Cooking For Engineers

[Dilbert]

most tuna noodle casseroles are sized to feed three or four dozen armies.
this is my take on reducing it to Cooking For Two.
if you like it, double the recipe for leftovers because reheated at 275'F / 135'C day after next it is - according to my Dear Wife - even better.

in my attempt to re-create a delicious 1960's style tuna noodle casserole, I found the major issue is the tuna itself. so, use tuna packed in olive oil. all those health conscience water packed, no salt, no calories, no tuna content type brands are also "no flavor."

in my experience the best choice is: albacore packed in olive oil.
other brands may certainly yield as good or better result. your tuna mileage may vary.

this is the best for the purpose I've found to-date:
http://www.genovaseafood.com/products/solid-albacore-tuna-in-olive-oil
I don't own them, I don't work for them, it's merely the best brand/type I use and if you don't have a favorite, it's a good place to start. and I should add, I've tried all the national brands and they were not satisfactory for this dish.

a note on measures:
- it's a casserole! a bit more or a bit less of any specific ingredient is not going to kill the dish.
- not every geographic / market area has "stuff" packed / sold in identical "units"
- these are guidelines; going a bit inside/outside the lines is not going to matter
- condensed soup: does not appear in this small quantity (basically half a can) ... plan for other use or dispose of unused portion.

general prep order:
- heat the water for the pasta
- open and drain the tuna, reserve the liquid
- open and drain the pimento
- lightly toast the sliced/slivered almonds in a pan
- slice/dice/chop the vegetable bits and set aside
- drain and cool the pasta; toss and drain in tuna oil (it's a flavor thing; don't omit!) while hot
- mix & blend the vegetables & soup+milk & cheese mixture
- then add the tuna
- theory is to minimize breaking up the tuna; you want bite size or smaller, minced tuna not so much
- fold-in / add the egg noodles
- pour into casserole dish
- liberally sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds (optional)
- bake uncovered 20 minute @ 425'F / 220'C

the details:

3 oz by weight / 85 g wide egg noodles

5 oz by weight / 140 g tuna, drained - reserve liquid

4 tablespoon / 60 g mayo / salad dressing

1/2 c. / 125 ml / 1 rib celery; cut long wise then thinly sliced cross wise.
1/4 c. / 65 ml medium diced onion
1/4 c. / 65 ml diced sweet green pepper

2 oz by weight / 60 g pimento, drained
1/4 teaspoon kosher / 2 g salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

mix all the vegetable prep into a large bowl
in a separate bowl blend 5-6 oz by weight / 165 ml condensed cream of celery soup diluted with:
1/4 cup / 2 fluid ounces / 60 ml milk

add to the soup mix:
3 oz by weight / 85 g shredded sharp cheddar cheese

pour into casserole
cover with toasted sliced/slivered almonds - about 1/4 cup / 79 g