An elevated spin on the classic tuna noodle casserole, with cheddar, Gruyère, buttery croutons, and a little kick from pickled jalapeños.

There are certain dishes that don’t need an introduction because they already live somewhere in your memory. Tuna noodle casserole, tuna melts after school, and casseroles that appeared on the table when someone simply wanted to feed the people they loved.

This recipe is a grown-up version of those memories.

Creamy egg noodles are folded into a rich cheese sauce with tender tuna, a little Dijon, and just enough pickled jalapeño to wake everything up. It’s topped with buttery sourdough croutons that bake until golden and crisp, giving every bite the comfort of a classic casserole and the flavors of a really good tuna melt.

It’s humble food, but it’s also the kind of meal that makes you slow down for a minute. The kind you eat from a bowl while curled up on the sofa with absolutely nowhere else you need to be.

Comfort food doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it just needs a little love, a few better ingredients, and the willingness to turn something familiar into something special.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces wide egg noodles
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• ½ cup finely chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1¾ cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 12-ounce can good-quality tuna, drained
• 1½ tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños
• 1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 slice sourdough or artisan bread, cut into ½-inch cubes
• ¼ teaspoon Old Bay or seafood seasoning
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Chopped parsley or chives, for finishing

Step-by-Step Recipe

1. Preheat the oven and prep

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Butter or lightly grease a small baking dish and prep all your ingredients.

2. Cook the noodles

Bring salted water to a boil.

Cook egg noodles until just tender, usually 7 to 9 minutes.

Drain and set aside.

3. Build the flavor base

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.

Add onion and celery.

Cook 5 to 6 minutes, until softened.

Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

4. Make the roux

Sprinkle in flour, salt, cayenne, and black pepper.

Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.

5. Build the sauce

Whisk in white wine.

Then slowly whisk in milk.

Cook until smooth, creamy, and thickened.

6. Add the cheese

Lower the heat.

Stir in cheddar and Gruyère until melted.

Add Dijon and Worcestershire.

Taste.

Adjust salt and pepper.

7. Fold it together

Stir in noodles, tuna, and chopped pickled jalapeños.

Transfer to the baking dish.

8. Top it

Arrange tomato slices over the top.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter.

Toss bread cubes with melted butter, Old Bay, and black pepper.

Scatter over the casserole.

9. Bake

Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top.

10. Finish

Let rest 5 to 10 minutes.

Finish with parsley or chives.

Tiny drizzle of chili crisp oil if you want to be a little dangerous.

This is going to taste like a tuna melt grew up, got a passport, and started ordering wine with dinner.

There was a time when I thought Eggs Benedict was something best left to restaurants. Not because of the poached eggs, but because of the hollandaise sauce. Every cookbook made it sound intimidating. Every cooking show made it look fragile. Then I discovered a simple blender method that changed everything.

Today, hollandaise is one of the easiest sauces I make. The result is silky, buttery, and foolproof. Combined with perfectly poached eggs and toasted English muffins, it transforms an ordinary Sunday morning into something worth slowing down for. If you’ve ever been intimidated by Eggs Benedict, this is the recipe that will change your mind.

Ingredients

For the Hollandaise

• 8 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
• 2 sticks of butter

For the Eggs Benedict

• 4 English muffin halves
• 4 slices Canadian bacon or deli ham
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Chopped dill for garnish
• Fresh cracked black pepper

Step 1: Clarify the Butter

Place butter in a small saucepan over low heat.

Allow it to melt completely.

Skim off any foam.

Carefully pour the clear golden butterfat into something that is easy to pour from, leaving the milk solids behind.

You want the pure butterfat.

Keep it hot, go right from the stove top to pouring it in the blender / food processor.

Step 2: Make the Hollandaise

Place in a blender or food processor:

• egg yolks
• lemon juice
• Dijon mustard
• salt
• cayenne

Blend for 20 seconds.

With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the hot clarified butter.

Start very slowly.

As the sauce thickens, continue to pour.

Blend until silky and smooth.

Fold in the fresh dill.

Taste.

Adjust lemon or salt if needed.

Set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the Eggs

Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer.

Add vinegar.

Crack each egg into a fine mesh strainer.

Allow the loose watery whites to drain away.

Transfer each egg to a small ramekin.

Create a gentle whirlpool in the water.

Carefully slide the eggs into the center.

Cook approximately 4 minutes for a soft yolk.

At 2 minutes, use your whisk and gently recreate the vortex, making the water move in a circular manner.

Remove with a slotted spoon.

Set aside on a plate with a dab of olive oil so it does not stick.

Step 4: Toast and Warm

Toast English muffins until golden.

Warm Canadian bacon or ham in a skillet until lightly warmed.

Step 5: Assemble

Place English muffin halves on plates.

Top each with Canadian bacon.

Add poached egg.

Generously spoon over the dill-cayenne hollandaise.

Finish with:

• chopped dill
• cracked black pepper
• tiny pinch of cayenne if desired

Serve immediately.

Kevin’s Note

The real secret isn’t the poached egg.

It isn’t the English muffin.

And it certainly isn’t the Canadian bacon.

The secret is realizing that hollandaise sauce isn’t difficult at all.

Once you stop whisking over a double boiler and let the blender do the work, Eggs Benedict stops being restaurant food and starts becoming a relaxing Sunday morning at home food.

Enjoy.