Tuna Casserole

The Best Tuna Casserole

This is better than a basic recipe for a Tuna Casserole but it is easy and it’s delicious. Last week, I made a very simple and basic recipe, which was descent, but it didn’t strike me as a yeah I want more kind of a dish so, I decided to step it up. The end result turned out great and I really think you’re going to be pleased because I stuck with all of the basics and through in some ingredients to give this dish more bite.

Frying pan on the stove half full of chopped Holy Trinity ingredients, garlic and peas.

The Holy Trinity with Peas

Many basic Tuna Casserole recipes call for frozen peas but I decided to take it a step further and add the Holy Trinity. As you may or may not know, the Holy Trinity is just 3 simple ingredients made famous in in French and Cajun Cuisine; chopped onion, celery and bell pepper. These three ingredients are a fundamental start to many recipes and I decided that this dish shouldn’t be any different so, I added them.

Mixed Tuna Casserole ingredients, in a large bowl, before baking.

Creamy and Crunchy

One of my favorite things about a casserole is the top layer. I like the crunchy flavor of salty Potato chips and/or fried French Onions. In this case, I decided to add both for more flavor. I crush the potato chips and add them to the mix and add the french onions as a topping with cheddar cheese. That’s not the only cheese I add to this recipe, however. Again, I’m going for flavor and I like anything creamy to be rich so, I added grated Parmesan cheese to the mix along with some cream of mushroom soup and a little milk.

You have to be careful with the mixture of all of these ingredients because you can, very easily, do one of two things; either make it runny, with too much liquid or dry it out with not enough. Those potato chips and the “Al dente” noodles like to suck up that moisture with the casserole is baking so, be sure you’ve added the right amounts that I’ve listed below. And, if by some chance you’re tastes are different than mine, just adjust the liquid, milk, accordingly.

Oh, I almost forgot… I usually salt the boiling water before I cook my noodles to add more flavor but, in this case, I chose Chicken Bouillon. Just think of it like adding the seasoning packet to your ramen and flavoring the noodles. It isn’t weird, it’s pretty much the same frickin’ thing!

Tuna Casserole video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Tuna Casserole Ingredients:

1 12 oz bag Egg Noodles
Cook the Noodles in Chicken Broth or use Bouillon. Approximately 4 quarts of water and 1/3 cup of Knorr Chicken Bouillon.

1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Butter
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 bunch Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 stick Cellery, diced
1 Bell Pepper, diced
1 cup Peas, frozen
1/2 Onion, diced
2 cans Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
1/2 cup French Onions
1/2 cup Potato Chips, crushed
3 cans tuna, Solid White Albacore
1 tbsp Worcestorshire

Salt and Pepper to taste

Bake at 400° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes then add the Cheddar cheese and French onions and bake for another 5 minutes, then serve.

P.S. You can easily turn this dish into a Chicken Noodle Casserole by swapping out the canned Tuna for Chicken and the canned Cream of Mushroom Soup for Cream of Chicken Soup, instead.

Sweet Potato Casserole – Southern Style with Marshmallow and Walnuts

The Best Sweet Potato Casserole

This is, hands down, the absolute best Sweet Potato Casserole I have ever had, I swear! And if that’s not enough of a selling point, I’m talking about Butter, Sugar, Cinnamon, Marshmallows and an awesome Walnut Crisp Crunch on top. This is a classic Southern recipe that can be served for any dinner; especially Thanksgiving. But this dish is so fresh and sweet you could top this off with some Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and serve it for dessert, it’s that good.

How I like my Sweet Potato Casserole

I’ve mixed the ideas of several different Sweet Potato recipes to develop this dish. I love the traditional way my Grandmother always made it; sliced with toasted marshmallows over the top. But, I also love the Southern style with a Walnut Apple pie style crisp or with Pecans, if you prefer. Either way is delicious but when you combine the two, you end up with a symphony of flavors that just dance around your mouth with every bite.

If you’re interested in more great Thanksgiving recipes, give these a try:
Garlic Mashed Potatoes, The Ultimate Green Bean Casserole, Pumpkin Pie Turnovers, Acorn Squash, Garlic Parmesan Brussels Sprouts, Croissant Stuffing!

Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients:

4 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and sliced

Sugar Butter Sauce
1 stick Butter, melted
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Nutmeg, ground
1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
3/4 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Vanilla

Topping
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Melted Unsalted Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
2 cups Marshmallows, small

Bake Sliced Sweet Potatoes in the Melted Sugar Butter Sauce, covered, for 1 hour at 350 degrees f. Mix The topping ingredients, minus the Marshmallows, in a bowl and add it with the Marshmallows to the top of the cooked Sweet Potatoes. Cook the Sweet Potato Casserole, uncovered, for 30 more minutes at 350 degrees f.

Green Bean Casserole

The Best Green Bean Casserole

This is definitely my favorite Green Bean Casserole recipe. Just have a look at the ingredients and I think you’ll agree or at least understand why I feel the way I do. I mean, Bacon says it all doesn’t it? I’ve been wanting to throw down some traditional Holiday recipes, this season, that are a little more vibrant than what we’ve been use to in the past. At the same time though, I wanted to make sure that the change was subtle enough to not take over the recipe and actually ruin the over all flavor. I believe this recipe is more than successful with that, adding even 3 other ingredients; Portobello Mushrooms, Bread Dressing Stuffing and Cheese!

YouTube’s Green Bean Casserole

I released this Green Bean Casserole video for Thanksgiving, 2 years ago, and it did really well among my subscribers. Anyone that tried this recipe, absolutely, raved about it. If you’re new to this recipe, my videos or my blog for that matter, I encourage you to investigate my food libraries here on my site or on my YouTube Channel. There are currently more than 300 of my personal video recipes posted now and there are several, revolving around these upcoming holidays, you won’t want to miss. Be sure to check out some of my classic recipes, like my Garlic Mashed Potatoes, my Southern Style Sweet Potato Casserole and my Croissant Dressing/Stuffing, just to name a few. My Thanksgiving Playlist can be seen HERE!

Green Bean Casserole video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Green Bean Casserole Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup Green Beans
3 Cup Chicken Broth
1 lbs Bacon, chopped
1/3 stick Butter
1 Onion, chopped
5 Portobello Mushrooms, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1 cup Stuffing, dehydrated
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can French Onions
Salt and Pepper to taste
Adobo to taste (Optional, Garlic Powder with other ingredients)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

For this Green Bean Casserole, heat 3 Cups of Chicken Broth in a Pot and add the Green Beans. Heat for 10 minutes if they’re fresh uncooked Beans and 5 minutes if they are canned, then Strain and add the beans only to a separate bowl. Cut the bacon into 1/2 inch strips and start cooking. Cut and chop all veggies. In a hot pan add 1/3 stick of butter and saute the veggies until tender, then salt and pepper to taste and add the Adobo (or Garlic Powder and Oregano). De-grease the bacon on a paper towel and along with the chopped Onions and Mushrooms, with the exception of the cheese, start to combine all the remaining ingredients with the Green beans. Stir in the Mushroom Soup and add the French onions, then poor the mixture into an oven sage Casserole Dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Add the cheese after and bake for 5 more minutes until the cheese is melted, and serve your Green Bean Casserole!