Mac ‘n’ cheese is a kid-friendly favourite, and it gets a big boost of protein from canned tuna in Sandi Richard‘s recipe.

Tuna mac ‘n’ cheese

Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 2 celery ribs
• 3 cups macaroni pasta (you can also use 4 cups fusilli)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup or cheddar & broccoli soup, reduced-sodium (10 fl oz or 284 mL)
• 1 can solid tuna in water, drained (6 1/2 oz or 180 g)
• 1 1/2 cup Tex-Mex cheese, shredded
• 1 soup can, filled with 1% milk (1 1/4 cups)
• Aluminum foil

Method:

Fill a large stove-top pot with water and bring to a boil, on high heat, for pasta.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a large non-stick electric or stove-top fry pan at medium heat. Finely chop onion and slice celery, adding to pan as you cut. Sauté until onion is soft and slightly browned. Remove from heat.

Add pasta to boiling water and stir. Set timer for 8 minutes (or 4 minutes less than package directions). When timer rings for pasta, rinse under cold water in a colander to remove starch. Return to pasta pot.

Add mushroom soup to cooked pasta. Add sautéed onion and celery. Crumble drained tuna into pasta pot using a fork. Add 1/2 cup of cheese. Gradually stir in milk until all ingredients are well combined then transfer to an oven-proof casserole dish. (It may seem like there is too much liquid, but don’t worry it will all disappear once it’s baked.) Pile the final layer of cheese on top and evenly spread it around. Cover tightly with foil. Place in hot oven. Set timer for 25 minutes.

Courtesy Sandi Richard
www.cookingfortherushed.com
@sandi_richard