Tuna Noodle Casserole

One of my favorite comfort foods is good old-fashioned Tuna Noodle Casserole. I'm a fan of my own cooking, but once in awhile I find something that someone else has made that is so wonderful, I get just plain giddy. I eat lunch with *Lunch Buddies* weekly, usually on Wednesdays. We meet at a small, home-style restaurant in Tumwater called the Mason Jar. They serve homey entrees which change each day. My favorite by far is their Tuna Noodle Casserole - I just refer to it as TNC for short ;-) While my old TNC was passable, I was inspired to try to recreate the Mason Jar's TNC at home. I think I've succeeded pretty well. When I visited my good friend, Aunt Pitty Pat, in Kansas a few months ago, I made my TNC for her. She thought it was so yummy that she coerced me into making a second pan the day before I left so she could put some in the freezer for later. Of course, I obliged! Here's my rendition of TNC (although I do add crushed potato chips and they don't) - and definitely not a "diet" food!

Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 cup frozen peas
1 10 3/4-ounce can Cheddar Cheese Soup
2 10 3/4 –ounce cans Cream of Mushroom Soup (I usually use low salt or low sodium)
2 12-ounce cans chunk white Albacore tuna, well-drained (yes, 2 big 12-ounce cans! You won’t say “Where’s the tuna?” in this recipe!)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (Johnny’s, Lowry’s, etc.)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 large onion, minced
4 ounces sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces medium cheddar cheese, grated (Yup, more cheese!)
1 inch piece cut from a 2-pound block of Velveeta Cheese, chopped (Yup, even more cheese!)
12- or 16-ounce bag of egg noodles or sprials, cooked al dente and drained
1 Ziploc sandwich bag of crushed potato chips (keep adding chips to a sandwich-size Ziploc bag and crushing them until the bag is mostly filled)


Combine all ingredients except crushed chips in a large bowl and mix well. Spread in a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the crushed chips. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Yummmm-O!!!!!