Scalloped potatoes with fennel and goat cheese

I'm pretending it is actually winter and thinking about comfort food. We had some fennel and I didn't have any interesting ideas. I found this recipe on epicurious and decided to go for it. Good call. It's pretty easy, thin sliced fennel and onion and garlic are cooked in some butter, then you make a creamy cheesey sauce, then layer it with potatoes and bake. It's delicious.

Scalloped potatoes with fennel and goat cheese

Inspired by this recipe on epicurious

1 fennel bulb

1 onion
2 cloves garlic

2 T butter

1 1/2 T sorghum flour

1 c milk

salt and pepper

1/3 c crumbled goat cheese

2 potatoes, sliced very thin

Preheat oven to 375. Slice the fennel, onion and garlic very thinly, using a mandolin if you have one. Melt the butter in a saute pan, and cook the vegetables slowly until they soften. Sprinkle the sorghum flour over the top, stir and cook a minute, then stir in the milk and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and stir in the goat cheese. Layer the potatoes and creamy vegetable sauce in a small (or two small) casserole dishes. Bake 45 minutes to an hour, until potatoes are tender and the top is crusty and bubbly.

Daring Bakers March- Lasagna!

Good news. We've moved! Alex and I, not the website. We are still unpacking and assembling, which I think we will be doing for quite a while, but we're HERE. The old house still needs a little love, but we have until Tuesday to get it done. I do have the kitchen unpacked, which I guess is all that really matters.

And for the first post in the new house, this month's Daring Baker's Challenge! This month we made lasagna, which was awesome. I made every part from scratch. The noodles, the ragu, the bechemel, the ricotta (see my post on March 13), everything except the mozzarella and Parmesan. And while the whole process took about six hours, it was really, really good. I served this for dinner to some friends, and everyone ate a hefty slice, and then went back for seconds.

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

Gluten Free Egg Pasta

The choice of the first flour is personal. The original recipe called for corn flour because the subtle taste blended well with the dish. However, this is a matter of personal taste – please feel free to substitute a different flour for the corn flour but don't substitute a starch. I used rice flour and thought that was delicious.

1 c rice flour (or other flour of your choice)
3/4 c corn starch
scant 1 c tapioca starch
1 c potato starch
3/4 c sweet rice flour
1 1/2 t xanthan gum
1 t salt
6 eggs
3/8 cup of water
3 T olive oil

Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.

Whisk together 3 eggs, the water and the oil. Pour into the middle of the dry ingredients. Mix with a sturdy wooden spoon, gradually drawing more of the flour mix into the wet ingredients. Add each egg as needed. The dough will be crumbly at the beginning but will gradually come together as you add the eggs. You will need to use your hands to squeeze and mix the dough.

The dough will be firm and stick together when ready. It will not have the elasticity of gluten dough therefore it will crack when kneaded and pushed. Form it into a smooth ball, oil it lightly, and cover securely with plastic wrap. Let it rest for an hour.

Put a sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface. This is very important as the dough will not hold together very well when lifted. Have flour ready for dusting (I used rice flour) and dust the surface lightly. Cut a piece of dough about the size of really large egg – it doesn’t matter the size but start small for the first one to gauge how much space you need. Keep the remaining dough covered so it does not dry.

Roll the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc with your hands. Put it on your work surface and flatten with your hands. Use a rolling pin and gently push the dough down and out ward from the center. You may have to place one hand on the plastic wrap as you push the dough down and away. Gluten free dough does not stretch like wheat dough therefore it needs gentle flattening and pushing. If it breaks, pat it back together. If it is too dry, dab a little water with your finger. The gluten free dough will be thicker than wheat dough and you will barely be able to see your hand through the dough. Once it is flattened, cut into strips or squares that will fit your pan. Alternately, use a pasta roller, which I did.

Set the dough aside on the plastic sheet. There is no need to dry the dough. But if you do dry the dough, it will not be able to hang because it will break. Stack the rolled out dough with plastic sheets in between.

Stack the sheets when dry and wrap securely. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Freezing will make the dough crumbly and difficult to work with – so freeze only as a last resort!This dough does not need to be precooked before being assembled into the lasagne.

