If Your Parents Fed You This Casserole For Dinner, You Probably Grew Up In The '70s - Tasting Table

"Whether foodies of the 1970s were jamming out to Funkadelic and Crosby, Stills, & Nash (pre-Young), or catching the latest episode of "Sanford and Son," there's a good chance they were fueled by tuna noodle casserole. The retro comfort food of canned tuna fish dotted with peas and mushrooms, blanketed under a bubbly cheese topping, dominated dinner tables of '70s suburbia - and with its accessible, affordable, crowd-pleasing makeup, it's no mystery why."

"The dish could feed a household on a dime, required little to no culinary technique, and just as little time. The whole recipe came together in around a half hour, made mostly from low-cost, long-lasting pantry staples plus a bag of veggies from the freezer. This warming, filling casserole could easily satiate a crowd (junior's having friends over to watch "Smokey and the Bandit" in the basement? Let's toss a tuna casserole in the oven), and leftovers held up well."

"The classic tuna noodle casserole that ruled the '70s typically featured boiled egg noodles and a combination of canned ingredients - canned cream of mushroom soup, canned tuna fish, canned mushrooms, and peas (canned or frozen). The dish was often topped with grated cheese and baked until golden brown. Some preparations also elevated their tuna casseroles with a crunchy addition: a layer of crushed potato chips on top. Here at Tasting Table, we enjoy adding fresh herbs for a dilly tuna casserole."

Tuna noodle casserole functioned as an inexpensive, fast, and filling comfort food staple in 1970s American suburbs. The recipe relied on pantry staples like canned cream of mushroom soup, canned tuna, canned mushrooms, egg noodles, and peas, often using frozen vegetables. Preparation required minimal culinary skill and took about half an hour, making it ideal for feeding families and informal gatherings. Toppings ranged from grated cheese to crushed potato chips, and leftovers stored well. The dish inspires nostalgia from home-economics memories to online reminiscences and can be refreshed with herbs for modern variations.

Read at Tasting Table