One perfect week in 1998 changed my tuna casserole forever

Grandma was laid up with a bad hip and I stayed at her place in Cleveland. She made me her tuna casserole with crushed potato chips on top and canned peas, which everyone I know says is a crime against food. Still eat it that way 26 years later, anyone else got a family recipe that people judge you for?

2 comments

2 Comments

sage_dixon26d ago

Hate on the canned peas all you want but hear me out - they hold their shape better than frozen in a casserole and don't turn into mush. The potato chip topping is the real star here anyway, gives it that crunch and salt that ties everything together. People judge me for putting crushed saltines on my mom's chicken divan but that's just how the recipe goes in my book.

jones.anna26d ago

Oh come on, I gotta push back on this! Canned peas are like little rubber bullets in a casserole, they have that weird metallic taste that just never cooks out no matter how long you bake it. Frozen peas actually have that pop of sweetness and they don't get mushy if you just throw them in frozen and don't thaw them first. And I'm sorry but potato chips on top are just a gimmick, crushed up cornflakes or even plain breadcrumbs with some butter give way better crunch without that greasy chip aftertaste. Saltines on chicken divan though? That I can almost get behind because they soak up the sauce better, but you're still fighting a losing battle with those canned peas dragging everything down.