Tuna Casserole Supreme

I know. You're thinking, "How good can tuna casserole be?"
I know you're thinking this because I know that tuna casserole is THE default, can't-think-of-anything-else-to-make, last-minute dinner. A couple cans of cream-of-something soup, a couple cans of tuna and Voila! Dinner.

And that's how Bruce feels about it. He politely eats just enough to keep from starving.

But today I did something different; and Bruce said that I "transformed it from the last-minute, gotta-eat-something meal, to something [he'd] order at a restaurant and be glad that [he] did." High praise! And he said I'd better write what I did to make it before I forget. (He came up with the swell name, too.)

So here it is:

TUNA CASSEROLE SUPREME

1 1/4 lb. of your favorite pasta [I like penne]

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup can-milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cans tuna packed in water, drained, but reserve the liquid—you'll be using it .
6 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
2-3 oz. American cheese, finely diced
salt and pepper, to taste
dash Bon Appetit seasoning

1 cup Panko crumbs
onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1-2 Tbsp. butter

Put the pasta water on to boil after you chop the veggies, but before you cook the sauce. :-)

In a large skillet, melt 3 Tbsp. butter.

Add the chopped onion, chopped celery and 1/2 tsp. salt to the melted butter. Turn heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent—5-8 minutes.
Add flour to onion mixture and stir until it's all moistened up with the butter and veggies.
Stir in the can-milk and the milk. Turn heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens up.
[Is your water boiling yet? If so, add the pasta—and keep an eye on it . . . who likes mushy pasta?]
Whisk the cream-of mushroom soup and the water from the cans of tuna into the sauce [don't whisk it into your boiling pasta!].
Whisk the sour cream into the sauce.
At this point I got out the hand-blender—because my kids won't eat anything that has the appearance of little veggie pieces in it—and I blend it until it's smooth. But this step is totally optional!
Stir in the tuna.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and Bon Appetit seasoning.
Add the cheese and stir until just melted, then remove from heat.
Now you can set it aside while you wait for the pasta to finish cooking.

Drain the cooked pasta and then put it into a LARGE baking dish.
Stir the sauce into the pasta.

Put the Panko crumbs into a separate, smallish bowl. Sprinkle them with onion powder and about 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. of salt.
Dollop the 2 Tbsp. butter onto the crumbs and work it into them with your fingers. You don't want to see any big pieces of butter.
Sprinkle seasoned crumbs on top of the casserole.
Bake at 325 for about 10-15 minutes, or until crumbs turn golden-brown. OR you could just stick it under the broiler until the crumbs look nice.

Serve it up hot! Mmmm—mmm good!