Name: Tuna and Rice Divan
Ingredients: 1 12-1/2-ounce can tuna in water, drained; 1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup; 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 cup milk; 2 tablespoons butter or margarine; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 3 cups hot cooked rice; 1 10-ounce package frozen broccoli spears, thawed and cooked

Why it works: Celery and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,810 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Tuna and Rice Divan

Ingredients

1 12-1/2-ounce can tuna in water, drained
1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 cups hot cooked rice
1 10-ounce package frozen broccoli spears, thawed and cooked

Directions

Prepare

Break tuna into large pieces with a fork.
Combine soup, cheese, pepper, and milk in a large skillet.
Add tuna and heat thoroughly.
Stir butter and parsley into rice, tossing lightly.

Assemble and serve

Spoon broccoli on hot rice.
Top with tuna mixture.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

897Calories

44 gProtein

48 gFat

72 gCarbs

Counts 10 of 12 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 10 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Salmon	100g cooked	208
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Broccoli	1 cup chopped (156g)	55
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Celery	1 stalk (40g)	6
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Parsley	1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)	1
Water	not in our table	0
Soup	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Celery + parsleytop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together6,810 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together34,122 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together16,012 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together81,283 recipes

Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
Milk + ricetop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together7,374 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Tuna: Provides the main protein and flakes into the sauce as it heats.
Condensed cream of celery soup: Forms the creamy base that binds the tuna and cheese together.
Cheddar cheese: Melts into the sauce, adding richness and savory flavor.
Milk: Thins the soup mixture into a smooth, pourable sauce.
Rice: Forms the bed that holds the broccoli and tuna sauce.
Butter: Adds fat and richness to the rice, keeping it moist and tender.

Swap the parsley

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cream, celery, cheddar cheese, pepper, milk, butter, rice):

Nutmegfits about as well
Parsleythe original
Cinnamonfits about as well
Turmericfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against cream, celery, cheddar cheese, pepper, milk, butter, rice. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.