Right, so today I found myself wrestling with a classic: the tuna potato casserole. It’s one of those things, isn’t it? Sounds simple, and it mostly is, but there are always little bits and pieces to remember, or forget, depending on the day.
Getting the Base Right
First things first, the potatoes. I always tell myself I’ll buy the “right” kind for mashing, but usually, it’s just whatever’s in the bag in the pantry. So, I peeled a bunch. Seemed like enough. You never really know until it’s all mashed up, do you? Got them boiling away. I did remember to salt the water this time. Small victories.
While those were bubbling, I tackled the tuna. Just the regular canned stuff. Draining it is always a bit of a faff. I try to press the lid in, and half the time, tuna water (or oil, if you’re using that kind) goes everywhere. But, got it done. Flaked it into a bowl. Job done, mostly.
Then I thought, what else? Onion, definitely. Chopped one up pretty fine. My eyes weren’t too bad today, surprisingly. Sometimes I dice up celery too, for a bit of crunch, you know? But I was fresh out. It’s always something. You plan a meal, and then the fridge spirits have taken one crucial ingredient. Happens to the best of us, I suppose.
Putting It All Together – The Slightly Messy Part
Once the potatoes were soft, I drained them. Mashed them up with a bit of butter and a splash of milk. I don’t go for that super-smooth, restaurant-style mash. A few lumps give it character, I reckon. Plus, who has the energy for all that sieving? Not me, not today.
Now, the main event of mixing. I usually just dump the flaked tuna and the chopped onion straight into the potatoes. Some folks make a separate sauce, maybe with some cream of mushroom soup. Yeah, I’ve done that. It’s good. Today, though, I was aiming for fewer dishes. So, tuna, onion, into the potato mountain it went. Stirred it all up. Added a good handful of grated cheese right into the mix. Why not? Cheese makes everything better.
Oh, seasoning! Almost forgot. Salt, pepper. Maybe a pinch of paprika if I’m feeling fancy. Today, just salt and pepper. Kept it simple.
Then you get your baking dish. I’ve got this one, old faithful, probably seen a thousand casseroles in its lifetime. Greased it up a bit, then spooned the whole mixture in. Spread it out as evenly as I could. It’s not an art form, just get it in the dish.
The Bake and The Wait
Topped it with more cheese. Lots more cheese. Cheddar, mostly. That’s the best bit, isn’t it? The crispy, cheesy top. Sometimes I crush up some potato chips or crackers for extra crunch on top, but today, cheese felt like enough. It was already looking pretty hearty.
Then into the oven. I usually go for around 180°C, 350°F, something like that. Until it’s hot all the way through and the cheese is all melted and bubbly and golden brown. You just kind of know when it’s done. The smell starts filling the kitchen. That’s the signal.
Took it out, and it looked pretty decent, actually. All golden and bubbling away. The important part is letting it sit for a few minutes before you dive in. Otherwise, you’ll scald your mouth. Learned that lesson more than once, believe me. Molten potato and tuna is no joke.
And that was that. Tuna potato casserole. Not exactly gourmet cooking, but it’s filling, it’s comforting, and it used up what I had. Plus, there are usually leftovers, which is always a bonus. Cleaning up the potato pot is still the worst bit, though. That starchy mess. Oh well.
