At least once a month, when I come in from work and have given dinner exactly ZERO thoughts, I pull out an easy, crowd-pleasing, family favorite from my Midwestern childhood. I’ve swapped out several of the standard ingredients with better-for-you pantry staples (linked in the recipe). I’ve snuck in an organic brand of cream of mushroom soup, and a high fiber, high protein noodle. Nobody at my table has noticed or cared that I have switched ingredients on them; everybody loves good ol’ Tuna Noodle Casserole. Maybe make a double batch for leftovers.

*A note on the milk: I am not a big milk drinker, so I keep a pasture-raised whole milk powder in my fridge for cooking, and I’m never caught in the lurch. I whip it up with my rechargeable frother (a $10 kitchen gadget I use at least twice a day), and it’s good to go. Use whatever milk you like, this little shortcut just saves me on a regular basis when I’m mid-recipe.

You’ll need:

3 T butter

2-3 T all purpose flour

Scant 2 C milk

1 can cream of mushroom soup (organic version, as promised)

1 C shredded cheese – cheddar, colby jack, whatever blend you like

3 cans wild caught tuna

1 box of dry pasta (yummy high fiber, high protein, low GI version) or GF brown rice pasta

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1, Cook pasta according to box directions.

2. While pasta is cooking, make a bechamel sauce from the butter, flour, and milk. Melt the butter, add the flour to make a paste. Cook on medium heat for a minute or so, and slowly whisk in the milk. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.

3. Add the mushroom soup, cheese, salt and pepper, and tuna to the bechamel. Resist the urge to fancy it up with herbs and spices – it really is tasty, just as it is.

4. Drain the pasta, and add it to the sauce.

5. If you’re feeling fancy, scoop it into a casserole dish and top it with breadcrumbs and a little shredded cheese, and pop the whole thing under the broiler. I almost never bother, but it’s nice. I’ve even seen a crushed potato chip topping, but that is advanced Midwestern-ing, friend. Some people also add frozen peas to their casserole, and that’s a different vibe, but, hey, try it and see if you like it!

6. Serve it with a little roasted broccoli (that you threw in the oven or air fryer while you were whipping this up), or a salad works, too. Enjoy!