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.

Bacon Fried Shrimp with Pepper Jack Cheese

The Best Bacon Fried Shrimp

When I first had Bacon Fried Shrimp, all I could do was melt into myself with pleasure. I remember my head tilting back with my eyes closed as that bacon and shrimp exploded with flavor with each bite. Oh… and did I mention the Pepper Jack Cheese? Wow! Each one of these prawns is stuffed with cheese before they’re wrapped with an entire piece of bacon, then they are each seasoned with black ground pepper before they’re fried to perfection.

Grilling Bacon Fried Shrimp

Obviously this recipe is called, “Bacon Fried Shrimp” but don’t let that discourage you from taking these pork prawns to the grill. These are perfect for barbecue’s and parties. Technically you could even bake them if you’re little heart ever so desired. It doesn’t really matter. Just make sure, like any pork product, it’s cooked thoroughly and all the way through. Oh, and just for kicks, I whipped up a Spicy Mayo Dipping Sauce I really think you’re going to like. It really compliments the pa-pa-POW of the Shrimp!

Also, if you like this Bacon Fried Shrimp recipe, be sure to check out some of my other Prawn recipes like, Thai Red Curry Shrimp, Shrimp Scampi and Firecracker Shrimp, which is a lot like Bang bang shrimp if you’ve ever heard of it. I have a huge list of other Shrimp recipes if you want to seek them out or look up my Shrimp Recipes playlist on YouTube. These were just some of the ones I posted with this video. So be sure to check them out.

Bacon Fried Shrimp Ingredients:

1 doz. Jumbo Shrimp, pealed and deveined
1 pkg Bacon, thinly sliced

Spicy Mayo Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup Mayo
1 tbsp Ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp Sriracha
1/2 tsp Horse Radish
1 pinch of Dill

Cook your Bacon Fried Shrimp in 1/2 inch of Canola oil and fry for 5 minutes on each side, then serve.

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.