Cheese bechamel

4 T unsalted butter
4 T rice flour (or sorghum flour, if using that use 3 T)
2 2/3 c milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 t paprika
1 c grated cheese (I used mozzarella)

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper, and paprika, then stir in cheese.

My Version of Country Style Ragu’ (Ragu alla Contadina)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 carrot, minced
6 cloves garlic
1 lb ground beef
1 lb sausage (I used a mix of sweet and hot)
1 to 1 1/2 lb (total) cubed beef, pork and veal (often sold together in a 'gravy pack')
2 t paprika
1 t thyme
1 c red wine
1 1/2 c chicken or beef stock
2 cups milk
1 can tomatoes, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Working Ahead:
The ragu can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. It also freezes well for up to 1 month. Skim the fat from the ragu’ before using it.

Browning the Ragu Base:
Heat the olive oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrot and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Add meat to the pan, sprinkle with paprika and thyme, and slowly brown over medium heat (do this in two batches if necessary). First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull gray but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat.

Add meats back to the pot, then add the wine, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Stir ½ cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another ½ cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking.

Add the tomatoes, and cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the Lasagna

1. Lightly grease your lasagna pan. Then pour 3 T water or stock in the bottom of the pan.
2. Spread a thin layer of ragu on the bottom of the pan.
3. Place a layer of lasagna noodles (uncooked!) on the ragu.
4. Top with cheese sauce, more ragu, then a good sprinkling of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
5. Add another layer of pasta, then repeat. I had six or seven layers. Keep going until you run out of everything. Cover with a final layer of ragu and cheese.
6. Pour a tablespoon of water or stock down the each of the corners of the pan. Cover tightly with foil, and bake 45 minutes at 350.
7. Remove the foil and bake another 15, until starting to brown just a little. Let rest 15 minutes before you try to cut and serve it (longer is better).

Tuna noodle casserole

I was going to make pizza for dinner tonight. I was all excited, I bought cheese and bacon and had some tomato sauce and everything! But then when I went to make the crust, I realized I had somehow run out of yeast. Major bummer. So I dug through the cabinets and found a few cans of tuna and some elbow macaroni. Tuna noodle casserole it is! I know some of you think ew, gross, and that's ok. I didn't grow up eating tuna noodle casserole, and I've only ever had it when I make it, and I think it's delicious. Its like a tuna melt with macaroni. Or macaroni and cheese with tuna. Plus, it'd got breadcrumbs on top! How can you go wrong with breadcrumbs!?


Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 1/2 c gluten free pasta (I used elbow macaroni)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T butter
scant 2 T sorghum flour (or thickener flour of your choice)
salt and pepper
1/2 t paprika
1 1/2 c milk (I used 2%)
1 c grated cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar)
2 cans tuna, drained and broken up with a fork
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top
1/2 c gluten free breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Cook your pasta according to the directions, drain, set aside. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the onions and cook a minute or two, until starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Stir in the sorghum flour, salt, pepper and paprika and cook 1 minute, then whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until starting to thicken, 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the cheese and tuna, and stir well. Add the noodles, stir everything well, then divide into individual oven-safe dishes (or one big casserole dish). Sprinkle with a little pepper, then divide the breadcrumbs evenly over each dish, then top with a little grated Parmesan cheese. Bake 30 minutes, or until starting to brown.

My favorite food.

Corned beef. It's not glamorous. It's best boiled (in my opinion), which really goes against anything I believe in. It just feels so wrong to take a nice piece of meat, cover it with water, and let it boil. I've tried cooking it in the oven. I have, I swear. A week or two ago I even tried Elise's beautiful, tempting corned beef baked in the oven with mustard and brown sugar. I was so sure I was going to be converted. But I was so disappointed. It was so sad. The meat was dry, although the brown sugar and mustard crust was perfect. Maybe next time I will boil it, then slather on some mustard and sprinkle brown sugar over and then stick the meat under the broiler until its nice and caramelized. Probably not, though.

