3/7/18

It’s Hump Day, folks!! Woot woot!!

Middle of the week! Downslide to the weekend! Work & life in general is wearing on you and you’re needing some good ol’ comfort food to get you through the week. Thank goodness for casseroles!

Today we’re going to keep it simple and stress free with one of my favorite comfort foods of all time – tuna casserole. I know some of you don’t care much for tuna and that’s perfectly fine. You can substitute chicken for this dish and it will still come out tasting great and satisfy your comfort food needs. If you’re using chicken you can do it 2 different ways. Either used canned chicken or you can boil 2 chicken breasts, let them cool and then shred or chop into bite sized pieces.

I make this casserole using radiatore noodles. I’ve found that radiatore adds a certain meatiness to the dish that macaroni lacks, although either can be used depending on your preference or availability at your local store. I stumbled upon this gem in Walmart. Yup, you read that right – Walmart. The one place I absolutely HATE to shop. Although I must admit that I shop there regularly. But here’s the catch – I do online grocery pickup. This has been a life and sanity saver for me! Granted I only have 1 child but at the end of the day, who really wants to go to the store after work and go up and down every isle with a child in tow asking “Mommy, can I have these?” or “Mommy can I have that?” It’s exhausting!! That’s why I have resorted to doing a large portion of my grocery shopping online. I get what I need, I pull up & park in the stall once I’ve got the notification on my phone that my order is ready, they load up my car, I sign for the order and I’m on my way home without having to step into the store. Hassel free! If you haven’t already, you should certainly give it a try! Leave a message in the comments or send me a personal message with your email address if you’d like an invite to try it. I am more than happy to send you an invite! You get $10 off your first online pickup order with a minimum $30 purchase.

Now than I’ve fan-girled over Walmart online pickup, let’s get to cooking and make something tasty!!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 3 cans tuna (or canned chicken)
• 2 cups radiatore or macaroni noodles
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 package cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp basil
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups crushed regular potato chips
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium sized pot, bring to boil 4-5 cups water. Add 2 cups noodles and boil until done per the instructions on the box. Drain and set aside.
2. Turn on oven and heat to 375 degrees.
3. In a medium/large sized bowl mix tuna, cream of mushroom soup, cream cheese, 1 cup shredded cheese, milk, garlic and basil until well blended. Add salt & pepper as desired. Mix in the noodles until well coated.
4. Grab a 2 quart (or 7″ x 11″) casserole dish and lightly grease to prevent sticking.
5. Pour the tuna & noodle mixture into the casserole dish and smooth out evenly. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and crushed potato chips.
6. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and let sit on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.
8. Serve and store any remaining leftovers in the fridge for 2 – 3 days.

So what do you think!? Did you make the chicken version? Leave your comments below. I’d love to hear your take on this recipe!

Enjoy!!!

 

XOXO – A