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Aunt Bee's Famous Tuna Noodle Casserole

Name: Aunt Bee's Famous Tuna Noodle Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 12 ounce can “good” tuna (I used albacore); 2 cups cooked egg noodles; 1 8.5 ounce small can Le Seur peas, drained; 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (NOT diluted); 1 cup cream (or whole milk); ½ teaspoon curry; Optional topping: ¾ cup grated Cheddar cheese

Published: Dec 12, 2016 by Blair Lonergan

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You only need 10 minutes of prep for this Tuna Noodle Casserole. An easy dinner, made with simple ingredients that's so good it's truly unforgettable!

I've spent the past week or so sifting through old recipe files from my grandmother and her best friend, Aunt Bee. To say that it has been a step back in time would be a huge understatement.

My grandmother passed away when I was just 13, so Aunt Bee has stepped in as a surrogate grandmother -- especially in recent years. In sorting through the old files, I have uncovered personal notes that the young women exchanged, dinner party menus from the 1960's, recipe cards that are dated back to 1959, and other personal mementos that were stashed in the folders along the way.

My grandmother met Aunt Bee when their husbands served together in the army. It was a friendship that stood the test of time -- after children were born and grown, after multiple military transfers, after their husbands passed away, and right up until my grandmother's death. Aunt Bee can share stories with me that nobody else knows, and can give me a glimpse at their lives as young mothers and wives.

In a recent letter, Aunt Bee mailed me her yellowed, stained recipe card for Tuna Noodle Casserole, along with a quick story about the dish. This Tuna Noodle Casserole made her quite famous among the other military wives! It's the dish that Aunt Bee gave to other army families when (in her words), "there had been a mishap." It's the way that Aunt Bee showed love and support, and it's the meal that she made to comfort her friends and family.

In recent years, Aunt Bee's daughter-in-law, Joan, ran into someone who had received one of Aunt Bee's Tuna Noodle Casseroles after one of those tragic mishaps many, many years ago. That person told Joan that she had NEVER FORGOTTEN about Bee's kindness and the dinner that nourished her during a very difficult time.

This Tuna Noodle Casserole brings tears to my eyes because I think of my grandmother, of her incredible friendship with Aunt Bee, and of the life that they shared together long before I was born. When I prepare the simple dinner for my own family now, I feel overwhelmingly blessed for the ability to taste, touch, and enjoy the same comforting meal that my grandmother and her best friend shared so many years ago. I am grateful for this tie to the past, which is so much more than just food.

Ingredients For Making A Tuna Noodle Casserole

Good Quality Canned Tuna
Egg Noodles
Peas
Condensed Cream Of Mushroom Soup
Cream
Curry Powder

Cook's Tips

Always use high quality canned tuna for best results and flavor
Go with short egg noodles
Don't have cream? Use whole milk instead
Use condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted!
Top with grated cheddar for an extra comforting treat. If you don't have cheddar any good melting cheese will do
You can also add in other veggies such as corn or spinach

And all of the history aside, this Tuna Noodle Casserole is so darn good that it just might make you cry, too!

More Delicious Tuna Recipes To Try;

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