Monday, October 15, 2012

Tuna Asparagus Casserole

I like comfort food.  Do you?  Good.  Now some people may wrinkle their nose at this one because of traumatic childhood experiences but this brings back memories of Tuna Helper from back in the day.  I lived on that stuff when I was a kid and when we were first married.  Much to the Mr's lament I would dump a can of peas in it because that's how I liked it when I was little.  I still giggle thinking of him shoveling them into his noodle hole just trying to get them over with.  Now he doesn't mind peas so much but will still eat them first to get them over with but not with the same look of disgust or trauma.  

I was craving some tuna casserole big time and remembered I had some no yolks fine noodles still sitting in a mason jar waiting to be used.  So I whipped up this pea-less bad boy...


See that, I still snuck some green veggies in there but the kind the Mr will happily eat.  This isn't just a spring dish when asparagus is in season either, oh no it's not, this uses frozen asparagus so you can whip them together any time.   Interested?  Even if you said no, let's pretend you are and get to it.  :-)

Tuna Asparagus Casserole
(Makes 3 servings)

3 cups Manischewitz No Yolks Fine Egg Noodles
3/4 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup skim milk
1 can tuna in water (drained and rinsed three times)
24 frozen asparagus spears, snapped into pieces
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup Ian's Whole Wheat Panko
4 tsp Trader Joe's grated parmesan and romano blend cheese


In a sauce pan, bring water to a boil and add the pasta cooking as directed.


In another saucepan on low heat add the skim milk and as it heats up, make a slurry with the water and cornstarch and add it to the milk stirring constantly.


Snap the frozen asparagus into pieces.


Just before you're ready to bring the sauce together and the pasta is cooked, bring the heat down to low and add the asparagus to the pasta and give a quick stir.


Add the cheese to the milk and stir over medium heat.


Add nutmeg, pepper, garlic powder and thyme and stir in.


Open, wash and drain tuna fish.


Add to the noodles and give a good stir.


When the sauce has come together, add it to the noodles.


Stir together then in a small bowl combine the panko and parmesan romano cheese.  Decide if you'd like to transfer this to a dish, sprinkle the panko on top and bake it until brown or sprinkle it on top of each serving on the plate.


Enjoy!



Nutritional Information per serving:  Calories 333  Total Fat 8g  Sat Fat Cholesterol 41mg  Sodium  344mg  Potassium 63mg  Total Carbs 41g  Fiber 3g  Protein 25g  Vitamin A 13%  Vitamin C 13%  Calcium 35%  Iron 11%

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14 comments:

  1. I will definitely be making this!

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  2. If I liked tuna even a little bit this would probably be good.

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  3. I'm confused. In the picture it looks like the asparagus is in with the noodles before you add the sauce, but in the instructions (and I re-read them a couple times) it says to cut up the asparagus and add it to the sauce, right?

    Also, do you experience any trouble getting the reduced-fat cheese to melt, cause I do???!!!

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  4. Okay--I checked it again, it looks like you are adding the asparagus directly to the cooked noodles. I mistook the noodles for cheese, doh!

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  5. That looks so good I wanted to lick the computer screen. This will definitely go into my must make folder!

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  6. So if I only rinse and drain my tuna 2 times will it not turn out?? :-) Looks delish!

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  7. Well, now that doesn't sound (and look) good! (And I love your whisk too!)

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  8. Hmmm, I've actually never seen frozen asparagus. But I guess canned would work in a pinch. Used to love that creamed over toast...

    But back to your dish: Looks quick, easy, tasty and perfect for those nights when I've fallen into the computer until too late to actually plan a dinner. I've always got most of those ingredients on hand. Now to go looking for frozen asparagus.

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  9. Yum! Welcome back, I missed you!

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  10. I am your second sentence. I don't know if it was tuna helper or just tuna casseroles in general. Even now, as a grown up, every now and then I'll give one a try and be equally grossed out, and I LOVE tuna. Weird. HOWEVER, as I was reading (wrinkled up nose and all) I found myself thinking "this looks like one I might actually enjoy"!! So, off to pin world it goes where I will pull it up and double or triple it one day (5-6 people sitting at the table), maybe one day soon :).

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  11. And here I thought I wasn't hungry...but one look at that yummy goodness and my mouth is watering! I also grew up eating peas in my tuna casserole, but hubby despises it that way - so here's an alternative because he loves asparagus! MMMMMMM - bring on the comfort food!!!! I'm so making this SOON.

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  12. I love tuna casserole, but can't stand asparagus. Too bad, since it's so healthy. I'll use the peas, I love peas. That's what my mom used. She also uses mushroom soup, so the cheese would be a fun difference for me. Guess I'd better go use my TJ's gift cards this week.

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  13. I had a love-hate relationship with tuna noodle casserole when I was growing up. There were times when I just adored it and other times when I couldn't even look at it. My mom put crushed potato chips on hers--do you do that? ;)

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