Revisit Childhood With One Simple Rice-A-Roni Addition

Vintage foods have had quite the renaissance over the past few years. It's not uncommon to see all the ways folks cook with Spam, fall back in love with cafeteria favorites like sloppy Joes, and turn to affordable meal starters like Hamburger Helper and Rice-A-Roni when the craving for cozy, retro fare strikes. As folks who grew up in the '60s through the '80s may know, Rice-A-Roni comes in a box of rice, vermicelli noodles, and seasonings. Now, you can find it on grocery store shelves in many flavors and varieties, including with mac and cheese and pasta bases instead of rice, and in Thai curry, beef, stir-fry, and Mexican-style formulations.

If you're feeling nostalgic and pick up a box of Rice-A-Roni at the store, don't forget to add a can of tuna to your cart, too. This is a delicious ingredient that will upgrade your Rice-A-Roni, both in terms of its protein content and its flavor. It almost gives you a tuna casserole-like vibe, and can be mixed into single-serve cups of the prepared rice product or stirred into prepared Rice-A-Roni with a sauce to create a flavorful taco or burrito filling. It's affordable, nostalgic, and hearty — what's not to love?

Tuna is a great one-ingredient addition to Rice-A-Roni, but in order to ensure success with this dish, you have to make sure that you pick the right flavor of rice to start with. Tuna has a slightly briny flavor — even if you try to hide it with seasoning — so you'll want to pick a Rice-A-Roni that will complement it. The rice pilaf flavor, for example, is basic, meaning it will allow the natural salinity of the tuna to shine. Go for an oil-packed tuna for more flavor, and pair it with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients, like crumbled feta, Kalamata olives, and fresh parsley, for an upscale bite. The Spanish rice variety would also add a balancing hint of flavor and similar Mediterranean notes. 

Tuna can be heavy and briny, which is where light herbs can also work to its benefit. As such, one of the herbier varieties of Rice-A-Roni may be of interest here, like the aptly named Herb and Butter flavor. We do recommend adding a fresh element to accentuate that brightness, though, or try serving this dish with a bright slaw or summery salad, like this marinated tomato variety with arugula.