Casseroles of Another Color - The Best Colorful Tomato Tuna Supper

From my birth until the day I left home to go to work and college, I never knew what a casserole was, besides a type of cooking dish. My father repeatedly announced that he did not want meat or any other type of food in his house cut into tiny pieces and put into a casserole. He felt that this was a waste of good food, especially if it was meat. So, I never saw a casserole or a one-pot meal cooked until I became an adult and started preparing food on my own. In fact, we never made a casserole in home economics classes in middle or high school, either.

Kids at school used to talk about tuna noodle casserole their moms made at home, finished off with broken potato chips on the top. I guess I didn't believe them, because I thought it was a joke (Everyone knows you eat potato chips with catsup, not noodles! - or so some of us thought.) Recalling those days, I also remember that we also never had cream soups, chip dip, or sour cream; and all mushrooms "were poison." Once I began to cook after high school, I found that all of these things can be combined into a casserole meal.

Please enjoy the recipe below. I developed it from a last-minute dish a fellow church member made in a hurry one day for her kids' lunch several years ago. She used only a pound of elbow macaroni, a can of plain diced tomatoes, and a can of tuna, all cooked on the stove top in one pan.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4 to 6 people. Adjust the ingredients to your liking. You may prefer more tomatoes or more tuna, for example. You can also add an optional 1/2 Cup sliced mushrooms, sauted with the onions in the Instructions below. This recipe uses 2% milk instead of cream soup, but you can use soup in place of the milk; e.g. cream of mushroom or cream of chicken; remembr that this will add extra salt and calories.

• 1 Number 10 Can (14 to 16 oz) diced spicy Tomatoes - Mexican, Italian, or Chile-Ready are available. Or, peel and chop a large tomato, place in a bowl, and add salt and pepper to taste. I also like cilantro in mine. Set aside.
• 1 Pound of your favorite pasta Noodles - like elbows, penne, or bow ties. Try a spinach-based or tomato-based pasta if you like. I like the green pasta with the red diced tomatoes above. If you use red and green, you can even use this for Christmastime meals.
• Olive Oil
• 1 Large Sweet Onion, peeled and chopped coarse.
• 2 Scallions or Green Onions, thinly sliced. Use all the white part and part of the green tails.
• 1, 5 oz. can of Tuna, drained; or 3/4 Cup cooked diced chicken, turkey, or pork roast.
• 1 Cup shredded Colby-Jack Cheese
• 1 Cup 2% Milk
• Lightly Salted Dried Jalapeno or Red Sweet Pepper Crisps for garnish. This is a new item made by Fresh Gourmet and available at Marc's (99 cents a package, they are salad toppings as well). You can also use potato chips or fried onion rings like Frenches or the store brands..

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cooking spray a 2-Quart cooking dish.
• Cook noodles with salted water with a little olive oil added to prevent clumping, drain, and pour into a large bowl.
• In a frying pan or saute pan medium heat, add 1 Tbsp of oil and heat. Then add sweet onions and stir while frying until tender. Add green onion and cook until just slightly tender. Remove from heat.
• Stir onions into the noodles.
• Add tuna, cheese, milk, and tomatoes and stir carefully so as not to destroy noodles.
• Pour the mixed casserole ingredients into the dish and place a lid or foil over the top.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until set firm.
• Remove lid or foil, return to oven uncovered and bake until top is golden brown.
• Remove from oven and garnish top with dried pepper crisps and serve.