Tuna Broccoli Casserole

This is a nice variation on a tuna noodle casserole - my entire family loved it and it was super easy to put together!

TUNA BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

5 cups uncooked egg noodles (I substituted rice pasta)

1 tsp butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 cups fat free milk (I substituted goat milk)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cup sodium-reduced chicken broth

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided (I substituted goat cheddar)

4 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed (I used fresh and steamed them prior to use)

2 cans of drained white tuna

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs (I used all rice bread crumbs)

1 tbsp butter melted

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Cook noodles according to the package directions; drain.  Transfer to a 13" x 9" baking dish coated with cooking spray.
• Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skill, heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until tender.  In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch, milk and seasonings until smooth; gradually stir into the skillet.  Stir in the broth.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes until thickened.
• Stir in 3/4 cup cheese until melted; stir in broccoli and tuna.  
• Spoon tuna mixture over the noodles; mix well.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Toss bread crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole.
• Bake, covered with tin foil, for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil covering and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
• ENJOY!

  

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

My children have embraced chicken noodle soup with great gusto since the weather has become more autumnal...lucky for them that we have poultry a-plenty due to the fact we belong to the poultry share at "Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze"!!  I roasted one of their delicious free-range, pasture raised, hormone and antibiotic free chickens for dinner one day, stripped the carcass and used the bones for making stock (see below on how to do this!), and used some of the meat for this delicious soup that only takes 30 minutes to create!

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Ingredients:

4 cups water

3 cups homemade chicken broth (or the best low sodium store bought)

1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked chicken

3/4 cup cubed celery

3/4 cup cubed carrots

1 small onion, diced

1 1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 cups uncooked egg noodles (I used wide ones, but the matchstick work beautifully too)

• 
  
  In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the first 8 ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.  Stir in noodles; cook 5 to 7 minutes longer or until noodles and vegetables are tender.
• 
  
  ENJOY!

*If you feel that your soup is not 'chicken-y' enough, you could add 1 tsp of sodium-reduced chicken bouillon granules to the pot, however if you're using a homemade stock the flavour should be just fine!

HOMEMADE POULTRY STOCK

Ingredients:

8 cups water

2 3/4 lbs (1.375 kg) of turkey or chicken carcass, wings, legs

1 rib celery, roughly chopped

1 onion, skin on, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed

1 tsp each of Kosher salt and black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

• In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, bring water, carcass, celery, onion, garlic, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to approximately 6 cups.  This will take about an hour.
• Strain and skim off foam.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, or freeze in cubes and then store in a ziploc bag in the freezer for a couple of months!



Yummy Tuna Noodle Casserole!

My kids love egg noodles, peas and tuna (not to mention creamy alfredo sauce), so this dish was a hit! You can top the casserole with a combination of crispy panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan Reggiano, or just crumble plain potato chips on top like I did ;0)

TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Pinch grated nutmeg

16 oz of wide egg noodles

1 pkg (10 oz) frozen peas (I used canned because that's what I had on hand)

1 can of solid white water-packed tuna, drained and flaked

1 cup of panko breadcrumbs, or crumbled plain potato chips (although dill might be nice too!!)

• In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and put into a medium sized casserole dish. Stir in the tuna and peas. Set aside.


• In the same saucepan over medium-high heat, heat both the butter and whipping cream until little bubbles appear on the surface. Whisk in the Parmesan-Reggiano with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.


• Pour the alfredo sauce over the noodles and stir to ensure everything is evenly covered.


• Top with crumbled plain potato chips or panko breadcrumbs and place into a 350F oven until the topping goes golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.


• Serve and ENJOY!