Corned beef is my favorite, number one of all time food. When we were kids, we'd get to pick out our special birthday dinner. What did I always want? Corned beef. It's a good thing my birthday (April 3! Coming up!) is right around St. Patrick's Day, so corned beef was always available. I stock up around now, when all the corned beef is on sale for 99 cents a pound, and keep some in my freezer. Maybe for my birthday.

Corned beef in the crockpot
This is, hands down, the easiest way to make corned beef. Your house won't get all steamy because you're boiling a big piece of meat for a few hours, you won't run up your gas bill having the oven on for five hours. You throw it into the crockpot, turn it on, and forget about it until it's almost dinner time. Throw in some cabbage, onion, potato, and whatever other vegetables you want, and give it another hour. Done. Oh, and try to save some for breakfast. Corned beef hash is so awesome.
I add mustard to mine while it's cooking, but you can skip it if you want.

1 corned beef brisket, 2-4 pounds
water
1/2 c mustard
1/2 head cabbage, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

Put the corned beef in your crockpot and cover with water just to cover. Turn on to low and cook 6-7 hours (3-4 on high), until the meat is starting to get tender. Take the meat out and add the vegetables and mustard, stir, then put the meat back on top. Cook another hour or two. Serve sliced against the grain with the vegetables and broth.

You call it American Chop Suey, I call it homemade Hamburger Helper

I have some bad news. My trusty laptop has stopped recognizing that it's plugged in, and it only has about 20 minutes of juice left. Right now I'm using Alex's Mac, which is fine (I guess), but I don't have the cord to hook my camera up to it. My laptop has this nice little slot where I just stick my memory card and poof, my pictures are uploaded. So this might be my last post for a while, unless I can quick squeeze in another session or figure out some way to get my pictures from my camera onto the computer without the cord (and without buying anything new). I'm taking my computer to the doctor tomorrow (don't worry, it's still under warranty for another few months) so cross yuor fingers they can fix it right then and not have to *sob send it away! Cross your fingers for me guys, I don't want to take a vacation from posting!

The good news is that this is a really good recipe, and takes maybe a half an hour from start to finish, and is delicious and cheap. It's also really flexible, you can switch out the ground beef for pork or chicken or sausage or whatever you want, and switch up the veggies and cheese.
American Chop Suey
This dish has as many names as variations.

1 lb ground meat
1 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
one package of mushrooms, sliced (I used shiitake but feel free to use button or crimini or anything else)
2 t paprika (I used one each of hot and smoked but use whatever you have)
1 t chili powder
1 t thyme
salt and pepper
a handful frozen corn
a can (or jar) of tomato sauce (about two cups)
1 c stock (or milk)
pasta of your choice (I used about 6 oz of Mrs Leepers rice spirals)
1 c shredded cheese (or more, cheddar or mozzarella are good)
Optional: more vegetables, such as diced carrots or peppers, sliced green beans, or any other vegetable you like. You can also splash in a bit of Worcestershire sauce if you'd like.

Heat the oil in a large pan (big enough to hold everything). Add the beef and brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the beef to a bowl, draining off all but about a tablespoon of fat. Return the pan to the heat and cook the onions until softened, then add the garlic and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are starting to brown, but nothing is burning. Add any other vegetables (except frozen corn or peas) that you're using with the mushrooms. Add the paprika, chili and thyme, some salt and pepper, and stir to coat. Add the meat back in, add the corn, and then dump in the sauce and stock and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta, cover, and cook 8-10 minutes, until the pasta is cooked. Stir in cheese right before serving, and then sprinkle with another bit of cheese when you're plating. This makes enough to serve 4 (recipe can be halved or doubled).

Three cheese and sausage lasagna

I've been wanting homemade pasta lately. At home I have a pasta roller machine I got last Christmas when I was making a lot of pasta (actually, it might have been the Christmas before), but it's been sadly out of use lately. I am back in Massachusetts, visiting my mom (who broke her shoulder) for a while, and decided tonight was the night to make pasta. Mom had some spicy sausage from Wholefoods in her fridge, and ricotta, and we ran out to get some mozzarella and we were all set. I made the pasta (really, it only took 10 minutes from the time the first ingredient hit the bowl to the time when I dropped it in the water), and mom made the sauce. Oooooh man, was this delicious. I will be making this for Alex as soon as I get back to Philly. 

