I grew up with Tuna Hot Dish, as it was called in the Midwest. It was made the usual way, with Cream of Mushroom Soup. It rarely had the customary topping of crushed potato chips (crisps to the Brits) and it was always made with Creamettes Elbow Macaroni.
That isn’t this dish.
This was actually inspired by my Turkey Tetrazzini which, apparently, was inspired by Chicken Tetrazzini.
I say that with great authority because I just spent 2 seconds googling ‘tetrazzini’ and the 1st page was all chicken tetrazzini.
It used to be that the definition of an expert was someone with a briefcase more than 100 miles from the office. Now, I believe that an expert is someone who has spent more than 2 seconds doing online ‘research’ (ahem).
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PrintTuna Tetrazzini
This is an easy, week-night main course. Just add your favorite veggie on the side…. or a salad.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
Ingredients
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms, trimmed, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup green olives, sliced
- 9oz (270gr) canned tuna, drained, broken apart
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs butter
- 2 tbs flour
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) milk
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) chicken broth
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) dry sherry
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90gr) Greek or plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese
- 4oz (120gr) egg noodles
Instructions
- Preheat oven 400F (200C)
- Cook noodles according to package directions. When done, drain.
- While noodles cook:
- Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and sauté until tender.
- Add mushrooms, garlic and sauté until vegetables start to brown.
- Add drained tuna, olives to skillet, stir to combine and remove from heat.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan.
- Add floor and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
- Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, until hot and thick.
- Add broth, sherry, and heat until just starting to bubble, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in yogurt and remove from heat.
- To finish:
- Add 1/2 of the sauce to drained noodles, mix well to coat and put in baking dish.
- Add remaining sauce to tuna / vegetable mix, stir well.
- Spoon onto the noodles, leaving an inch (2.5cm) border around the edge.
- Sprinkle with cheese and bake), uncovered, until hot and bubbly, 10 – 15 minutes.
Notes
You could use leftover cooked chicken or turkey in place of the tuna.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 recipe
- Calories: 750
- Sugar: 12.7 g
- Sodium: 1199.1 mg
- Fat: 40.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 17.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.9 g
- Fiber: 3.2 g
- Protein: 52.5 g
- Cholesterol: 141 mg
Keywords: tuna noodles, tetrazzini
Prior to the pandemic, mon mari would have been moderately pleased to eat this once or twice a decade. Since I have always loved canned tuna, I would have made it once or twice a year – a compromise.
Since the start of the pandemic our shopping habits have changed forcing our eating habits to change which has resulted in our tastes changing.
Now, when I suggest a tuna / pasta dish I get an enthusiastic ‘yes, please’ for an answer. It seems there is a new convert to canned tuna in the house.
I’m still shopping every other week and neither of us are going to the markets – which are pretty sparse anyway. Menus are more carefully planned and we are discovering new recipes and different ways of using leftovers / planned-overs.
We are both rather liking the new ways and, other than the spring search for asparagus and the December search for cranberries, will probably not go back to the old ways.
I think there will be a lot of changes in the world as we emerge from our time of virus-controlled living.
The Black Death brought the Renaissance….. Can we hope to be so lucky this time?
I’m wondering if this will bring about a resurgence of in-person gatherings and discussions, with people avoiding online activities as much as possible. There has certainly been a whole lot less Zooming going on since that first flurry a year ago….
J’adore tuna tettrazini, but haven’t bought tuna in ages, being so distressed about the state of the oceans. Do you think this would work with borlotti beans replacing the tuna? (I suspect that there are people who might replace tuna with tofu, but it will probably come as no surprise that I have a horror of tofu.)
I have not yet zoomed….. I am, apparently, in introvert. I do miss my monthly book club, tho. – none of them wanted to do it online, either lol. No coffee and cake.
I would not be one of those to replace it with tofu. I have used turkey and chicken…. I like the idea of beans,
My sister has been zooming with her book club – they usually go from house to house to show off their kitchen skills. Now they are doing potluck and displaying the dish as they discuss the book. But. She says it’s just not the same. (Duh, of course it isn’t.)
The more I think about it, I bet bean tettrazini would be brilliant.
Let me know if you try it.
The book club ambiance would not be the same….
I don’t know about tuna hot dish, but I adore tuna noodle casserole which is probably the same thing but…noodles! I rarely make it anymore though because of the canned soup so this one is right up my alley. Definitely a keeper!
I too love canned tuna. It’s been a bit more scarce in the stores here, in the bigger cans, so I had to order some. Along with a dozen cans of Spam which is the one thing consistently Out Of Stock everywhere here. I’m going to venture to say, less than a quarter of the shoppers ever ate Spam prior to last year. I love the stuff. You can do almost anything with it.
Strange what stores run out of lately. I’m low on the little packets of wet food that I add to Guapa’s kibble. The store was completely out so I went to my online dog food site and they were completely out. Bizarre.
In Wis and Minn we had hot dishes. Casserole was a fancy term for a hot dish lol
My mother used noodles in soup but always Creamettes in hot dishes lol
Love your definition of expert! This reminds me of what I do for tuna noodle casserole, though I really like your addition of sherry and yogurt! Will have to give that a try next time.
Sadly, too many people are experts now lol The sherry just ‘tarts it up a bit’ – makes it more for adults 😉
Unsure about a Renaissance but lots of rejigging…and that’s just in my little life !
Change is good…. Right? lol