There are seemingly countless
casseroles now a days and even though casseroles may not enjoy
the popularity they once did, when I think of comfort food a casserole is about the
first thing to pop into my mind! So whenever I see
someone turn up their nose at the mire mention of them I always ask if they
like lasagna and point out lasagna is a classic example of a modern day
casserole.
From an historical perspective the idea of cooking everything in
one dish is not a new one, evidence of this type of technique date back millennia, but
the modern incarnation here in North America dates back to the late 1800 in New Hampshire by a
French Canadian named Elmire Jolicoeur.
Though the English term dates back to the 1700s when casseroles were
typically prepared in earthen ware though today glass or Pyrex along
with stainless steal are practical alternatives though from a presentational
standpoint earthen ware still takes the cake. Back then they were also made primarily with rice where as in the modern era most any starch may be employed, the 3 most common are the fore mentioned rice along with
potatoes and pasta. As for other ingredients in terms of casseroles in general ingredients run the gamut though classically here in the states meat was what accompanied the rice. The mind set these days tends to leans towards the commonly
held notion whenever fresh ingredients are available that’s what one should use. While in most cases this may be true when it comes to tuna casserole for example, I
am of the mind that depending on the product and the time available to you
either is fine. Having said that most recipes will tell you to use canned
mushroom soup while I prefer to make mine from scratch so typically whenever making
mushroom soup for a lunch I will reserve whatever is not used for this dish
or one like it. Mushroom soup or simply stewed mushrooms are also great to have on hand to use
as a base for sauces, gratiné’s, or even oven baked sandwiches. As for the tuna most recipes call for the canned verity which is
fine if that’s what you like, in my case personally I prefer using grilled or
poached tuna for my version as for what type of tuna I most prefer I would
recommend either albacore or bonito. However I would also add if using canned
tuna, though tuna in water is fine I always grab for the tuna packed in oil and
drain it for baked recipes calling for canned tuna. The last main component is American cheddar cheese here in the States
at least, is the cheese of choice for this recipe.
Though American cheddar is somewhat different in characteristics and flavor
then its English forerunner not least of which in color typically dyed orange which
was first done so using annatto by early settlers in an act of open rebellion
against the English. You can also add or substitute other ingredients such as peas, carrots, mushrooms and so on, as for me I'm keeping it nice and simple, enjoy!
Shopping
List
Tuna, see above
Mushrooms
Onions
Flour
Milk
Cream
Butter
Sherry, optional
Cheddar or other cheese
Cereal such as corn flakes
Bread crumbs or panko
My Mad Method
Add 4dl whole milk, 4 dl heavy cream,
1-2 TBSP semi sweet sherry; cook the stewed mushrooms for 10 to 15 minutes to
eliminate any residual flour flavor. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to
taste
Using a hand held immersion blender pulse to
desired consistency
Crumble about 1.5dl corn flakes, if you
do not have a mortar and pestle use a plastic bag and rolling pin
Soak 1-1.5dl panko and the crumbled
cereal with about 115g melted butter
Grease a baking dish and if desired coat
it in bread crumbs
In a large mixing bowl combine about
350g cooked pasta, the mushroom soup, 200- 250g tuna and about 300g cheddar
cheese or for really cheesy add 400g cheese fold to combine
Transfer the mixture to the well greased
baking dish or pan
Spread the panko-cereal mixture over
the casserole and bake for 30-45 minutes in a 175c preheated oven or until
golden brown
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