Tuna Noodle Casserole and a cheese sauce recipe

After a busy Sunday out 'n about (where I come from that's pronounced "oot 'n aboot") we landed home with a Christmas tree and no premeditated supper.

I was in the mood for noodles and tuna so I whipped up a tuna noodle casserole.  I based it on a recipe from Janet and Greta Podleski's cookbook Eat, Shrink & Be Merry.  I also used a white sauce from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook as I did not have a can of condensed soup on-hand.  I've been maintaining a pretty bare pantry lately in an effort to use what I have already.

Tuna Noodle Stovetop Casserole
based on Janet & Greta Podleski
1 375g pkg rotini (or any small shape)(I used whole wheat)
2 cups frozen vegetables (I used peas and corn)
1 batch of cheese sauce (recipe below)
1 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
3 cans tuna (or bnls sknls salmon), drained
- cook pasta according to pkg directions, adding frozen veggies for the last 5 minutes.  Drain.
- meanwhile, prepare cheese sauce
- meanwhile, in a big pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and cook just to softened (about 5 minutes).  Add cheese sauce, salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well.  Stir in pasta, vegetables and tuna.  Serve hot.

Cheese Sauce
from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cook
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1 cup milk or half-n-half
1/2 - 1 cup grated cheese (can be medium cheddar or older)
- melt butter in small pot, add flour, salt, pepper and paprika over low heat, whisk well.
- slowly add milk, stirring constantly, to thickened.  Remove from heat and add cheese, stir to melted.

Now, without adding the pasta to the tuna / cheese / veg sauce mixture above, it could easily have been served on toast, maybe thinned out just a bit with a bit more milk or cream.  It was so tasty!  I found mixing in the pasta really dulled the tuna mixture's flavour.  It's hard to stay straight-faced as I talk to you about creamed tuna on toast, I have to admit.  It's not a serious subject.

The above-mentioned cheese sauce is also great on a package of elbow macaroni for mac 'n cheese.  I recently posted about this white sauce here and suggested how great it was on broccoli.  I wasn't kidding.  I'd mix the broccoli with the pasta and pour on this cheese sauce. 

Mmmmmm