Tuna noodle casserole is sort of the epitome of comfort food - creamy pasta, cheesy tuna, savory veggies... it's just as good warmed up the next day as it was when it came out of the oven. It seems especially appropriate on damp days and when life gets challenging. I like to skip some of the more traditional ingredients (cream of what?) and make a basic 3/3/3 cream sauce (that's 3 T butter, 3 T flour and 3 cups of milk!) and then add actual real mushrooms to the party. I have a particular fondness for seasonal chanterelles but feel free to use white or crimini mushrooms as well. My least favorite thing about the standard tuna noodle recipe is the peas. I much prefer the sweetness and firm texture of a fresh carrot, and this time of the year there's still a few coming out of the garden/farmer's markets so it's a good opportunity to add yet another local ingredient to your dish. My policy is to get as much local into my dishes as I can, so... carrots it is!
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
If you like a crunchy texture you can remove the foil and add some panko breadcrumbs or fried onion straws for the last 5 minutes of baking time. We often add just a little more cheese during this time as well, just to get some color and texture on the top. YUM.