Jack’s Mexican Tuna Casserole

By the Author of Dear Diary: It’s Me, Jessica

They said it could not be done.  Some said it should not be done.  One even said, “It goes against the laws of nature!”

But here it is!  Jack’s Mexican Tuna Casserole that was mentioned in Jessica’s recent diary entry. 

Ingredients

• Egg noodles
• Onions, chopped
• Jalapenos, diced
• Garlic, minced
• Corn tortillas
• Flour
• Butter
• Chicken broth 
• Whole milk/half and half/light or heavy cream
• Taco/Fajita/Mexican seasoning mix (homemade or store-bought)
• Tuna
• Frozen peas
• Queso blanco cheese (Mexican melting cheese), cubed
• Oil/bacon grease

When I informed my wife I was making this, she said, “That is all you!  I’m ordering out!”

Cannot imagine why.

So, I made a single serving.  Adjust accordingly to how many you are planning on feeding.  It does not have to be limited to just tuna.  You can use canned boneless, skinless salmon.  Chicken, ground beef, Spam, it is all good!  Okay . . . maybe not the Spam.  

Adjust the ingredients to your taste.  Like a lot of jalapenos?  Add lots!  Don’t like jalapenos?  Don’t add any.  Like red onions better than yellow onions?  Have at it!  I make my own Mexican seasoning and used two tablespoons.  If I were making a pound of egg noodles, I am guessing somewhere between six tablespoons and nine tablespoons.  Again, you may like it a bit stronger.  Adjust according to your own taste.

In the interest of keeping the number of pots down, I only used two: A small pot to cook the noodles in and a small 2qt cast iron Dutch oven for everything else.  If you don’t have a small cast iron Dutch oven, you will need a third, oven-proof pan or casserole dish greased with butter or bacon grease.  

Directions

Heat the oil/bacon grease in the Dutch oven over medium heat.  When hot, add a corn tortilla.  Note, the tortilla will puff up.  In order to keep the center frying in the oil/grease, I set a metal potato masher on the tortilla.  Flipping a few times, fry the tortilla until crispy, and adjust the heat to keep it from burning.  Set the tortilla on paper towels to drain while frying the other tortillas.  I used two.  For a pound of egg noodles, I would use five or six.  

Wipe the pot of all but one tablespoon of oil/grease.  Saute onions till browned on one side.  Remove and set in a separate bowl.  For a pound of egg noodles, I would use one large onion.

If necessary, add more oil/grease and saute jalapenos till browned on one side.   

Add the garlic to the jalapenos and cook till fragrant, about thirty seconds to one minute. Remove and set in the same bowl as the onions.  For a pound of egg noodles, this one is strictly up to your own taste!

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cook the egg noodles for two minutes less than the package directions advise.  Drain.

Heat equal parts of chicken broth and milk/half and half/cream in either a microwave or in the same pot the noodles were cooked in, till warm.

Wipe the Dutch Oven clean with paper towels (don’t burn yourself!).  Add butter and melt over medium heat.  Add an equal amount of flour.  Whisk over medium heat until it thickens, bubbly and a light golden yellow.  This is the base for a bechamel sauce.  I used one tablespoon of butter to one tablespoon of flour.  For a pound of egg noodles, I am thinking three to four tablespoons of each.

Whisk in the warm chicken broth and milk/half and half/cream.  Continue to whisk as it comes to a simmer and thickens.  I used ¾ of each for my single serving.  For a pound of egg noodles, try one and a half cups of each.

Add taco/fajita/Mexican seasoning and whisk till well blended.  Again, I used two tablespoons of my own homemade taco seasoning.  For a pound of egg noodles, six to nine tablespoons, based on your taste.  Note that most store-bought packets are about three tablespoons of seasoning.  

Turn off the heat and remove your Dutch Oven from the stove.

Add the onions, jalapenos, and garlic.

Add the tuna.  I used half a can of tuna or three ounces.  For a pound of egg noodles, I’d use ten to twelve ounces of tuna.  

Add peas.  It’s totally up to you how much.  I like peas.  Others, not so much or not at all!

Add noodles and about 3/4ths of the cheese and mix everything well.

Crush the tortillas and add for the topping.

Add the remaining cheese to the topping.

Place your Dutch oven in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or when the sauce is bubbling, and the cheese on top is melted.  Remove from oven.  

Let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

About 1stMarineJarHead

1^stMarineJarHead is not only a former Marine, but also a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter.

He currently resides in the great white (i.e. snowy) Northeast with his wife and dogs. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, occasionally hogs, cows and sometimes ducks. He grows various veggies and has a weird fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys reading, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, target shooting, and is currently expanding his woodworking skills.