mactuna casserole

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Guess what? Nope. Guess again. No. Guess again. Okay, I don’t know why you’d even suggest that. Cheesus. I’m just going to tell you. The Cat Farm is getting a major internet overhaul today. Yup. We’re getting FibreOp 2.0. We don’t know what the hell that is, but we know we like anything 2.0. Also, we’ve been told that we can watch television shows that we record in the basement when we are upstairs in bed. That’s basically what sold us. Oh, and then they told us that our internet speed will be smokin’ and that uploads will be blazing fast. That’s when 2.0 asked me what uploading is.

So, because some men are coming and taking my internet away in a few minutes, and because I love you and didn’t want you to head into the weekend without a little movita, I present to you: MacTuna Casserole. 2.0 made up that name – he said it makes the casserole sound like a Scottish dude. Macaroni, cheese, tuna and a little bacon on top. Your grandmother would approve. Your cardiologist? Not so much.

This makes a 2 quart casserole dish of heart stopping delight. You can serve about 4-5 people with it. Or two people and three cats. You could also divide the casserole into cute ramekins. That’s portion control, friends, and your cardiologist would probably approve of that. (The internet men just called. They are on their way. My fingers are currently typing as if possessed by a 30 Mbit/s upload speed!)

Okay, I’ve gotta go. Enjoy the internet without me today. Perhaps organize yourselves into some sort of movita fan club/street gang. One of you could design the jackets… let me know how it works out.

. . .

MacTuna Casserole – print, bake and stuff in your face

Yields one 2 quart baking dish.

• 2 cups uncooked macaroni
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cans (170 grams each) flaked tuna packed in water, drained

Topping:

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (optional)
• bacon, crisped and diced (optional)
• butter (optional)

Cook macaroni to al dente and drain. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, and saute onion and celery until tender, about three minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Whisk in the flour and Worcestershire sauce. Keep the mixture moving over the heat for a minute. Gradually whisk in milk, making sure no lumps remain. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and just begins to boil. Remove from heat.

Whisk in the cheddar cheese, sour cream and pepper. Stir in the tuna. Stir in the macaroni. Turn into a 2 quart casserole dish. (You could also divide the casserole into ramekins, and then reduce your baking time by about half.)

Top with bread crumbs, bacon bits and/or dabs of butter. Bake uncovered at 350°F degrees for 20-25 minutes.

note: you can make this the casserole ahead of time – make up until the baking stage and then refrigerate – you will need to increase your cooking time by about 10 minutes as it will be cold.