Homemade Pasta 

From Bette Hagman's The Gluten Free Gourmet, with modifications

1/3 c tapioca starch

2 T potato starch

1/3 c cornstarch

2 T rice flour

1/2 t salt

1 T xanthan gum

2 eggs

1 T olive oil

Combine the tapioca starch, potato starch, cornstarch, rice flour, salt, and xanthan gum, then make a well in the middle. Mix in the eggs and oil and stir until combined. Dust your hands with rice flour and knead the dough into a ball, dusting with more rice flour as necessary. Roll very thin (as thin as you can) and cut into rough rectangles about 3"x5". Bring a pot of water to boil, with 1 t of salt and a splash of olive oil. Cook noodles 8-10 minutes, then break off a corner and taste to see if they're done. 

Drain, then run under cool water to make cool enough to handle. 

Sausage and mushroom tomato sauce

1 lb hot sausage

1 T olive oil

1 container (8 oz or so) mushrooms, sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced (or more)

1 onion, diced

1/2 c red wine

2 cans (28 oz) tomatoes, diced or crushed

1 t sugar

2 bay leaves 

1 t oregano

Brown the sausage in the olive oil, then remove to a bowl. Cook mushrooms, garlic, and onion over medium heat, then add meat back to pan. Stir in red wine and let cook a minute, then add tomatoes, sugar, bay, and oregano. Let simmer for 20 minutes. 

Vegetarian? Omit sausage, and stir in a package of thawed, frozen spinach 5 minutes before the sauce is done. 

Lasagna 

1 batch lasagna noodles, above

sausage and mushroom tomato sauce

1 c ricotta cheese

1 1/2 c grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil the bottom of your lasagna pan, then lay down a bit of sauce. Lay on top a layer of noodles, then top with more sauce. Drop teaspoonfuls of ricotta around on top of the sauce, then sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Repeat, starting with noodles, until all noodles are gone, then end with a layer of cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes, until bubbling and slightly browned. 

Chicken and biscuits

Here's another delicious winter all in one meal, that I could maybe eat every day. Or at least every day for a week, then maybe not for a while. 

Chicken and Biscuits (or dumplings)

I'm not sure if these are biscuits or dumplings, on one hand I used a biscuit dough recipe, on the other the dough is dropped and cooked in the liquid gravy, which is what dumplings are. Either way, oh maaaaaan. Chicken recipe based off a recipe from the Joy of Cooking.

3 lb chicken (I used thighs, boneless and skinless)

salt and pepper

4 T butter

1 large or 1 1/2 medium diced onions

1/2 c rice flour or sorghum flour

1 1/2 c hot water

1 1/2 c chicken stock

2 c mushrooms, quartered

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 handfuls green beans, cut into 3/4" pieces

1 t dried thyme

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1 batch biscuit dough

Cut the chicken into pieces of whatever size you'd like in your dinner. I cut mine into 1" pieces, but you can use bigger or smaller pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then melt the butter in a large pan. Add the chicken, then cook for 3-5 minutes without stirring, then toss and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan, and add the onions. Cook until slightly softened, then sprinkle with the flour and cook for a minute, then whisk in the water and stock. Bring to a boil, then add meat back to the pan with the vegetables, thyme, salt and pepper. I might add potatoes next time. 

Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, while you mix up the biscuit dough. Preheat the oven to 400. Pour the chicken and gravy into an oven safe casserole dish, then plop the dough on top in meatball sized balls. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown, and serve hot. 

I might, just for fun, try cooking the whole thing on the stove next time, covered, like dumplings. But I would make the dumplings smaller to make sure they cook all the way. 

