Mother-in-Law's Tuna Noodle Casserole

For Valentine’s Day this year I wanted to make something the whole family would love. This is a difficult task, as you have probably experienced in your own household. Someday I know my boys will be teenagers and will eat every single thing I put in front of them, even if they don’t like it. I can picture them coming home from whatever sports activity they’ve been at, sitting like stinky, hairy Neanderthals at the table, all hunched over their food and ravenous. I will not be able to make enough food for them then. I will spend every day at Costco because they will be capable of singe-handedly eating an entire box of Honey Nut Cheerios with an entire gallon of milk.

"Hey Ansen, I didn't even know I liked bloody Elk leg, but it's not that bad."
"I know what you mean, Asher. Like when your stomach feels like it's eating itself you'll eat anything."
"No joke! I'm so hungry right now I might even eat mom's cooking!"

Until that day comes, though, each night when I yell, “Dinner’s ready!” my young boys sneak timidly up to the table, close one eye and cautiously peer over the table's edge to catch a quick glimpse at what I’ve put on their plate. I watch their faces carefully in this moment. They will either fall or rise. I will hear an “I hate this!” or “I love this!” and I’ll let you guess which one happens more often.

Anyway, my wonderful mother-in-law Beth makes some really delicious food. She makes this dish called Rice Crispy Chicken which my husband asks for every year on his birthday. But I’ve stopped making it for him because it’s never the same despite me having followed the directions precisely. The only recipe of hers I have been able to perfect is this one: Tuna Noodle Casserole. Because even a non-culinary genius can master a recipe as easy as this. In fact, it’s the one recipe my own mother asks for every time she comes to visit me! And the kids love it. It’s one of those dishes where you wish you were the only one home so you could eat the entire thing and no one would ever know. It’s that good.

I’d like to thank the 1950’s housewives who invented this recipe. If you’re wondering how I know it was them, just check out the ingredients below.

Ingredients
1 can of condensed cream of celery soup
1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 measured can of milk
1 can of tuna
1 package fancy wide egg noodles
1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sprinkle of Pepper

Directions
Boil noodles according to directions. While noodles are boiling, drain tuna juice and give to your cat. 'Cause you like to reward the annoying behavior that ensues each time you pull out the can opener.

Put the tuna in a casserole dish and mash up. Add pepper.

Add cream of celery and mushroom soups and fill one of the empty cans with milk and pour that in too. Mix together.

Drain noodles and mix into casserole dish.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Sometimes I turn the broiler on to get it extra crispy.

Serve!

Tip: baby neanderthals like food better when it is served on an animal plate. Also, don't add any vegetables.

These are the yummy cupcakes I bought for dessert in celebration of Valentine’s day. They’re from Icing on the Cake – my favorite cupcake place in Bellingham. I bought two Red Velvet cupcakes since they are my favorite and I thought it would increase my chances of actually having one. Each neanderthal took one. Sad face.

"I look innocent now but once I get this sugar all up in me I'm gonna go crazy, yo. Psycho."

"I can stick my pinky finger up my nose so far I can touch my brain. And still smile!"

Oh, Ash, I can't even make fun of you. You're so damn cute.

Easy Phò

Yummy Final Product

The Beauties were lucky enough to get together last weekend and do what we do best: eat & drink! We were especially celebrating this Beauty and soon to be mama!

Beautiful Ems

Since I am in a month of retirement, after the weekend I got to go to Emily's to keep celebrating and I made dinner for her and Curtis since they both had to work. I love noodle soup and one of my very favorites is Phò.  Phò is a Vietnamese noodle soup but my favorite part is all the fresh herbs and condiments that dress it up. The biggest problem with finding a recipe that qualified as easy since they all seem to include strange cuts of meat (oxtail anyone?) and it takes hours to make the broth. Even in retirement, I don't have the patience to spend four hours making broth. But I was not deterred! There had to be a cheater way that is just as good and I think I found it!  This was yummy, easy, and a perfect meal on a cold winter night in the Northwest with some of my favorite people & furry friends.  You can also make it vegetarian very easily.  

You can find the original recipe here.

Ingredients in Cheesecloth

Easy Pho

Ingredients:

2 Boxes Beef Broth (could use Chicken or Vegetarian)
1/2 Tsp Anise
1/2 Cinnamon Stick
2 Whole Cloves
1 Tsp black peppercorns
1  slice fresh ginger root
1 T white sugar
1 T fish sauce

1 package cooked Udon Noodles (you can find in the fresh/veggie section usually)

2 packages thinly sliced pork (you could use chicken or mushrooms)

Toppings:

Sriracha
Hoisin Sauce
Chopped green onion
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped fresh basil
Bean Sprouts
Limes, quartered

Put anise, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and ginger root in cheesecloth and tie up.  Side note: We had an adventure with this. Emily had the cheesecloth but we had to do a little searching for tying it.  I probably wouldn't have even had cheesecloth but I found these at Bed, Bath, & Beyond.  If I had a kitchen, I would get some for mine.

Emily doesn't it know it yet but I bought her some!

Simmer spices in the two boxes of broth for 1 hour. Add meat of choice and simmer for 1/2 hour. The udon noodles need to be warmed up or put in boiling water for just a few minutes. If you are more of a Missy cook (aka cheater), and like we did you can put the broth and meat on top of noodles and then microwave for a minute.   Add condiments and enjoy!   The longest part of this meal is the chopping.