Back in the 1950’s, new booming American families were struggling to meet their families dietary expectations, in a shorter amount of time and economically. Thus came the grandest invention in the kitchen , the birth of the casserole!
In many cultures, the name for the a popular dish is derived from the pot in which it is made. The name for the Spanish dish “Paella” descends from the type of pan used in creating it! The Romans and many European cultures had foods named after their ‘pots.’
The name was often the only thing that the many dishes had in common, so too, are an entire group of foods called ‘casseroles.’ The casserole is traditionally a ceramic pot with a lid that is now-a-days glass.
My wife threw down a challenge! Why not try to make something better from the dish that virtually every American has tried at one time or another… the Tuna Casserole. I had a few ideas, but I wanted to survey the field as to what ingredients were being used and there seemed to be some themes.
Basically, each had some commonalities: cheese, peas, mushrooms in some form or another, and a variety of fillers ( versions of mirepoix, potato chips and bread crumbs made many interesting). The more ‘upscale recipes substituted albacore for tuna, added wine, better and more spices, and butter and olive oil.
Stay tuned… recipe to follow.
Roger Freberg
ps. by the way, the above cookbook is the classic cookbook on the American Casserole phenomenon