Mom Tip: I store my cans of tuna in the fridge so it’s already cold. It just makes sense to me.

Plain Tunafish

This is the plain Jane version that you kids like.

• can of Bumblebee solid white Albacore tuna in water
• mayo (Duke’s is the best!)

Open can and drain liquid by turning upside-down and pressing on lid to compress. Place tuna in a bowl and break up with a fork. Add mayo a little at a time until it is just moist.

For this version, I prefer soft white bread with butter. Leave the butter on the counter or nuke in the microwave for 10 seconds. Spread liberally on both sides on the bread. It’s weird, but once you’ve had a tunafish sandwich with butter, you can’t go back!

Tuna Noodles

You kids lived on ‘tuna noodles’ when you were younger. I think the rest of America calls this tuna salad, but your name stuck!

I literally take the above recipe for plain tunafish and add extra mayo. Then, I add cooked, drained, and cooled elbow noodles. You want the mixture slightly on the ‘soupy’ side because the noodles will soak up the mayo. Chill several hours or, preferably, overnight.

Mom’s Tunafish

This is how I like it for sandwiches.

• can of Bumblebee solid white Albacore tuna in water
• mayo (Duke’s is the best!)
• finely diced red onion
• finely diced celery
• dried dill, maybe 1/2 tsp to taste

Mix. Serve on wheat or sourdough toast, or soft white bread with butter as above. Sometimes I add Swiss cheese, tomato, and lettuce.

I know you guys love capers! #Understatement … you could add some capers and lemon juice to this version.

Matthew McConaughey’s Tunafish

This is not my recipe, but a tweaked version of actor Matthew McConaughey’s. It is so odd that I had to try it and see what all the fuss was about. It’s addictive. Dad hated it. I couldn’t get enough! See for yourself.

• 12 oz. can of Bumblebee solid white Albacore tuna in water (the big can)
• 3 TB lemon juice
• 1/3 cup mayo (again- Duke’s is the best!)
• 2 tsp Wasabi paste
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup diced dill pickle
• 1/4 cup diced red apple
• 1/3 cup crispy dried jalapeno (it’s with the salad toppers in grocery store)
• 1/2 TB honey
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/3 cup frozen peas

Mix all and let sit overnight. Serve, open-face, on toast, or with crackers. Seriously good stuff!

Tuna Melts

This version was all the rage when I was a kid. I like tuna melts but don’t make them because dad thinks it is gross. LOL

Make the tunafish mixture any way you like (Version 1, 3, or 4) and place on a plain hamburger bun bottom. Add a slice of cheese. American cheese is classic, but Swiss or cheddar work, too. If you are feeling fancy, add a slice of tomato under the cheese.

Bake 375* for 5 minutes and then broil until the cheese melts. Remove from oven, add the top of the hamburger bun and enjoy.

Tuna melts are also made like a grilled cheese sandwich on bread and grilled in butter until the cheese is nice and melty.

My Tuna Casserole

When Auntie Sheila came home from college for the weekend, this is what she asked me to make her every single time. It’s good. Like, really good!

• 12 oz bag of egg noodles, cooked & drained
• 12 oz. can of Bumblebee solid white Albacore tuna in water (the big can)
• 1 cup frozen peas (you could use finely diced celery, if that’s what you have on hand)
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups swiss cheese

Mix all but 1 cup of cheese. Place in greased casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake 375* for 20 minutes or until cheese is browning and its warmed through. Eat!

There are tons of other things people put in their tuna casserole, from mushrooms to potato chips, but I’ve found that the key is lots and lots of cheese

That’s it. 6 ways we make tunafish in this house. Enjoy! xo

• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesean cheese
• 1 TB mayo
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• black pepper (I don’t add salt because parm can be salty)

Mix really well and form into smallish balls. Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for 30 minutes at 400* Ta-da! Done!

• 2 lbs ground turkey (you could use ground chicken, too)
• 2 cups Rice Chex, crushed (food processor or rolling pin and Ziploc)
• 4 carrots, minced (food processor or cheese grater/cowbell)
• 1 zucchini, minced with the carrots
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1 TB Italian seasoning
• 1/2 TB onion powder
• 1/2 TB garlic powder
• liberal amount of pepper and seasoning salt

Prep all your ingredients and add them to a big mixing bowl. Squish everything together with your hands until thoroughly mixed – plastic gloves work great for this. Make uniform-sized balls and place on cookie sheet with a lip (lined with parchment paper) or in two 13 x 9 pans. I do about 2 – 2 1/2 inches. You can make tiny ones for Italian Wedding Soup, but I have no patience for that – LOL!

Bake at 350* for 30-45 minutes. The length of time depends on how big you made them. They should be firm and no longer pink if you cut one in half. You can also use a meat thermometer. Poultry should be at least 165* in the thickest part.

I typically make a batch of these and throw them in the freezer for quick lunches. They are equally good with mashed potatoes and gravy as they are with a side of ranch. Heck – I bet they’d be great in a (turkey) meatball sub with cranberry sauce!

Southwest Pasta Salad

This is a dump-and-go recipe that is best the next day. This is also a good recipe to take to a potluck when it’s hot out – no mayo to get yucky!

• 1 box pasta, cooked (typically, I use bowties but any shape works here)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 can corn, rinsed – or frozen
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, typically cherry or grape tomatoes
• zest from a lime or two

Dressing:

• 6 TB lime juice, fresh or bottled
• 1/4 white vinegar
• 3 tsp garlic cloves, minced (I just use from the jar)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 cup veg oil
• 1 squeeze tube cilantro

Mix everything together and let sit a few hours, preferably overnight.

