TOD
Grew up eating one or two casseroles that my mom made a lot and I suspect they were some of my more favorite foods, but I don't remember what they were. Probably tuna, but I don't know which kind of pasta or much of anything else. (I remember a couple of my other favorite childhood dishes much more clearly.)
I've made only a couple of casseroles myself, which is ridiculous because they're simple and they can be such good comfort food, and they make great leftovers. (I learned somewhat late in life to not just tolerate leftovers, but to actually love them -- as long as they are good ones and you reheat them right, because of course some things make lousy leftovers.)
In 1979-80 I took some between-jobs and between-apartments time and spent a few months on a friend's sailboat. In sharing cooking duties and trying to come up with interesting and varied dishes, we came up with some good casseroles, one of which I've always meant to re-create, and I do have notes on it somewhere around here. I think it was tuna, and it included black beans, but I need to flesh it out.
A good casserole ranks with the other great comfort foods, which is both the good and the bad news where my gluttonous appetite is concerned. With comfort foods I just don't stop until it's coming out my ..... ears. But I'm trying to do better on that, and I'm happy for this reminder of a wonderful foodstuff.
