updated sept 25; first posted 2015
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| Dairy-free Creamy Tuna Casserole |
Tinned tuna is one of the tastiest and most popular budget proteins. Used wisely, a tin of tuna at 80p a pop makes pleasing dishes that will feed 4, though an extra tin will give the casserole a punch.
Kids love the taste and texture but try not to make a habit of it -- over-fishing is a problem and too much tinned food is not good for the health.
This recipe uses nutty wholemeal pasta; which is absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly than white, preventing 'carb-doze'. It also gets the digestive system moving, keeping the bowels regular and preventing the build-up of toxins that cause bad skin and lack of energy. Luckily. when cooked, the texture of wholemeal pasta is similar to white and the kids won't notice.
This recipe uses nutty wholemeal pasta; which is absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly than white, preventing 'carb-doze'. It also gets the digestive system moving, keeping the bowels regular and preventing the build-up of toxins that cause bad skin and lack of energy. Luckily. when cooked, the texture of wholemeal pasta is similar to white and the kids won't notice.
The dairy-free version pictured is below. Be warned, the dairy-free option is not as flavourful as the conventional recipe but with additions of mustard and chilli flakes holds its own.
The pasta can be made in advance but should not be kept in the fridge more than 3 days, including the day the casserole was cooked.
The finished dish freezes well. Reheat gently (steamed or boiled in a bag) with a bit of milk, extra seasoning and a few more crisps.
A word on some of the ingredients:
Condensed mushroom soup was originally used in this recipe because honestly, there was nothing else like it. But condensed soups are more expensive than garden variety tinned mushroom soups from say M&S or Waitrose which are quite decent in flavour and saves pennies.
As for the crisp topping - if crisps offend you, use breadcrumbs or don't bother with a topping at all.
Cost: min £4.00'ish (9/25), more for dairy-free
Feeds: 4-6 with sides
Ingred: (Dairy-free recipe below)
200-250 gm/7-8 oz dried wholemeal pasta
1-2 x 160g/5.6oz tin(s) tuna, mostly drained (1 tin will do but a second tin makes the dish go further)
Feeds: 4-6 with sides
Ingred: (Dairy-free recipe below)
200-250 gm/7-8 oz dried wholemeal pasta
1-2 x 160g/5.6oz tin(s) tuna, mostly drained (1 tin will do but a second tin makes the dish go further)
generous mug of frozen peas
generous handful tinned or frozen corn (opt)
5-6 lightly fried mushrooms, chopped coarsely (opt but lifts flavour)
1 tin condensed mushroom soup (low-salt if possible) or 1.5 tins standard mushroom soup OR 400g/14.1oz light white sauce
5-6 lightly fried mushrooms, chopped coarsely (opt but lifts flavour)
1 tin condensed mushroom soup (low-salt if possible) or 1.5 tins standard mushroom soup OR 400g/14.1oz light white sauce
pepper & a little salt (kosher salt needs twice the amount of regular salt)
couple of pinches of dried thyme (opt)
40 gm bag of lightly salted and/or fat-reduced crisps (opt)
Method:
couple of pinches of dried thyme (opt)
40 gm bag of lightly salted and/or fat-reduced crisps (opt)
Method:
