When I was a kid, I always LIKED to bake... mostly because I liked to eat. I remember getting a cookie cook book and a stand mixer for Christmas one year. It was a Mrs. Field's cookie book, filled with a variety of recipes for drop cookies, bars and fancy treats. I was eager to try them all, but it wasn't about the process of learning to bake--I just wanted to eat cookies.
In terms of cooking, I always watched my dad in the kitchen. He never followed recipes. He never really seemed like he had a plan. He just threw things together and they were good--most of the time. The left over Chinese food omelet was not good. I remember that. Perhaps it was because most of his meals consisted of a big slab of meat that there wasn't much to them. But I learned to trust my instincts and try things from watching him in the kitchen.
We have a top secret recipe for Chex mix that we make every year at Christmas. While the ingredients are scrawled on a faded notecard, they are more of a guide than an actual recipe for success. My dad maintains that you know the sauce is done when you take a big whiff and you choke on the aroma.
I also have vague memories of baking with both my grandma's. I remember being fascinated by my Grandma Doris's chocolate chip cookie recipe--which she had memorized. As a kid, this always shocked me. Her cookies were unlike any others, too. They were chunky and lumpy and full of chocolate chips and nuts. And they were delicious. They weren't the cookies I would have picked out myself, but I had no problem devouring them.
I have even earlier memories of sitting at the kitchen counter (usually with a coloring book or dolls) and watching my Grandma Dorothy scoot around the kitchen. I don't remember specific things she used to make, but I remember watching her confidence and being impressed that she seemed to know exactly what she was doing, even without a recipe or a box to follow.
One of the first things I remember cooking on my own was Tuna Helper. I remember carefully following the directions on the box, standing on a rickety watermelon painted stool in our avocado green kitchen. I remember carefully plunking each of the ingredients into a pan that was way too big and stirring everything together and crossing my fingers it was edible. But let's be real--I was a fat kid and very little in my world was actually INedible. But Tuna/Hamburger/Chicken Helper became my specialty. I was a pro at dinner from a box.
As I've grown up, I've pooled these experiences and let them shape my kitchen practices. Sure, I use recipes. And yes, I taste things along the way and don't necessarily believe that choking on aromas is a good barometer for flavor. I've gotten to the point where I know a flavor I want to experience and I can gauge the ingredients I need to make that happen.
So, to recreate my first foray into the kitchen, I have concocted my own version of Tuna Helper. It's like a grown up, healthier and tastier version, made from things you probably have in your kitchen anyway.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 can tuna, in water, drained
- 8 oz. elbow pasta, cooked
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 diced onions
- 1 T minced garlic
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced potatoes
- 1/4 cup green beans
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 1 T italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1/2 shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 10-15 Ritz crackers, crushed
1. Cook the pasta until al dente, set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a round casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the tuna, soups, milk and spices.
4. In a large pan, cook the onions, garlic, mushrooms and carrots until softened (but not mushy).
5. Add the cooked vegetables and remaining ingredients and 1/4 cup cheese to the soup mixture.
6. Stir the pasta into the mixture.
7. Transfer to the baking dish.
8. Sprinkle the top with the crushed crackers. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
9. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, covered with foil.
10. Remove the foil and cook for 10 more minutes.
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