Tuesday, Mar. 17, 2009

McCray: Tough times call for comfort food

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Tuna casserole can't hold a candle to, say, chocolate, but does rank high on my list of comfort foods.

If I were one to sit around and think about these things — and I am — I'd say it comes in at No. 3, just behind mashed potatoes and a Hershey bar with almonds.

I chose tuna casserole for several reasons:

• It's cozy and homey. There's something about cream sauce that makes me think of Mom.

• I'm stressed. Who isn't? The economy ... the kids ... the job. Bring on the cream sauce.

• I was under the mistaken impression my children would eat it. They love tuna, they love noodles, they love cream sauce. How could they not love tuna casserole?

Because 4- and 6-year-olds don't like combined foods, that's why. Four- and 6-year-olds often don't like foods that touch one another, or foods that are in close proximity to one an other, or foods that share the same universe.

I know this from experience, but I still wanted to try the casserole.

Shopping was easy. My grocery store had all the ingredients, including the tuna packed in olive oil. (Why is this necessary? I'm sure my mom never used this fancy stuff when she mixed up her version).

Making the dish was tedious. The recipe called for making a sherry-spiked cream sauce — from scratch. (Again, I'm sure Mom never did this). Then there were the homemade bread crumbs and the pasta. By the time the dish made it to the oven, the sink was overflowing with pots, bowls — even the blender — waiting to be washed.

When it was finally done — and I mean finally — my masterpiece looked like a run-of-the-mill casserole. There was no indication that I spent much of the evening slaving over it (other than the state of the kitchen, that is).

The taste? Pretty good, although I expected much more creamy goodness for the amount of work that went into it. It seemed a bit dry, and didn't have much of the sherry-mushroom flavor I was hoping for.

The kids? They wouldn't try it.

Note to self: Always separate food before serving.

Or skip the main dish and go directly to chocolate.

Bee staff writer Kerry McCray can be reached at 578-2358 or at kmccray@modbee.com.

'Tuna noodle casserole conjures up all kinds of great childhood memories and aromas. My mother use to make this on a cold winter night topped with potato chips. I love this updated recipe ...'

This tuna noodle casserole is thrifty. The leftovers were very good, too.

There are just too many steps for what's essentially just another tuna casserole.

This wasn't overly fishy, which I liked.

What a hit. It took quite a bit of preparation (and quite a few dishes), but most of the ingredients were staples that I had readily available.

I have been trying to update my recipe for a tuna noodle casserole for several years now. I think I have finally found the right one.

Although I prefer to cook with fresh rather than processed ingredients, I think I'll continue to make tuna casserole recipes that call for a Campbell's condensed soup rather than having to prepare what amounted to a homemade equivalent of one by making a cream sauce from scratch.