Creamy Tuna Noodles

In grad school, and even back as far as our undergrad years, Tuna Helper was one of our favorite meals that could be made fast. Nights that we had no more than gotten home and one of us had to be back out the door for night class, and Bookworm still had to eat, Tuna Helper is what we’d serve.

But as the years have gone on, our family has grown, and food allergies and sensitivities have shown… we’ve had to modify what we eat. Boxed dinners were the first thing to go in the transition to a more preservative free diet.

Normally a suitable replacement for that delicious boxed Tuna of dinner is tuna casserole. But to be brutally honest, casseroles just aren’t a family favorite here. It would be so much easier if we did prefer them. But we don’t, so we have to work around it! So all the searches out there on Tuna Helper substitutes that come up as casseroles just don’t cut it!

This meal starts out with making a simple cream sauce. You can play with some of the seasonings if you want, and modify what veggies or protein you add to this. It’s completely customizable to your tastes and needs. What makes this dinner absolutely perfect is that it can be done in less than 30 minutes, making it just as fast, but even more delicious!

Have leftovers? Just add a splash of milk and reheat via your preferred method. {Since we don’t have a microwave, we reheat on the stove with a small sauce pan and it still comes out just as perfect as when it was first made.}

Ingredients:

12oz package wide eggnoodles
2 cups frozen peas
4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons flour
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt & pepper to taste
3 cans tuna – light tuna packed in water is our go-to
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Prepare egg noodles according to package directions. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add frozen peas. Drain and reserve.
Meanwhile, in a large pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until no longer bubbly. Slowly add in milk, whisking constantly to avoid clumps. Add onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, salt & pepper.
Add tuna to sauce mixture, stirring until combined. Allow the mixture to simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add cheddar cheese, stirring until melted.
Add noodles and peas to the tuna mixture. Stir until combined. Serve warm.

Serves 6