Not Your Mamma’s Tuna Casserole is so good I ate every bit of it and never got bored eating it. In fact, I wanted more when I was done. Like many in The States, I grew up eating a tuna casserole. The standard one my mom would make involved, obviously, tuna, a can of soup, noodles, cheese, and with some sort of crunchy topping. I have seen many variations over the years, and they all kind of tasted the same.
I had a bunch of ingredients in my kitchen that I needed to use up, and I threw this casserole together with what I had. There was some Greek yogurt, a big can of tuna, a giant Costco bag of Smokehouse almonds, some onions, an older bottle of toasted sesame oil, a hunk of Jarlsberg cheese, a can of sliced olives, and some mayo. I used to make a cold pasta salad that used some of the ingredients, but I had never thought about combining them into a warm casserole. To my surprise, this may be the ultimate tuna casserole. It is crunchy and smokey and doesn’t even taste like tuna. As one of my neighbor’s kids remarked, it smelled like roasted chicken. He never noticed what my kitchen smelled like and wanted to try some. This is one of those recipes that you get excited when you get to eat some more for dinner. I could not stop eating it. This casserole wasn’t on my plan for this blog. However, I couldn’t resist posting it, as it is incredible.
Other than toasting the onions and cooking the pasta, this is a dump-and-bake type of recipe that takes minimal effort or time but tastes amazing. The secret is the toasted sesame oil; it brings everything together and yet doesn’t overpower. I used Smokehouse Almonds I bought at Costco though they are everywhere, including Amazon. They are already toasted and add the perfect amount of crunch. Of course, you could roast your own, but it is easier to use these, and the smokehouse seasoning adds even more flavor.
That is all for this week. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy out there. Please think of others in your choices. What you do has consequences for everyone around you. Until next time.
An easy delicious casserole that is a huge step up from the usual tuna casserole.
- 1 lb. Ziti or other dried pasta shapes
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ cup nonfat Greek Yogurt
- 1 12 oz can tuna in water drained
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil sometimes it doesn’t say toasted on the bottle
- 1 cup Jarlsberg cheese or Swiss cheese
- 1 cup Smokehouse Almonds chopped
- 1 2.5 oz can sliced black olives drained
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
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Butter or grease a 13x9 inch pan or another casserole dish large enough.
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
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Add the pasta and cook to the al dente state according to the directions on the package.
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While the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to 350°.
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Again, while the pasta is cooking, heat a medium skillet to medium-high heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion begins to brown along the edges and has softened.
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Set aside to cool.
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When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and set aside to cool briefly while you prepare the casserole.
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In a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, yogurt, tuna, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine. There should still be small chunks of tuna.
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Fold in the toasted onions, the Jarlsberg cheese, chopped almonds, and the sliced olives.
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Finally, mix in the pasta until thoroughly combined.
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Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared casserole dish.
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Sprinkle the panko crumbs evenly over the top, followed by the parmesan cheese.
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Bake for 35-45 minutes until the casserole is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
