DH's Ultimate Comfort Food, aka Tuna Noodle Casserole

At some point when my mother was pregnant with either my sister or myself, she went to a church function and had a small bite of Tuna Noodle Casserole. One rushed trip to the bathroom later, we NEVER had tuna casserole in our house. EVER.

Thus when I married my DH (dear husband), I was completely at a loss for how to make his favorite comfort food. But then, one of the reasons I married the man was because, he knows how to cook. Apart from having a mother who is an excellent cook, he also worked as a line cook in high school and college, and frankly, no one can beat his steaks, or his spaghetti sauce, or his tortilla soup, or any of a dozen of his specialties. This works out well in our family because while I am a good cook, I am a better baker. DH can't bake for squat (owing in great part to growing up with an egg allergy), but he can, when he puts his mind to it, cook up a storm (and leave a storm path through the kitchen to boot!).

So over the last decade+ of wedded bliss, we have actually been able to teach each other a few things in the kitchen and TNC is one of the ones I have learned from him, which he in turn, learned from his mother. This includes the *super secret* (shhhhhhhhhhh!) ingredient. For the longest time, DH wouldn't tell me what this secret ingredient was. He would wait until I had my back turned or I had left the room to tend to a child and he would slide it in. Then one day, when he had had a tough week and he was really wanting some comfort food, but he had no time to make it, I knew I had him cornered. "If you want TNC," I teased, "you'll have to tell me how you make it!" Then, I discovered why he hadn't told me.

You see, I hate ham.

Well, hate may be too strong. I will eat it to be polite. I will eat it when it's 95 cents a pound and the budget's so tight it's leaving red marks on my wallet. But of all the pork products out there, it's my least favorite. And that's the secret ingredient - a 4.5 oz can of deviled ham. In the can, it looks terrible - like fatty pink sludge. But in the casserole, it adds a subtle depth to the taste of the tuna, taking some of the fishy edge off and adding a subtle smoky sweetness.

It makes a great fall comfort casserole, and isn't too hard to whip up before work and have hot and ready when you get home. Heat up some veggies, and you have a great, wholesome meal without too much fuss.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

16 oz cooked short pasta (egg noodles, farfalle, or macaroni all work well)
2 5 oz cans tuna packed in water and drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 large white or yellow onion, diced
2 Tbl margarine
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 c milk
1 4.5 oz can deviled ham
2 c shredded cheese
1/2 can Pringles chips, crushed

In a skillet, melt butter and saute mushrooms and onions until onions are translucent. Add tuna and ham and stir. Next, add cream of mushroom soup and milk. Stir until combined and heated through. If the mixture seems too dry, add more milk until there is enough liquid to coat the pasta. Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and add 2/3 of the cooked pasta. Pour the tuna mixture on top and mix with the pasta, coating the noodles thoroughly. Add the remainder of the pasta, being sure to leave room for the topping. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top to cover. Crush half a can of Pringles potato chips in a sandwich bags and sprinkle over the cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before digging in!

TNC - before baking. The whole casserole never lasts long enough for pics after baking!