Last night Ken wanted something with Tuna - his suggestion was tuna sandwiches but I really wanted something more dinner like. Then he said, how about Tuna Casserole!?! So I called my mom and while we were on the phone, she gave me instructions. Dinner was a hit.
Of course my mom's super easy version involves using Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup, but since I can't have that, (and didn't have it on hand) she gave me the slightly more foodie recipe (can tuna casserole be a foodie dinner?) Everything is pretty flexible in terms of amounts so just make sure you taste as you go.
2 cups dried elbow macaroni (cooked)
2 cans of tuna (drained)
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 tbsp flour
1.5 c milk
3 ounces of cheddar cheese shredded
3 ounces of freshly grated (not the kind in the can) parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp powdered sage
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
In a sauce pan (or the same pan you used for the macaroni) melt the butter and saute the onions on medium heat until they begin the carmalize. Add the flour to the mixture and cook for about a minute. Very slowly add the milk stirring the whole time. Once the milk is added and the sauce is smooth (or relatively smooth) add about 2 ounces of the cheddar cheese and about 2 ounces of the parmesan cheese. Stir until melted. Add the mustard, sage, garlic powder and salt to taste (keeping in mind that tuna is kind of salty to don't make it too salty. Combine the macaroni, sauce and tuna and transfer to a casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese and bake in the oven at 350 until its bubbly (about a half hour). Serve with a nice crisp green salad! The leftovers are even better the next day!
