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.

Grilled Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings with Tequila and Lime

The Best Chicken Wings Ever

These Honey Chipotle chicken Wings are, by far, the best wings I have ever had. They are sweet and savory, they are crispy and spicy yet incredibly tender and juicy on the inside. They have best flavor of just about any barbecue sauce and we’ll talk about the secret to that in just a minute. But I definitely think that the grilling definitely takes this recipe to a whole new level. But don’t let that scare you if you don’t have a grill. I think these spicy buffalo style wings would still be absolutely fantastic fried in oil or baked in the oven.

Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings Sauce

This Chicken Wing Sauce is phenomenal. I mean it. I’t fantastic. My secret for this recipe is definitely in the sauce. I use Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce to start, then I add a couple of Chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce and a fresh clove of Garlic but it doesn’t end there. Since it’s got that pepper spice I balance it out with Tequila and Lime. Now, of course, the Tequila is optional but the lime is definitely essential because it adds that Mexican style flavor everyone loves in their Mexican food. But if you’re not shy, I highly recommend following this recipe to a “T” and add that Tequila. It takes this Honey Chipotle Chicken Wing Sauce to whole new level.

Be sure to check out my Wasabi Chicken Wings and my Ranch Chicken Wings!

Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings Ingredients:

3 to 4 lbs Chicken Wings

Chicken Wing Brine
4 cups Water
1/4 cup Salt
2 cups Ice

Honey Chipotle Sauce
1 cup BBQ Sauce (Sweet Baby Rays)
2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, blended
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1/3 cup Honey
2 oz Tequila
1 Lime, freshly squeezed

Grill Chicken Wings over medium heat for 20 minutes, turning every 5.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken

The Best Garlic Parmesan Chicken Recipe

This Garlic Parmesan Chicken recipe is very simple and delicious. It can be made with white or dark meat, breaded or bare, pan fried or baked. It’s entirely up to you. This recipe is even good over wings and chicken legs if you’re just looking for a side dish. The point is, Garlic Parmesan Chicken is so versatile it can practically be done anyway you want to cook it. I even use these exact same ingredients over Brussels Sprouts, it’s that good.

The way I like Garlic Parmesan Chicken

My personal favorite way to cook this recipe is with chicken thigh meat cut into small pieces. In fact, that’s how I like my Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. Cooking the chicken this way just adds so much more depth to the pasta and sauce. So I highly recommend you add your Garlic Parmesan Chicken to your favorite noodles. You can check out my Alfredo recipe HERE if you’d like. Of course when I say “my” I mean The Olive Gardens! 😉

If you’re interested in other chicken recipes be sure to check out my Jamaican Jerk Chicken and my Blackened Chicken Alfredo or look over this Chicken Recipes Playlist for more options.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Ingredients:

2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
2 tbsp Olive Oil
6 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 tbsp Salted Butter (optional)
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

The instructions in my Garlic Parmesan Chicken video recipe tutorial is very easy to follow. However, I don’t use any butter in the cooking, though it’s clearly in the ingredients as an option. I do this for health reasons. For me the Olive Oil is enough but the added butter does make this dish taste even better. So consider adding it if it’s something you would normally do to make your Garlic Parmesan Chicken perfect.