Photo by KathyHuntPhoto.com
For my third installment in the Mothers Day brunch series I am revisiting my youth once more. The recipe I’m posting below is verbatim from an old, yellowed, newspaper clipping I found in one of my mother’s recipe boxes:
I remember the recipe well and I loved it as much for dinner as I did (leftover) for breakfast. So as a nod to my mom and her wonderful ability to always provide us with the tastiest meals, even when times were a little tight, I felt this one very appropriate.
The dish is definitely a budget meal like so many of the recipes from that era, and it’s more of a “strata” than a “soufflé” as it contains more bread than eggs but I don’t think they were shooting for gourmet status when they published it so many years ago. Rest assured, it was gourmet to me back then and today I still enjoy it exactly as written.
Another beauty of the recipe is that the variations are endless; if you don’t want to use tuna, try crumbled and browned breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, or go meatless for that matter. Some of the combinations I can envision are Italian Sausage with fontina and swiss chard, feta cheese, with tomatoes and spinach, and how about chili & cheese? Yum! See what I mean? This is also a versatile and inexpensive weeknight recipe with many possibilities.
Getting back to the brunch though…I did substitute whole grain bread (crust included) and unsweetened almond milk in the soufflé pictured and it could have used a little more moisture. I think next time I would soak the bread in an extra ½ cup of the milk before assembly just to get the texture and moisture a little closer to the original. (If you use a white bread this extra step should be unnecessary.) Otherwise, use your imagination a little and have fun with the recipe. I’m sure your mom will appreciate the effort!
Photo by KathyHuntPhoto.com
Tuna Soufflé Bake
8 slices – Day-old bread
1 Can (7 oz) – Tuna, drained
2 Cups (8 oz) – Shredded cheddar cheese
1 Can (4 oz) – Mushrooms, drained
3 – Eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon – Prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon – salt
1/2 teaspoon – Onion salt
1/8 teaspoon – pepper
(Preheated 325 degree oven – 2 Quart Casserole / 6-8 servings)
Trim crusts from bread: cube. Place ½ of bread cubes in casserole: add tuna, mushrooms, and cheese. Top with remaining bread cubes: then remaining cheese. Blend together eggs, mustard, salt, onion salt, and pepper: add milk. Pour over casserole. Bake 60 – 70 minutes or until set.
Recipes Randy Cooks 