Tuna Noodle Casserole was not part of my childhood experience. In fact, I don’t think I’d ever had a Tuna Noodle Casserole until a dinner party I went to in 2010 that I wrote about. And honestly, I didn’t really think about it again until about a month ago. I was searching Pinterest for ideas for dinner during my meat free Lent time, and saw some beautiful picture of a casserole and decided I had to go for it. The recipe I came across seemed a little dull, so I decided to kick it up a notch.

Bam!

The basic base of Creole cooking- celery, onion, and peppers, and some of my favorite seasoning, Tony Chachere’s, bring this casserole to another level. It is a little spicy, creamy, and comforting. I ate this casserole up in no time. I look forward to making another. I never would of thought that a tuna casserole would make it into my regular rotation, but I loved this dish.

I love food surprises.

Next time, I’ll take pictures before I eat it all…. Probably.

Creole Tuna Noodle Casserole

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 celery stalks, small diced
• 1/4 onion, small diced
• 1/4 red bell pepper, small diced
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño
• 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 6 ounces flat egg noodles
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 6 ounces nice canned tuna, drained

For the topping:

• 1 tablespoon minced parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup crushed crackers: Saltines or Ritz

For the casserole:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish, and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot and butter foams, add celery, onion, jalapeño, and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned.
3. Add Creole Seasoning and flour to vegetable mixture, stirring until flour is well incorporated. Cook for 1 minute, then slowly pour in milk, stirring well to make sure no lumps of flour are left. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in sour cream and mustard, and set aside.
4. Once the water is boiling, add egg noodles and cook until they are slightly tender and still white in the middle, about 3 minutes. Drain.
5. Stir cheddar and egg noodles into vegetable-and-milk mixture. Flake tuna into mixture, and stir gently. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

For the topping:

1. Combine parsley, butter, cheddar, and saltine crumbs in a mixing bowl, using your hands to mix well until all butter is incorporated. Sprinkle mixture evenly over casserole.
2. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until crackers are golden and casserole is bubbling.

Enjoy!