Monday's Menu

This is a recipe straight from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It is a classic that I had never tried before but I gave it a chance the other night and was pretty pleased. Although the Chick is not a tuna fan, she managed to eat hers too. I imagine you could probably substitute chunks of cooked chicken for the tuna. And I am wondering how it would taste with baby shrimp as a substitution but as I said, I had never tried it before so I was un-adventurous the first time out.

I hope you like it too.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

3 cups egg noodles or 1 cup elbow macaroni
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups milk
2 5 oz. cans tuna, drained or 2 6 oz. cans boneless, skinless salmon
1 cup cheddar cheese cubes (I used shredded)
1/4 cup chopped red pepper (or pimiento)

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Combine bread crumbs and 1 Tablespoon melted butter or margarine. Set aside.
for sauce, in saucepan, saute onion and celery in 1/4 cup butter or margarine until softened. Stir in flour, salt, dry mustard, and black pepper. Add milk, stirring well. Cook until slightly thickened. Combine sauce, tuna cheese, pepper, and noodles. Transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle top with crumb mixture. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes until bubbly and top is golden.

Variation: Add one cup frozen vegetables (such as peas) when combining to place in casserole dish. Bake as directed.