Equipment
Ingredients
Noodles & Tuna
- 340 g wide egg noodles, dry
- 400 g canned tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 250 g cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 celery, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 150 g frozen peas, thawed
The Sauce
- 60 g unsalted butter, divided use
- 40 g all-purpose flour
- 60 ml dry sherry
- 350 ml vegetable broth
- 240 ml half and half, room temperature
- 20 g capers, drained
- 15 g fresh parsley, chopped
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
The Topping
- 100 g ridged potato chips, crushed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 647 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbohydrates
- 67 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 1049 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 95 mg
- Potassium
- 885 mg
- Calcium
- 116 mg
- Iron
- 4.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 88 mg
- Phosphorus
- 507 mg
- Zinc
- 2.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 181 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 15 mg
- Vitamin D
- 4.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 89 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.87 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.69 mg
- Niacin
- 16.2 mg
- Folate
- 181 mcg
- Water
- 240 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the egg noodles for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain well in a colander and set aside.
Melt 20g of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, diced onions, and celery. Cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
Pour the dry sherry into the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the liquid simmer until it has mostly evaporated.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining 40g of butter. Once melted, evenly sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Whisk constantly for 2 minutes to cook the flour.
Gradually whisk in the vegetable broth, followed by the half and half. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and can coat the back of a spoon. Season with the salt and black pepper, then remove from heat.
Gently fold the cooked egg noodles, flaked tuna, thawed peas, capers, and chopped parsley into the sauce until completely coated.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared 9x13 inch baking dish, spreading it out into an even layer.
Scatter the crushed ridged potato chips evenly across the top of the casserole.
Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until the sauce bubbles vigorously around the edges and the potato chip crust is deeply golden. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Tuna packed in high-quality olive oil significantly elevates this dish, providing richness that water-packed tuna lacks. Be gentle when folding it in to preserve satisfying chunks.
- If you wish to omit the dry sherry, finish the sauce with a hearty squeeze of fresh lemon juice off the heat. The acid is crucial to cut through the heavy dairy.
- Thick-cut, ridged, or kettle-cooked potato chips perform much better than thin crisps, maintaining their distinct textural crunch despite the moisture of the baking casserole.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. Potato chips will soften over time.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze unbaked without the potato chip topping for best results.
Reheating: Reheat individual portions in microwave for 2 minutes, or cover with foil and bake at 175 C (350 F) until bubbling.
Troubleshooting
The sauce splits or curdles during cooking
Cause: The half and half was boiled too vigorously or added while completely ice cold.
Fix: Cannot be completely reversed if heavily curdled, but stirring in a splash of heavy cream off the heat can partially smooth out the texture.
Prevention: Allow dairy to come to room temperature before using, and keep the sauce at a gentle simmer rather than a rapid boil.
Noodles turn to mush after baking
Cause: Noodles were fully cooked during the boiling phase before going into the oven.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always undercook the noodles by 2 minutes when boiling, as they will absorb more liquid in the oven.
Cultural Context
Tuna noodle casserole rose to massive prominence in the United States during the 1950s as the ultimate convenience meal, typically reliant on condensed canned soups. This updated version respects the comforting nostalgia of the mid-century original while replacing industrial shortcuts with fundamental culinary techniques like a scratch-made veloute-bechamel hybrid sauce.
