A Girl and A Casserole

 On April 18, 2018 I posted about making my last tuna fish casserole, maybe. Almost four years later I broke down and made another one. Three of them.

What can I say? It's been a long January and I needed comfort food. I needed to make tuna fish casseroles and share them with two of our sons who live fairly close, whether they wanted them or not.

I needed to set a pretty table, even if it was just for myself and RH. And that is Christmas decor you see on the table. It's still here and I'm still enjoying it, still loving lights on two Christmas trees at night while we watch football games.

It will all be here until Candlemas Day on February 2. Then the bins will come out to pack it all away. I think I'll be ready by then.

 I think these were my last tuna fish casseroles, probably. 

I do like them better with fettuccine instead of macaroni, and I do love the lactose-friendly Gruyère cheese from Costco that RH can tolerate. But I did not care for substituting all chicken broth for the part-milk, part-broth recipe I used to make. But I was so tired of making two separate versions of casserole that I was willing to try.

My sons told me it was delicious, but then, they'd lie to mom not to hurt her feelings. I make cranberry sauce all fall and winter and the tartness helped cut the richness of the casserole.

And the tomato salad I make year round is one I can count on even when I switch to Costco's Campari tomatoes in winter. I adapted this from one of Ismail Merchant's recipes.

 Cut tomatoes, chop scallions and jalapeños, mince garlic cloves. Make vinaigrette of lemon juice and zest, a little Maille mustard, olive oil (you know the proportions), salt and fresh ground black pepper. Shake to emulsify and pour over and toss to serve. 

Sometimes a girl just wants a casserole. It just occurred to me that it's been eons since I've made Chicken Divan. I'll add more Gruyère to RH's Costco list.