Delish Thursday: 1, 2, 3 Kinds Of Cheese In This Creamy Casserole

Hi Friends!

Our oldest son’s birthday is this weekend, so to celebrate I’m going to share with you his all-time favorite recipe.

The recipe is for tuna casserole but…no, no, it’s not just any tuna casserole, it is 3-cheese tuna casserole. That is one of the reasons he loves it so much!

You have to know our son. His nickname growing up was Cheddar Cheese. He is a true and unapologetic cheese fanatic. All of our sons (as well as my husband) are! They pretty much put cheese on EVERYTHING!

Sadly, our son, Jared, and his family have moved away now (I miss them every day!), but when he comes for a visit, I try to make 3-cheese tuna casserole for him.

I am so grateful for our smart, talented oldest son. He was born almost 2 weeks late, but he was well worth the wait. He came into this world at just shy of 10 pounds and looked bald as a cue ball.

We are grateful Jared was born to us on that hot, blessed September day! He is a blessing to our family! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JARED! WE LOVE YOU!!

3-Cheese Tuna Casserole

Yield: 10 servings (This recipe can easily be cut in half for a small family, but the leftovers are delicious!)

Ingredients:

16 oz. package garden rotini pasta
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups milk
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese*
1 small package frozen peas
3 to 4 cans tuna fish, drained*
1 large can (about 6 ounces) French’s Crispy Fried Onions*
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

Grease a 9x13” casserole dish.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a saucepan, heat soup, milk and cheeses together until the three cheeses are melted.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained pasta, tuna, peas, salt, pepper and half the can of crispy fried onions.
Stir in the cheese sauce.
Pour the pasta mixture into the greased 9x13” casserole dish.
Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the foil and top casserole with the remaining crispy fried onions.
Return to oven and bake uncovered an additional 5 minutes.

Notes:

* The recipe calls for cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese. The cheddar cheese is essential, but you can substitute another soft cheese for Monterey Jack cheese or in a pinch I just double the cheddar cheese thus making it a 2-cheese casserole (don’t tell Jared!).

* I used to get by with 3 cans of tuna, but the cans have shrunk so I usually use 4 cans now. If you don’t like tuna, you can use canned chicken.

* Definitely don’t leave out the crispy fried onions. They are the highlight to this recipe!

Delish Thursday is a KDXU weekly feature written by local St. George culinary expert Laura Squires. Laura doesn't have a restaurant or bakery, but if you've ever tasted her food, you know that she is one of the best food artists in the world! Laura has been a resident of Southern Utah for more than 30 years.