NOT Your Mother's Tuna Casserole

[JGB]

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Say the words "Tuna Casserole" and immediately, you can separate the oil from the water, so to speak. People reside in two camps: they either LOVE tuna casserole or they LOATHE it..

Here is a recipe that not only is good but it WON a recipe contest ! (The only rule there was that you couldn't add a can of soup to the recipe...all other prepared foods were fair game...and it had to be QUICK & EASY).


NOT Your Mother's Tuna Cassarole

1 box WHITE cheddar macaroni and cheese
1/2 onion -- chopped
1 can albacore tuna -- drained
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/8 cup unsalted butter
1 cup skim milk
1 cup saltine cracker crumbs
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, low-fat -- shredded

Serves 4

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Boil water to make boxed mac and cheese. Cook pasta and drain. In the meantime, chop your onion, open and drain your tuna and get ready to launch into tuna casserole land.
In a medium-sized skillet, melt your measly 1/2 tablespoon of butter. (I'm trying to be good about the butter, but sometimes I slip a little extra in.) Now sauté your onion and as it turns clear, add the drained tuna. Then add the milk, butter and sauce packet from the box of mac and cheese and cook till it thickens. Schlep everything together except the saltines and cheddar and stick it in a lightly greased casserole dish. Top with saltines and then cheese.
Bake for about 15 minutes, give or take.

NOTE: Make SURE you only use solid white albacore. That cheapie stuff smells like catfood when you open the can. If it smells like cat food...well....

Nutrition Info Per serving:
216 Calories (kcal); 11g Total Fat; (46% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 25mg Cholesterol; 430mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates