Tasty Tuna Casserole

You have 15 minutes to get dinner in the oven and you don’t know what to do! This meal takes approximately 33 minutes from start to serving. Plus, let’s face it, tuna casserole is a very inexpensive meal, and most people love it. You can save money and time with this dish. So, if you’re sick of crock pot cooking and you need something fast, throw a tuna casserole in the oven and watch the kids lap it up.

Ingredients For The Casserole:

• 3 cups of egg noodles
• 1 Tablespoon of butter
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 stalks of celery diced
• 2/3 cups of frozen peas
• 1 can of tuna drained
• 10 1/2 ounces of mushroom soup condensed
• 1/3 cup of milk
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon of parsley

Ingredients For The Crumb Topping:

• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
• 1 Tablespoon of melted butter
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar
• 1 Tablespoon parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Get a 2-quart pan and place one quart of water in it. Place it on medium-high to boil.
3. Once it begins to boil place egg noodles in the pan to cook until al dente. When they are finished, drain them from the water and rinse them under cold water in a colander.
4. While your egg noodles are boiling, in a cast-iron skillet cook the diced onion and celery in butter over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender.
5. Once the onion and celery are done, place in a large bowl with the noodles, peas, mushroom soup, milk, cheese, tuna, and parsley. Mix this combination well.
6. In another bowl, combine the bread crumbs, melted butter, shredded cheddar, and parsley for the topping.
7. Place the noodle mixture in a 2-quart casserole dish. Spread and level with a spatula. Add the crumble topping.
8. Place the casserole dish with a lid in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until it is bubbling.
9. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and serve warm. This is enough for six servings.

Tips:

• If you want to make your meals ahead of time in batch cooking, this recipe does freeze well. To freeze let it cool completely. Then wrap with aluminum foil and freeze. It can last up to six months without damaging the flavor.
• If you are cooking specifically to freeze use aluminum foil pans to cook it and then seal it with the aluminum lid. This is a wonderful recipe to make ahead and just reheat later.
• This casserole will last a week in the refrigerator in a bowl with an airtight lid. It’s a great idea to put it into individual serving bowls and use them as a packed lunch for the office.
• This dish goes well with buttermilk biscuits, grilled broccoli, and a nice tall glass of milk.
• Each serving has 323 calories, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 19 grams of protein, and 15 grams of fat. This is an estimate only and will be determined by the ingredients you use and the cooking methods.
• Avoid overcooking the egg noodles as they can get mushy afterward. It’s better to have slightly undercooked noodles for this dish.