Healthy Tuna Casserole

If you have been around here a time or two, you might have picked up on the fact that I am not the biggest fan of fish, tuna or anything having to do with it. Because tuna is considered to be low-fat, provides Omega-3 fatty acids, and is good for your overall health, I am trying to find ways to start eating and eventually enjoying it.

This process has started with baby steps. A few weeks ago, I willingly ordered a spicy tuna sushi roll. I figured if I can get through eating raw tuna rolled into rice and vegetables, I can start cooking with it at home as well. Sure enough, I was right!

Because I am not used to recipes with the taste of tuna involved, I was hesitant to change anything about this healthy tuna casserole recipe I found via Pinterest. Straight from a guest post from Carrie of Deliciously Organic, I followed this recipe, found on Healthy Green Kitchen. To me, the best part is ditching the canned cream of mushroom soup to make creating your own healthier sauce a breeze.

(By the way, both women listed above run amazing blogs and produce unique, healthy and creative recipes. If you have a second, read the intro to the recipe posted above of how Carrie switched over to using all organic, whole foods in every recipe. Good stuff!)

Healthy Tuna Casserole

Ingredients

1 pound whole wheat penne or rotini pasta

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

16 oz white button mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp sea salt

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp arrowroot (I substituted 1 Tbsp flour)

1 1/2 cups chicken stock (I substituted chicken broth)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 cans tuna, packed in oil (preferably olive oil)

2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

Bread crumbs topping:

3 slices whole wheat sandwich bread

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

prep time: 30 minutes

cook time: 30 minutes

servings: 6-8

Directions

1. Preheat over to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms have released their moisture, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Sprinkle in arrowroot (or flour) while continuously stirring for about 30 seconds to prevent it from clumping. Stir in the stock (or broth) and cream and simmer until sauce is thick and reduced, about 12 minutes.

4. Toss pasta, mushroom sauce, tuna, peas and cheese in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a buttered 13×9-inch baking dish and spread evenly.

5. Place bread and melted butter in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until finely ground (the crumbs will be moist). Evenly distribute buttered crumbs over top of pasta mixture.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Break Down

Once again, here is another recipe that looks like a lot but it’s really not! Perfect for a large family or even a girl on the run, much like myself…

Cook the noodles, according to the package directions and place to the side.