Blue cheese green bean casserole

I got back from a week in NY tonight, and Alex had bought me some green beans to go with the ribs I was making for dinner. Since he and our boy friends are all watching football (boooooooring), I wanted to make something that might take me a few minutes longer than something I would normally make for dinner to keep me entertained. Talking to boys when they're watching football is like talking to a 3 year old whos engrossed in watching Sesame Street. No answer to anything. Anyway, I wasn't sure how this would come out, but it was great. The boys devoured it, I was nervous it would be too much but nope! Perfect for me and 3 boys. I know this is a holiday food, but come on. It's cold out. This is a good cold weather side. 
Fried Onions

1/2 onion, cut in half and cut into thin rings

1 c milk 

salt and pepper

3/4 c rice flour (or flour of your choice)

oil for frying

Soak onions in the milk for 15 minutes, and combine the flour, salt and pepper in another bowl. After soaking, shake extra milk off onions and toss in the flour. Heat oil over medium heat until when you drop an onion in it sizzles a bit, but not ferociously because you want the onions to cook for a few minutes, not immediately. Cook onions in batches until browned, then drain on paper towels. 

Blue Cheese Cream Sauce

2 T butter

2 T sorghum (or rice) flour

1 c milk

salt and pepper

1 t hot sauce

1/2 c crumbled blue cheese

Melt the butter over medium heat, then stir in the flour. Let cook a minute or two, then whisk in the milk, then salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Cook 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened, then stir in the blue cheese and cook on low a minute until melted. 

Casserole

2-3 c chopped green beans

blue cheese cream sauce

fried onions

1/2 c gf breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a casserole dish, then put the beans in and pour the cream sauce over. Stir to coat, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs and fried onions. Bake about 45 minutes, covering with foil if the top gets too brown. 

Sweet Corn Pudding

Even though it's been pretty warm here, it is miserable outside tonight. Alex rode his bike to school and when he got home he was soaked and miserable. Luckily I am wonderful and prepared him a hot comforting meal, including this corn 'pudding'. The recipe I used was for a sweeter pudding, but I decreased the sugar and added cheese and pepper. Next time I might add some diced onion and maybe a tiny bit of hot sauce. This took oh, about 2 minutes to whip together, then I left it alone in the oven for an hour and that was it! I love things like that. 

Sweet Corn Pudding

Based off the recipe on Cakespy's awesome post on presidential holiday desserts

1 T rice flour

2 eggs

1 T sugar

3/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

3/4 c milk

2 T butter, melted

1/2 c grated cheese (or more)

2 c corn (I used frozen)

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a small casserole dish. Mix together rice flour, eggs, sugar, salt, pepper, milk, and butter together until smooth. Stir in cheese and corn, pour into casserole, and bake about an hour, until no longer jiggly in the center. 

chilaquiles, or the most delicious, easy dinner ever

When Dana came to visit over Thanksgiving, we ordered from the Mexican place down the street (around the corner, really, Taqueria Los Jalapenos), that Alex, Sarah and I love. Everything there is great, the woman who runs it laughs at us because we get so much food for so few people, and it's a good "I don't feel like cooking tonight let's order out" option. They redo their menu every few months, and something was added that we hadn't had before. Chilaquiles. The menu reads: Tortillas en salsa verde con huevo, bistek, o pollo. We called to see if it was corn or flour tortillas, and it's corn. So we ordered, with chicken, and it was delicious. Except for one thing. It was too spicy for us to eat more than a few bites at once. Dana and I both like spicy food (bet you never saw that coming, Ma!) but this burned our mouths. And lips. But it was so good. So we kept eating, alternating with whatever else we got (I don't remember).
But we kept thinking about it. Maybe a month later, Dana emailed me to tell me she made it at home, after looking it up on the web. She said it was so good! And that I should make it ASAP. That ASAP turned into last week. I finally made it. I did it a little different than she did, I baked mine istead of making it on the stovetop, and I used cheddar instead of queso fresco because I didn't have it. And Oh My God it was good. I made it for myself on a day that I didn't think Alex would be home, but he ended up coming home early and eating with me. We licked the pot clean. It was so good. Chilaquiles are a mixture of salsa, chips, and cheese, with meat or other things if you want to add them. The day after I made them I was telling my co-workers about them, because we usually have "What did you have for dinner last night" discussions. Both the people I was talking to about it went home and made it that night, one with soy chicken and the other with ground beef. They both came back the next day raving. My mom made it last night, she said it was too spicy (don't use spicy salsa!!) but that her boyfriend loved it. If I wasn't worried about getting sick of it, I'd make it every night for at least a week.
My recipe is in no way authentic, but it is delicious. Add whatever you want to it, make it without cheese, without meat or use different meat, use a red salsa instead of green. Use stale tortilla chips instead of frying your own. Bake the tortillas in the oven (as my mom did) instead of frying them for a less greasier option. Use your imagination.

