Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole for Throwback Thursday

I was craving tuna noodle casserole today. 

Maybe because it was raining. Maybe because

 I thought I might be coming down with
something. Whatever the reason,
it was just what I needed. 

It's comfort food.

Tuna used to come in 7oz cans, now like most 

everything else they have changed the size 

to a smaller amount (why do they do this?? 

I'd rather pay a little more for sizes that

 make sense!) Now the tuna can is 5oz.
But I digress...

It still works with this recipe.
Assemble all the ingredients.

If you have a small kitchen scale, weigh out

 your dry noodles to get 6oz. It's about 3C dry.

It's not a lot of noodles, but don't be

 tempted to use more or you'll end up 

with a dry casserole. 

 Mix everything together in a large bowl.

 Put into a buttered 2qt casserole. 

I used one of my vintage blue Corningware 

casseroles to go with this throwback dish.

Top it with buttered breadcrumbs and

bake for about 20 minutes @400º.

Eat while watching reruns of 

"The Brady Bunch".

Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 can tuna (solid white in water)

1 can cream of celery soup

1/2 C milk

1/2 C mayonnaise

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/4 t garlic powder

1/2 C chopped celery

1/3 C chopped onions

1/4 C chopped green pepper

6oz flat noodles (3C dry)

3/4-1C shredded cheddar cheese (4oz)

Topping: 2 T butter, melted

          1/2 C breadcrumbs

Begin by bringing salted water to a boil for the

 noodles. Cook the noodles for 8 minutes. 

Meanwhile in a large bowl whisk together the 

soup, milk, mayo, and seasonings. Whisk in

 the vegetables. Stir in the tuna, breaking

 up any large chunks. Add the drained noodles, 

stir to combine. Add the cheese, stir again. 

Add to a greased 2qt shallow casserole. 

Top with buttered breadcrumbs. 

Bake at 400º for 20 minutes. 

Serves 4-6

Enjoy!

Links: Between Naps On The Porch,
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Creamy Baked Chicken

September is a busy month with back to school

and new schedules so you'll need a few 

Easy Weeknight Dinners!

Here's an easy chicken recipe that's put together

 in minutes and popped in the oven.  It's a
variation of a few others I make so you can
change it up a bit.  It's also a good one to
remember when you're out of onion soup mix
for one of my other chicken recipes. 

(Links to all my easy chicken recipes
at the end of this post)

 Combine the sauce ingredients: soup, water,
sour cream, chives, and seasonings.

 You can use a can of sliced mushrooms, drained. 

I prefer fresh, sauteed in a small pan with a little

 oil or butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. 

Add mushrooms to the sauce.

 Lay the chicken breasts in a buttered casserole. 

If the breasts are large, cut them in half. 

It makes it easier to serve. 

 Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle 

the top with paprika. You can prepare it ahead

to this point. Cover with wrap and refrigerate

until ready to bake. Bring to room temperature.

Bake @390º for about 40 minutes, uncovered. 

Sprinkle the top with additional chives before
serving. We're sauce people, so anything with
a sauce is good.  It boosts the flavor of the
 main dish and we love sauce ladled on our choice
 of sides like: rice, noodles or potatoes.
I like to serve this with Uncle Ben's 

Wild Rice Mix or Rice Pilaf Mix
and a green vegetable.

Creamy Baked Chicken
3-4 chicken breasts, boneless
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 C water
1 C fresh sliced mushrooms, lightly sauteed
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 t chives, dried or fresh (plus more for topping)
1/2 t onion powder, 1/2 t garlic powder, 
1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper
1/2 t paprika for sprinkling on top
If the chicken breasts are large, cut them in half and lay in the bottom of a greased 9"x13" baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients, except paprika and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle the top with paprika. Bake @350º for 35-40 minutes, just until the chicken is cooked. Sprinkle more chopped chives on top before serving if desired.
Serve with the sauce along with rice, and a vegetable or salad
* you can also use a whole cut-up chicken, just cook longer; about 1 hour.
* you can also use cream of chicken soup instead of mushroom
* you can also just use a can of drained mushrooms instead of fresh.

Enjoy!

Links to my other Easy chicken recipes:
The Easiest Chicken and Rice Dinner..EVER!
Apricot Chicken
Oven Chicken and Vegetables Parmesan
Honey Boo Boo Chicken
Oven Chicken Cacciatore
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Mustard Chicken
Baked Greek Chicken
Cranberry Glazed Chicken
Duck Duck Chicken
Sunday Chicken
Swiss Chicken Bake
Perfect Roast Chicken
Cathy's Curry Chicken


Links: Between Naps on The Porch,
The Scoop, Dwellings, Coastal Charm,
Rattlebridge Farm, The Charm Of Home,
My Romantic Home,

Fabulous Fall Salad

This is a wonderful luncheon salad:
Roast Chicken Salad with Peaches, Goat Cheese, 

and Pecans with a Balsamic Maple Vinaigrette. 

It's a delicious mouthful!

All the flavors compliment each other

perfectly, just bursting with flavor!

 The salad dressing has a little secret 

ingredient...maple syrup. It's made with

basic pantry staples and a small shallot. 

 I added all the ingredients into one of my 

saved jars, a small dijon mustard is the 

perfect size. Just shake it up.

 You can use leftover chicken, a rotisserie chicken, 

or just grill a breast. I've done it with both.

Assemble the salad ingredients. Toast the pecans
 for about 4-5 minutes in the toaster oven while
you peel and dice your peach. A vegetable peeler

works best. If you're making this ahead of time 

for a luncheon, just put the diced peach in a small 

Tupperware bowl and toss with a little lemon juice.

Arrange the salad mix on your plate and top with

the remaining ingredients. 

Drizzle on the dressing.

 You can also mix the salad in a large bowl. 

Combine ingredients, except cheese. 

Add vinaigrette mixture, toss gently.

Sprinkle with cheese. Serve

with fresh bread and butter.

I've had this salad 3 times this week!

First at a girlfriends after we enjoyed

a game of doubles tennis, then I made it for

Larry on Saturday and again today, Monday.

Yummy, yummy!

Roast Chicken Salad with 
Peaches, Goat Cheese, and Pecans 

2 C boneless chicken breast, sliced
2 C diced peeled peaches
1/2 C thinly sliced red onion
1/4 C chopped pecans, toasted
1 bag salad greens (Spring Mix)
2 T crumbled goat cheese
Combine all ingredients, except cheese.
Add vinaigrette and toss lightly. Sprinkle
with cheese. Alternately layer ingredients
on a large plate and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Balsamic Maple Vinaigrette

3 T balsamic vinegar

2 T olive oil

1 T lemon juice

1 T maple syrup

1 t dijon mustard

1/4 t kosher salt

1/4 t pepper

1 shallot, minced (about 2T)

Combine ingredients in a jar and shake.

Enjoy!

update: I've made this salad several times
as a side and just left out the chicken.

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A Stroll Thru Life,
Between Naps On The Porch,
Designs By Gollum,
The Charm Of Home