Tuna and Noodles Hot Dish

Ingredients:
4 ounces wide egg noodles (slightly more than 2 cups)
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (see substitution below)
1/2 C milk
2 cans (5 oz each) of tuna in water, drained
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1 C potato chips, coarsely crushed
1/2 C frozen peas (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish; set aside. See variations below.
2. Cook noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions, until al dente (about 5-6 minutes). Drain.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together condensed soup and milk. Gently stir in the cooked noodles, tuna and peas (if using). Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
4. Sprinkle cheese on top, then crushed potato chips.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the inside is hot and bubbly.

Variations:

• Double the ingredients and bake in a deep 9x13-inch dish to serve a larger crowd.
• Double the recipe. Tightly wrap 1 pan full with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for another meal. See "How to Freeze" section for details.
• Top the hot dish with crushed Ritz crackers, buttered breadcrumbs, crushed French-fried onions, or crushed cornflakes cereal instead of potato chips.
• Omit the peas, or substitute with a different vegetable like leftover corn or blanched broccoli florets, steamed or canned green beans or frozen (thawed) mixed vegetables.
• Add canned mushrooms or sauteed fresh mushrooms.
• Substitute leftover chicken or turkey in place of the tuna!

Story:
Tuna and noodles hot dish, aka casserole, is part of the upper, Midwest's unique food story. This recipe is similar to the one from a Campbell’s soup label. Is the quick supper that many of us grew up on! It’s a quick “from the pantry” meal that appeals to all ages. Maybe it’s the potato chip crust! We called Mrs. DeCur's version “Toodles and Nuna,” a slip of the tongue that stuck! What’s your favorite “hot dish” memory?

About Campbell's:

• The humble beginnings of this company and the innovations and acquisitions that followed are not unlike the stories of other world food giants.  In 1869, Joseph Campbell, a wholesale produce vendor teamed up with Abraham Anderson, a commercial canner and packer to form Anderson & Campbell in Camden, New Jersey.  Soon the first jar of Beefsteak Tomato Soup became the signature product of what would soon be called Campbell’s Soup Company. By 1897, chemist John T. Dorrance invented condensed soup. He followed his father as CEO. Campbell’s products were distributed nationwide by 1911.  They now have plants worldwide!
• In 1915, the company acquired “Franco-American”; “V-8” in 1941; "Pepperidge Farm" in 1963; “Pace Foods” in 1995; “Pacific Foods” in 2017; “Snyder’s-Lance” in 2018.  The list of familiar products under the Campbell umbrella is long including Swanson Pot pies, Prego, Milano cookies, and Goldfish!
• Not without health controversies, Campbell’s lowered and then increased the salt content of its soup products.  Like other canners,  they address concerns over bisphenol A (BPA) chemicals in can linings and have agreed to label products that contain genetically modified (GMO) ingredients.
• Descendants of the Dorrance family still own a large block of shares in the company.  Speculation continues as to when they might sell to a larger food conglomerate. If you are interested in big business, the Forbes' Magazine story of what these heirs will do now reads a bit like a “soup” opera of conflicted characters!

Forbes' listed the 10 largest food companies in 2022: They are Nestle, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, Coco-Cola Co, Mondelez International, Arthur-Daniels-Midland Company, Diageo PLC, Kweichow Moutai Co, Tyson Foods Inc and Danone (aka Dannon).

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