Tuna Casserole – Cowboy Kent Rollins
Howdy, y’all and thanks for stopping by the website. It’s a great day above the grass and I am blessed to be able to share with you one of my favorite, hearty, delicious meals that warms your belly and your soul.
What am I talking about? I’m talking about Tuna Casserole just like mama used to make. Instead of using canned condensed soup for the casserole I’m going to make a roux that will thicken up and enhance the flavor of this classic American home cooking recipe. Come on now, I’m not going to wait for you.
Dreamy Creamy Tuna Casserole
Using a 12″ Dutch Oven, begin by melting some Kerrygold butter over the fire. Stir with a wooden spatula if you’re using cast iron. Add a large white onion, diced, to the butter and cook until those onions are a little see-through. Right at the end, add the minced garlic. We don’t want to add it too early so we can avoid burning the garlic. Season with Red River Ranch Original Seasoning – it has a citrus base that works beautifully with fish.
Tip: If you’re using cast iron, never use metal on metal. Use a wooden spatula.
Now, in order to make this a roux, we want to add a thickening agent. I like to use flour. Spread it over the bottom of the pan and incorporate it in with everything else.
Tip: Whether you’re thickening gravy or cream, flour or corn starch can be used as a thickening agent.
Once you’ve got a thick roux, add the chicken broth and the heavy cream. Remember to stir constantly when you have cream over high heat – it’ll burn pretty quick if you don’t keep an eye on it.
Tip: When cooking milk or cream over high heat, stir constantly to avoid burning.
Make sure you get white albacore tuna in water when you are at the grocery store. Open and pour right into the cream mixture. I like to use about double what the standard recipe calls for – instead of 2 cans of Tuna, I use 4. Y’all know I like the meat to be in every spoonful you eat.
Egg Noodles
The egg noodles are to be mixed in with the tuna mixture at this point. If you’ve pre-cooked the noodles, make sure they are al dente. If you haven’t cooked the noodles yet, go on ahead. Keep the tuna mixture warm until the noodles are ready to be stirred in.
Tip: Noodles usually have to bake a while in a casserole. Cook them al dente before you add them in so they don’t overcook while baking.
The Finishing Touches
Now, we could stop right here, and this Tuna casserole would be perfectly good. But y’all know me, and I don’t like to leave any flavor behind. I’m going to stir in Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses. Cheese makes almost everything better.
Last, but not least, cover the casserole with crushed Ritz crackers. Like Andy Griffith used to say, “Everything’s better on a Ritz!” Well, everything’s better under a Ritz, too. Once the crackers are covering the entire casserole, put a lid on it and lets get to baking.
Baking the Tuna Casserole
If you’re cooking at home, put the casserole in a 400 degree oven, covered, for about 20 minutes.
If you’re cooking outside, this is a great recipe to learn how to cook on coals. Start by placing the Dutch Oven on a trivet. Place coals around the outer edge of the trivet, leaving a space underneath empty so the coals can breathe and emit the heat to the bottom of the oven. Last, cover the lid with hot coals and let bake for about 20 minutes.
Bon Appetite! This casserole is so creamy and cheesy and delicious, everyone is going to enjoy this classic American favorite.
Thanks again for stopping by the website, y’all. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and visit our store for some limited-edition Christmas gifts we’ve prepared for those of you that enjoy our food. See y’all next Wednesday with a new video! Adios, amigos!
Tuna Casserole – Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 12 ounces egg noodles
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 white onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4, 6 ounce cans white albacore tuna in water drained
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 1 ½ cups crushed Ritz crackers
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x13-inch casserole dish or 12-inch Dutch oven.
- Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and cream. Bring to a simmer for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the tuna, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Fold in the pasta until coated well.
- Pour the mixture into the casserole dish or Dutch oven.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cracker crumbs, Parmesan and oil. Evenly sprinkle over the pasta. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are lightly browned and the casserole is bubbling through. Serve hot.
