So maybe Tuna is not so bad??

Basic Tuna Salad & using what's around the house to make a healthier Tuna Noodle Casserole...
Hello! back again. This week I gave canned tuna a try. I know most would wrinkle up their noses at this...but it actually turned out to be pretty good. Good thing when you're super broke. I've always been told how good it is for you, but could never get past the smell. It's cheap, low fat and good protein. So I gave it a shot and was pleasantly surprised. I figured if I now like and eat fish dip how far off could this be? ?

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Basic Tuna Salad
I made mine low on the mayo (just enough to make it all stick together), high on the hot sauce and relish. It made a great lunch that was a quick fix.

1 can Tuna, drained
Lite Mayo (to taste)
Dijon Mustard (to taste)
Pickle Relish
Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper
Hot Sauce

Mix it all together. Serve on crackers or carrot chips with extra hot sauce.


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Tuna Noodle Casserole
The same week I wanted to make something good and hearty for dinner (without going to the store). So I looked up the following recipe for a Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole from Eating Well's web page. Didn't have all the ingredients so just adapted it. I'll first list Eating Well's recipe and then what I actually made. It was really good and filling.

Eating Well's Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole
this family-friendly tuna noodle casserole tends to be made with canned soup and whole milk, which means high fat and sodium. We remedy this by making our own creamy mushroom sauce with nonfat milk thickened with a bit of flour. Look for whole-wheat egg noodles—they have more fiber than regular egg noodles (but this dish will work well and taste great with either).

6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each | Active Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole-wheat egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups nonfat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 12 ounces canned chunk light tuna drained (see Note)
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables; stir to coat. Add milk and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stir in tuna, peas and 1/2 cup Parmesan until evenly incorporated. Then, stir in the noodles (the pan will be very full). Remove from the heat.
4. Sprinkle the casserole with breadcrumbs and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Broil until bubbly and lightly browned on top, 3 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving : 406 Calories; 8 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 53 mg Cholesterol; 47 g Carbohydrates; 32 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 684 mg Sodium; 593 mg Potassium

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1/2 nonfat milk, 3 lean meat

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Shelley's Adaption of Tuna Noodle Casserole

• 1/2 Box whole-wheat Rigatoni, cooked al dente and drained.
  
• 1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Tbs. Butter
  
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 Yellow Squash, Sliced in small half moons
  
• 4 Carrots, peeled and chopped
  
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Miller Lite
  
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Crystal Hot Sauce (to taste)
• Red Pepper Flake (to taste)
  
• 12 ounces canned chunk light tuna, drained
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup coarse panko breadcrumbs
  

Preparation

1. Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
   
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, squash, carrots and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add beer and cook until evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables; stir to coat. Add milk, salt, pepper, red pepper flake and hot sauce bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stir in tuna, peas and 1/4 cup Parmesan until evenly incorporated. Then, stir in the noodles (the pan will be very full). Remove from the heat.
3. Pour mixture into an oven safe casserole dish
   
4. Sprinkle the casserole with breadcrumbs and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned on top.

Enjoy!