Cheesy Tuna Pasta Casserole Recipe

It is often said that fish and cheese don’t go well together. Mornay is mentioned is an exception. This cheese tuna casserole is another exception. The dish is hearty and delicious, great for cold weather.

The list of ingredients below is really long. Don’t get alarmed or put off by. And the recipe is quite simple, even though it may seem complex. There are a number of processes involved but all simple and well worth the effort.

I will upload photos of the dish in a week when I have access to my camera.

Adopted from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures

Ingredients

12 oz. dry pasta (any pasta will do)

1 cup onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

3 med carrots, diced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 cup frozen peas

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon dried thyme

6 tablespoon unsalted butter

¼ cup + 2 tablespoon flour

4 cups milk

1 cup low sodium, nonfat chicken broth

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more or less to your liking)

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2-5 oz. cans of tuna, drained and flaked

15 crackers, crushed

1 tablespoon oil

Method

1.      Cook the pasta according to package directions, but two minutes less than the recommended cooking time. Drain and set aside.

2.      In a large nonstick pan over medium high heat, add one tablespoon oil and saute onion, celery, and carrots until soft. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for a minute.

3.      Add frozen peas and thyme, take off heat and set aside.

4.      To make the sauce, melt butter on medium high heat in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk. Cook for one minute while whisking. Slowly add milk while continuing to whisk. Add chicken broth. Cook until it thickens, stirring constantly. Take off heat and season with salt and pepper.

5.      Add mustard and cheese to the sauce and mix well. Add tuna, pasta and vegetables and stir to combine.

6.      Pour the mixture in a greased 13" x 9" baking pan. Sprinkle with crushed crackers. Bake at 190°C/375°F for about 30 minutes or until the casserole is hot and bubbly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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