The one thing you may have already figured out about me is that...I'm not a seafood lover...like, at all. In fact there isn't one other seafood recipe on this blog. Yep, it has taken me nearly 250 posts to finally get around to posting one that has seafood in it. Some of you might not even consider canned tuna to be seafood. People are funny about things like that. For instance I'm pretty serious about Gummy Bears but not just any ol' kind, they HAVE to be the brand Harbro. There is not a substitute. So I can understand people who are finicky about certain things like food items.
I like to use canned tuna in this recipe because it is a tasty way to get a protein packed meal for very little money. My food budget has been a little tight as of late, so I am constantly looking for inexpensive alternatives to fill my sweet babies bellies. I just watch when it is on sale and pick it up for less than .90 a can. I prefer the water packed variety but you could definitely use oil packed if that is what you have on hand.
Most tuna noodle casserole recipes use condensed soup as a binder but I have made a simple white sauce using a roux instead. It might take a little longer but the taste is amazing, it isn't processed and you will be hooked.
To begin you will need one package of pasta, 2 cans of drained tuna, 1 cup of shredded carrots, 1 cup frozen peas, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 cup half and half, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 1 clove of minced garlic, a pinch of nutmeg and salt/pepper to taste...
For the topping you will need 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons butter...
I begin by cooking the pasta. About 3/4 of the way through the cooking process I add the peas and carrots to the pot. I want it to still have a little bite to it and not be over cooked because it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain and set aside...
To the same pot I added 2 tablespoons of butter to melt...
To that I added 2 tablespoons of flour and stirred well. Continue to cook for about 30 seconds...
Add the 2 cups of milk and stir with a whisk to get any lumps out. You are going to want this mixture to come to a boil, so keep stirring it until that happens...
To the white sauce I added a pinch of nutmeg (it adds a great flavor), 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. I also added back in the pasta and veggies, drained tuna and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese...
Mix well and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. For the topping combine 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs...
Add to the top of the casserole with pieces of butter on top...
Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 20-30 minutes or until the top is browned and serve...
This is the perfect recipe for when you don't have anything defrosted or if you are trying to live on a tight budget. It can be put on the table in less than 40 minutes and it is darn tasty. Sweet casseroles-
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