This casserole has pretty basic ingredients, but it was recreated in a way that a new taste emerged from among those traditional tastes. Some ingredients are tweaked nicely, causing some of the distinct tastes to adjust. This one will stay at my list of go-to dishes for a long while. It’s simple, it’s delicious, and it’s reliable. Our friend Brenda Score from The Pioneer Woman has this to say about this recipe:
“This made-from-scratch version is full of flavor. The magic starts out with onions, celery, and garlic sautéing in butter. Milk and half-and-half are added and cooked until bubbly and thickened, a beautiful alternative to those cans of cream soup. More flavor and creaminess is then layered in with a big dollop of tangy sour cream, plus some Parmesan and Gruyere!”
My goodness. My mouth is already watering just by reading that. I totally agree with the magic! It looks as if these ingredients are made to really be combined together just to create one magical dish that will have anyone clamoring for a second, or even third serving!
Ingredients
6 Tablespoons Kerrygold Unsalted Butter, Plus A Bit More For Buttering The Baking Dish
1 Large Yellow Onion, Finely Chopped
3 stalks Celery, Chopped
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1/3 cup Gold Medal All-purpose Flour
2 cups Borden Whole Milk
3/4 cups Half-and-half
1/4 cup Kraft Grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon McCormick Dry Mustard
Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1-1/2 cup Green Giant Frozen Peas
16 ounces, weight Cavatappi Noodles
1/3 cup Daisy Sour Cream
4 ounces, weight Grated Gruyere Cheese
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Dill, Plus A Bit More For Garnish
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Chives, Plus A Bit More For Garnish
2 cans (5 Oz. Size) Albacore Tuna, Drained, Broken Into 1/2-inch Chunks
2 cups Coarsely Crushed Sour Cream And Onion Flavored Potato Chips, Or As Needed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter the insides of a large baking dish and set aside.
Heat butter in a large heavy saucepan with tall sides over medium to medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and cook until just softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir lightly for 1 minute. Slowly add milk and half-and-half, and then simmer until mixture is lightly bubbling and thickened, stirring occasionally for about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and dry mustard, and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in peas.
While sauce is cooking in the saucepan, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until just al dente. Drain noodles, reserving 1/2 cup of noodle cooking liquid. Transfer noodles to a very large mixing bowl. Pour warm sauce over noodles. Then add sour cream, Gruyere, dill, and chives, and fold to blend. Add reserved noodle cooking liquid a bit at a time until mixture is creamy and moistened to your liking (you may not want to use the full 1/2 cup of liquid). Fold in tuna, taking care to leave some chunks intact.
Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with crushed potato chips. Tent dish loosely with foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until hot throughout. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until top is golden brown and the filling bubbles. Remove from oven, sprinkle with a bit more fresh chopped dill and chives, and serve immediately.
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Quick Tip: Try to keep the chunks of tuna intact as you finish creating this casserole, so there are morsels of detectable size mixed in throughout.
Thanks again to The Pioneer Woman for this amazing recipe.