Potato Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad (A.K.A. PBR)

I don’t even have a recipe for this any more, but here goes.

• 1/2 box pasta shells, medium
• about 6 red potatoes, diced and boiled til done but still firm (the goal here is to have an equal amount of potatoes and pasta)
• 1 lb bacon, diced and cooked until crispy (it gets a tiny bit soggy in the salad so err on the side of well done to compensate)
• shredded cheddar or cojack cheese (I eyeball this)
• finely diced celery (I usually skip because you guys don’t like celery)
• mayo
• Ranch dressing

Sprinkle cooked potatoes with Lawrey’s salt (potatoes love salt). Mix everything well with equal amounts of mayo and Ranch. Chill for several hours, preferably overnight.

‘Daddy’ Pasta Salad

You guys gave this its name when you were little and it stuck …

• 1 box tri-colored rotini pasta
• 2 diced carrots
• diced cauliflower, about the same amount as the carrots
• shredded cheddar or cojack cheese
• equal parts Ranch dressing, mayo, and Italian dressing

Mix all and chill.

Note: I typically use a box of Suddenly Pasta Salad – Classic and discard the seasoning pack. Obviously, you can just buy tri-colored rotini instead.

Broccoli Salad

While not technically a pasta salad, I make this a ton too.

• 2 big heads of broccoli, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup (or more) dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup (or more) sunflower seeds, roasted and salted

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup Sunbutter (original recipe called for tahini, but the Sunbutter is so much better!)
• 2 1/2 TB red wine vinegar
• 2 1/2 TB maple syrup (the good stuff)
• salt and pepper

Mix dressing with a whisk and taste. Sometimes I add more maple syrup … you want it tangy. but not overly sour. Pour dressing over salad ingredients and stir to combine.

Savannah’s Chick Pea Salad

Savannah found this recipe and tweaked it a bit. It’s really good, especially after it has sat in the fridge overnight.

• 1 can of chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed well in cold water
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, cut in half, insides removed, diced small
• 2 TB red onion, diced very small
• 6 mini tomatoes, diced small
• 1 TB olive oil
• 2 TB lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• sprinkle of salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
• a handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped, if you have it (optional)

Put all in a container with a lid and shake. Put in fridge for at least an hour or two; overnight is better.

Red Beans & Rice

A box of Zatarain’s Red Beans and Rice can make 3 lunches. Make the rice according to the package instructions and add any/all of the following:

• Sauteed onions
• Sauteed bell peppers
• Cooked and crumbled ground turkey or Italian sausage
• Cooked and sliced Italian sausage (links)
• Sour cream
• Green onions

Spanish Rice

A bag of Spanish rice also makes 3 lunches. Cook and add any/all of the following:

• Cheese
• Taco meat (ground beef with taco seasoning)
• Leftover grilled chicken
• Leftover fajitas ingredients
• Salsa
• Pico de Gallo
• Sour Cream

Taco Rice

We don’t buy taco rice packets that often. It’s pretty similar to Spanish rice but is a good way to mix things up. Add:

• Black beans (canned – drained and rinsed)
• Corn (frozen or canned)
• Sour Cream
• Mini tomatoes
• Cheese
• Taco meat (ground beef with taco seasoning)
• Slice of lime to squeeze

Yellow Rice (AKA Greek Salad Bowls)

We prefer Zatarain’s box of yellow rice, not the bag that is pictured above, and we typically make Greek Salad bowls with combinations of the following:

• Sliced canned beets
• Canned chickpeas
• Mini tomatoes
• Grilled lemon chicken (you could use plain rotisserie, too)
• Diced cucumbers
• Tzaziki or Greek dressing
• Romaine lettuce
• Hummus
• Soft pita wraps or crunchy pita chips

A note about Greek dressing …

Finding a decent creamy Greek dressing is difficult in Minnesota. It’s just not nearly as good as what you can find in Detroit. I typically buy the vinegrette-style Greek and add sour cream and some extra lemon juice or oregano until it tastes good.

Fajitas Bowls

We love fajitas. Whenever we make them, a rice bowl with leftover fajitas chicken or beef barbacoa and veggies is the way to go! You could do over Spanish rice, plain white rice, or cilantro-lime rice.

Cilantro-Lime Rice:

Add lime juice, lime zest, salt, and cilantro from the squeeze tube to plain, cooked white rice. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Stir Fry Bowls

So, I am big on one piece of chicken can serve several people or, in this case, ‘be’ several lunches. Dice raw chicken breast into thin, little strips, season with garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and Lawrey’s, and sautee in pan until cooked thru. Add whatever store-bought Asian sauce sounds good — sweet & sour, orange sauce, kung pao — and serve over white rice. Add any/all of the following:

• Chopped peanuts (any nuts, really)
• Sunflower seeds (salted and roasted)
• Chow mein noodles
• Wonton strips (near croutons in grocery store)
• Green onions
• Diced pineapple

Broccoli Cheese Rice

While I make a mean broccoli cheese rice from scratch, for quick lunch prep, you can use the pre-made packets. Just make the rice according to the back of the package and add:

• Steamed broccoli
• Steamed cauliflower
• Extra cheese

I wrote about steaming veggies here.

That’s it for now. Enjoy!