Low fat and veggie filled tuna casserole
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 6 oz no yolk noodles (you can use ronzoni healthy harve or brown rice pasta for gluten free)
- 1 medium onion minced fine
- 3 tbsp flour (gluten free use rice flour)
- 1 3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
- 1 oz sherry (optional)
- 10 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 1 cup frozen petite peas (thawed)
- 2 (5 oz) cans tuna in water drained (i used albacore)
- 4 oz 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar (i used cabot)
- butter flavored cooking spray
- 2 tbsp parmesean cheese
- Carbohydrate 1.79982999957098 g
- Cholesterol 41.5299999907011 mg
- Fat 17.1348799969768 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 9.16413999593598 g
- Saturated Fat 9.56128099817182 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (1239g)
- Sodium 3480.00799983843 mg
- Sugar 1.79982999957098 g
- Trans Fat 2.37252099981392 g
- Calories 194 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large deep skillet. Add onions and cook on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat
- Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spray 9 x 12 casserole with butter flavored cooking spray.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined, increasing heat to medium and whisking well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. When boiling, add sherry, mushrooms and petite peas, adjust salt and pepper to taste and simmer on medium, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Add drained tuna, stirring another minute.
- Remove from heat and add 1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar and mix well until it melts. Add the noodles to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated. Pour into casserole and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray and top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp (careful not to burn).
Undercooking pasta by precisely two minutes in salted water is the single most effective way to prevent a mushy casserole. Noodles continue absorbing liquid during the baking process, meaning fully cooked pasta will turn waterlogged inside the sauce. Cooking them to a firm al dente ensures they retain structural integrity when combined with mushrooms, peas, and broth.
Creating a stable cream sauce without heavy cream requires proper starch hydration. Cooking the minced onions in butter first creates a moisture barrier, while whisking flour into the fat and cooking it for two to three minutes eliminates the raw flour taste. Slowly streaming in the chicken broth and 1% milk while whisking vigorously prevents lumps from forming as the starches swell during the six to seven minute simmer.
Textural contrast defines a successful baked dish, separating a gummy bake from a crisp one. Folding the drained albacore tuna and reduced-fat sharp cheddar off the heat prevents the cheese proteins from seizing and oiling off. Topping the 9x12 casserole with seasoned breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, followed by a light coating of butter-flavored spray, promotes browning under the 375 degree oven heat.
Adaptability in this formula requires understanding how substitutions alter moisture levels. Swapping standard wheat noodles for brown rice pasta demands careful attention to package directions, since alternative grains break down faster in hot liquids. Similarly, rice flour functions effectively as a thickener replacement for wheat flour without altering the final reduction time of the mushroom sauce.
