Not Your Mother's Tuna Casserole!

I really enjoy classic tuna casserole, but for some reason it's not a meal that I can eat the next day. There is something about the mushroom soup/pea/tuna mixture that halts my appetite after the meal is complete, and I'm not tempted to make it again for months upon months.

When I came across this recipe my interest was definitely peaked.  Hmmm.  It looked amazing, so I gave it a try with some tweaks of my own.

Needless to say the hubby and girls ate this for a few days straight without any complaints.  This one is definitely a keeper - and even if you don't like tuna casserole, I urge you to give this one a try.  It's easy on the wallet, quick to whip up, and is downright delicious.

Enjoy!!






Not Your Mama's Tuna Casserole
1 box of pasta, cooked al dente - any will do; I used whole wheat penne
1 T EVOO
4-6 garlic cloves minced
2 onions chopped
4 T flour
1 c chicken stock
1 can fat free evaporated milk
1 c fat free sour cream
salt & pepper to taste
1 box frozen spinach thawed and drained
3 cans tuna packed in water, drained
1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded,  divided
1 log goat cheese (the larger logs)
1/2 c parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   In a large skillet, heat your oil on medium.  Saute the garlic and onion for a couple of minutes, until fragrant.  At this point, because I have a picky eater in the house who won't eat onions, I blended up the onions & garlic into a puree with a bit of the chicken stock.  I thank continued on with the recipe.  The puree worked well - no big onion or garlic chunks to content with.  After adding the puree back in to the skillet, I mixed in the flour, and continued to mix constantly for about a minute.  Slowly add in the stock and the evaporated milk and whisk while the sauce thickens.  Add salt and pepper, stir & taste.  adjust seasonings if required.  Add in your drained spinach, tuna, 3/4 c of the mozzarella and all of the goat cheese.  Stir until melted.  You might have to turn your heat down to med-low to avoid burning the milk.  Stir in sour cream once cheese has melted and allow to heat through for a minute or two.  Stir in your cooked pasta, and pour into a 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and all of your parmesan.  Bake for 15 minutes, serve, and enjoy every last morsel! 



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