The ultimate comfort food. Vegetables, smegetables.

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  8. Brian Francis16 May 2012 at 17:09

    Lisa, your mom sounds like a good cook to me. And may I remind you that the potato chip is made from a potato. Which technically makes it a vegetable. And don't forget the grey bits in Cream of Mushroom soup, although I'm not really sure you can count those as vegetables.

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