Tuna Bake With Cheese Swirls

The watermelon. Third generation. Growing. The sunny corner is doing its job, the vine is doing its job, and I am doing my job, which is talking to the watermelon every morning like it's a person who owes me rent. "Watermelon," I said this morning, "your grandmother was the first watermelon I ever grew. Your mother was the second. You are the third. You are carrying on a legacy of stubbornness and patience and the refusal to fail. Grow well. Grow red. Grow sweet. And be ready by August, because I have a Lowcountry boil to attend and I would like to bring a watermelon that I grew myself, and the watermelon at the boil will be a statement, and the statement will be: Dorothy Henderson can grow anything."

Michael was with me when I talked to the watermelon. He squatted next to the vine — he squats now, which is a developmental milestone that the parenting books describe as "improving motor skills" and which I describe as "getting closer to the dirt, which is where the good stuff is" — and he patted the watermelon. He said, "Ba." I said, "That's right, Michael. That's a watermelon. Your na-na grew it. Your na-na's na-na grew the original recipe. And someday you're going to grow your own watermelon, and you're going to talk to it, and it's going to listen, because the watermelons in this family have always listened."

Kayla is twenty-two weeks. Past the halfway mark with Pearl. The pregnancy is smooth — smoother than Michael's, no bleeding, no scares, just the steady, reliable growing of a baby who is taking her time and doing it right, which is the Henderson way when the Henderson way isn't the chaotic way, which is the other Henderson way.

Made tomato pie tonight. Cherokee Purples, layered with basil and cheese in a crust that I am not ashamed to say came from the store because even Dorothy Henderson doesn't have the energy to make pie crust in June when the kitchen is ninety degrees and the tomatoes are demanding to be eaten NOW. Store-bought crust, garden tomatoes, homemade love. The ratio is acceptable.

Now go on and feed somebody.

The tomato pie got all the glory tonight, and it earned every bit of it — but a ninety-degree kitchen in June doesn’t always cooperate with ambition, and this tuna bake with cheese swirls has pulled its weight more summers than I can count when the garden had nothing left to offer and the family still needed feeding. It’s the same philosophy as the store-bought crust: you use what gets the meal on the table, you do it without apology, and you put enough love in the ratio that nobody asks questions. Michael will be eating real food by the time Pearl arrives, and this is exactly the kind of supper I’ll be teaching them both to make.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 cans (5 oz each) tuna in water, drained well
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the cheese swirls:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Instructions

Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine drained tuna, cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas, celery, onion, milk, salt, and pepper. Stir until evenly mixed, then spread into the prepared baking dish in an even layer.
Make the dough. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk just until a soft dough forms — do not overmix.
Form the swirls. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10x8-inch rectangle. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar evenly over the surface. Roll the dough up tightly from the long side, like a jelly roll, and slice into 12 even rounds.
Top and finish. Arrange the cheese swirl rounds cut-side up on top of the tuna filling, spacing them evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar over the swirls.
Bake. Bake uncovered for 28 to 32 minutes, until the swirls are puffed and deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Tuna Bake With Cheese Swirls — A Hot-Kitchen Supper for When the Garden Has Already Done Its Work