Stove-top Tuna Casserole

Casseroles are traditionally baked, and topped with crusty crackers and cheese, but this is a classic working-mom, one-pot, stove-top tuna casserole that can have dinner in their bellies in less than 30 minutes.

This is one of my old-school, I-didn’t-plan-anything-for-dinner dinners. Its super cheap, and super easy.

Ingredients

I wanted to fancy it up a bit this time, so I found some celery, lemon juice & parsley to add to it.

Mac & Cheese
Tuna
Peas

Super Easy Cooking Instructions

Usually, you just need butter & milk to make the mac & cheese.

Prepare your macaroni and cheese according to the instructions on the box.
Add the peas
Add the tuna
Stir to combine

Fancy it up with a few alterations

a dash of lemon to the tuna
Add fresh or stir-fired bits of celery or onion (or celery seed/onion powder)
Top it with extra cheese and let it melt before serving (cheddar, mozzarella, or co-jack)
Add cream-of-something soup (mushroom or celery)
You can add a casserole topping in the pot, but I recommend Ritz over saltines, and add cheese – just put the lid on, and let it sit 5 minutes on the warm burner
a bit of color with parsley (dried or fresh)

Cooking tips for the poor man’s tuna casserole

Try to use frozen peas instead of canned. Canned peas are mushy. If you must, add them last and give it a gentle toss to combine.
Always break up your tuna in a bowl first. There can be bones, and they can be pretty big, or small enough to miss.
Use a little extra butter & milk when preparing your mac & cheese to keep it creamy, if you’re not adding condensed soup to fancy it up.
Cook your macaroni noodles to al dente, especially if you’re going to add soup or extra cheese.