Speedy dinner? That's the ticket!

Dear friends with a life,

Thanks for laughing at my lame pun.  This is an easy dinner to make; one of my favorite features about it is that it can easily be modified based on what I have on hand.  It can also be mixed up in the afternoon and left on the counter until you're ready to put it in the oven.

Tuna Noodle Casserole (or as I inadvertently called it, Tuna Nooda Casserole)

6 ounces (3 cups) pasta (I used wheel pasta)

Water and salt for cooking pasta

1 can (6-1/2 – 7 ounces) tuna, drained

½ cup mayonnaise

1 cup sliced celery (optional)

1/3 cup chopped onion

¼ cup chopped green pepper or jarred roasted red pepper

¼ cup chopped canned pimiento or olives (optional)

½ teaspoon salt or seasoned salt

½ tsp Italian seasoning

1 can (10-1/2 ounces) cream of celery or mushroom soup

½ cup milk OR 1/3 c dried nonfat milk beaten into ½ c water

4 ounces (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese or chopped process cheese

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)

Cook noodles in water according to package directions; drain and turn into large bowl.  Add tuna, mayonnaise, celery, onion, green pepper, pimiento, seasoning and salt; combine and set aside.  In small saucepan, stir together soup and milk and eat through.  Add cheese and heat, stirring, until cheese melts; add to noodle mixture and turn into 2-quart casserole.  If desired, top with toasted almonds.  (At this point, you can put a lid or cover on the dish and let sit for a few hours before baking, if you wish to mix it up in the early afternoon.  I haven’t tried letting it sit all day.)   Bake uncovered at 425 deg 20 minutes.  Makes 6 servings.

I covered the casserole dish with a lid and then mixed up the following side dish: 

Rosemary Red Potatoes

(Based on the recipe in the 2006 Taste of Home, p 248)

5 red potatoes, quartered

1 small onion, quartered and then halved again

¼ c olive oil or Misto olive spray

1 sprig rosemary

2 garlic cloves, crushed

¼ tsp Ozark seasoning, Italian seasoning, or salt

Combine all, toss to coat. Put in foil-lined baking pan (15x10x1”).  

Instead of tossing them, I used the Misto olive oil sprayer to grease a foil-lined pan, then put in the vegetables and sprayed them again with the olive oil, then sprinkled on the seasonings.  I got the Misto at Bed Bath & Beyond; you fill it halfway with olive oil and pump the lid a few times to build up enough pressure to get it to spritz like regular canned stuff.  

Bake at 425F for 30 to 40 minutes.

4 servings

Sweet Baked Apples (I prepped these while dinner baked, and put them in the oven as soon as the casseroles came out.)

This was my favorite dessert to make growing up, because it is so easy.  My mom taught me the recipe, and you can add more sweet spices, ice-cream, crumbly toppings, or whatever you like.  

Apples (one per person)

Butter

Brown sugar

Cinnamon

Cut the core out of the apple.  Insert a piece of butter, pack in brown sugar, and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Place in a pan (foil-lined if you want to save dishes).  Pour in water to cover the bottom of the pan.

Bake at 350 for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on the size of the apples; until they are tender when pricked with a fork. Serve in bowls; spoon the liquid from the pan over the apples.

Optional streusel filling: mix melted butter with white flour and sugar for a crumbly topping or filling.

If you have leftover apples the next morning, chop them up and put in a bowl with the leftover liquid.  Serve pancakes or crepes.  

Bon appetit! 

Mrs H
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