Tuna Noodle Casserole (Pioneer Woman)

By zircon50

Ingredients

• 12 ounces wide egg noodles
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, plus extra for buttering the baking dish
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 ounces white button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups warmed whole milk
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Three 6.4-ounce cans white albacore tuna in water, drained
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• Serving suggestions: a green salad and crusty bread

Details

Level of difficulty Average
Cost Average budget

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the egg noodles to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the mixture and stir so that the flour coats the onions and mushrooms thoroughly. Cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the milk and sherry and whisk to combine. Cook the sauce until it's nice and thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste and stir. Adjust the seasoning to make sure the sauce is adequately salted.
Add the tuna and stir it into the sauce. Then stir in the bell pepper and 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Stir in the noodles until they're coated. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and transfer the noodle mixture to the dish.
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a bowl in the microwave; stir it around with the breadcrumbs and remaining tablespoon of parsley.
Top the casserole with the breadcrumbs and bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve piping hot with a green salad and warm crusty bread.