Chilaquiles
1 jar salsa, I love this with Frontera verde, not so much with the 365 Wholefoods pictured at the top, it was too spicy for me, but Alex and Sarah liked it.
1 package (6-12) corn tortillas, or a bag of stale tortilla chips
a few pieces of chicken (or leftover chicken)
your choice of cheese
sour cream
1/2 to 1 c chicken broth or water

Heat the oven to 350.
Cut the tortillas into strips or triangles. Heat a pan of oil, fry the chips quickly and drain on paper towels. I like to salt them when they're just out of the oil, then eat some while I'm frying the rest.
Heat the salsa and broth in a pan, add chicken. Cook chicken through, cut up into small pieces or shred. Grate the cheese.
In alternating layers, place into a casserole dish: salsa first, then chips, then chicken, then the salsa-stock mix, then cheese. Repeat until you have no more chips left, sprinkle cheese all over the top and dot with sour cream. Bake 20-45 minutes, however long you want to wait. If you don't care that the chips will disintegrate, cook for longer.

tuna noodle casserole and twice baked (christmas) potatoes

I've never had tuna noodle casserole. It's not something my mom made, so I never had it. As I was thinking about what to make for dinner yesterday while at work, I decided on tuna. I was going to make bread and tunafish salad and have sandwiches, but decided against it. When I searched around on the internet for ideas about what to do with a can of tuna, tuna noodle casserole kept popping up. I read a few recipes, then decided to wing it. It was really good. It was just what I wanted - cheesey, warm, filling, tuna-ey. I made enough for Alex and I to each have a bowl, with a little leftover. When Aled went downstairs for seconds, he said "That's it!?" terribly disappointed. Oh well, it was easy enough I can make it again anytime, and it's one of those things that I always have the ingredients on hand for.
To go along with the tuna noodle casserole (not enough starch! ha), I made what I call "Christmas potatoes". Really, they're twice baked potatoes, but one time when I told a friend what I was making for dinner, he hadn't heard of them. So I described them to him, and he said "Sounds like Christmas!" and so the name stuck. These are something I've been making since a kid, they're so easy and delicious.

Tuna Noodle Casserole
This makes enough to serve 2, with one second helping. I didn't want leftovers in the fridge. You can double it for more people.

1/2 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 T butter
1 1/2 T sweet rice flour
1 c milk
salt and pepper to taste
about 1 c cheese (your choice, I used cheddar)
1/2 c breadcrumbs
1 can tuna
1 1/2 c rice pasta
Preheat oven to 350, and butter a casserole dish. Cook pasta, drain, and put in casserole. Add tuna. Saute onion, garlic and celery in 1 T butter until softened. Add to casserole. Make cheese sauce: Melt 2 T butter, whisk in rice flour, cook, whisking, 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, salt and pepper, cook until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in cheese until melted. Pour into casserole, mix everything together. Melt last T of butter, toast breadcrumbs in butter. Sprinkle over tuna cheese noddles, bake about 30 minutes, until browned and bubbling.

Christmas Potatoes
2 potatoes, scrubbed and pricked all over with a fork
2 T butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 c milk
1 c cheese (your choice, I usually use cheddar and parm, I used a really good aged Gouda this time and it was awesome), grated
a little hot sauce

Microwave the potatoes, on a paper towel, for about 10 minutes, turning halfway through, until fork-tender. Preheat the oven to 350. Cut potatoes in half the long way, and scoop out the insides carefully into a bowl, trying not to break up the skin. Place the 4 skin boats onto a cookie sheet. Mash the potatoes with the rest of the ingredients, then scoop the mix into the skins. Sprinkle with a little more cheese if desired, then bake about 20 minutes until beginning to brown.