This is the tuna rice casserole recipe that mom always made. It's flavorful, creamy, cozy, easy to make, and the buttered bread crumbs are the best things on earth.
Ingredients
2cupsbasmati rice
3cupschicken or vegetable stock
3 ½cupsmilk, divided
⅓cupcornstarch
2cupsgrated aged cheddar cheese
3cans of tuna, use the juice!
1teaspoonEACH: salt and pepper
4cupslarge croutons, gluten-free, if needed
3tablespoonsbutter, melted
2cupsfrozen peas, thawed
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the rice and stock to a medium-sized pot over high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the casserole.
2 cups basmati rice, 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Heat 3 cups of the milk in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, but not boiling, mix the remaining ½ cup of milk with the cornstarch and add it to the pot. Whisk it continuously while it thickens then remove the pot from the heat.
3 ½ cups milk, ⅓ cup cornstarch
Add the cheese and whisk until it melts. Stir in the tuna and the juice from the cans. Season with salt and pepper.
2 cups grated aged cheddar cheese, 3 cans of tuna, 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
In a large bowl, mix the croutons with the melted butter.
4 cups large croutons, 3 tablespoons butter
Spread a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x11" casserole dish. Top with half the rice, half of the sauce, and half of the peas. Repeat once more then top with the buttered croutons.
2 cups frozen peas
Bake the tuna casserole for 20-25 minutes, or until the croutons are crispy and browned and the casserole is bubbling at the edges.