Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole

 

Known as Tuna-Pea Wiggle to some, this family-friendly tuna noodle casserole tends to be made with canned soup and whole milk, which means high fat and sodium. We remedy this by making our own creamy mushroom sauce with nonfat milk thickened with a bit of flour. Look for whole-wheat egg noodles—they have more fiber than regular egg noodles (but this dish will work well and taste great with either).

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole-wheat egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups nonfat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 12 ounces canned chunk light tuna drained (see Note)
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables; stir to coat. Add milk and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stir in tuna, peas and 1/2 cup Parmesan until evenly incorporated. Then, stir in the noodles (the pan will be very full). Remove from the heat.
4. Sprinkle the casserole with breadcrumbs and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Broil until bubbly and lightly browned on top, 3 to 4 minutes.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3, spoon into an 8-inch-square glass baking dish, cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cheese (Step 4) and bake, covered, at 350°F for 50 minutes. Uncover and cook until browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes more.

• Note: Chunk light tuna, which comes from the smaller skipjack or yellowfin, has less mercury than canned white albacore tuna. The FDA/EPA advises that women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children consume no more than 6 ounces of albacore a week; up to 12 ounces of canned light tuna is considered safe.
• Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh crumbs. For dry breadcrumbs, spread the fresh crumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until crispy, about 15 minutes. One slice of fresh bread makes about 1/3 cup dry crumbs. Or use prepared coarse dry breadcrumbs. We like Ian's brand labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets.

Nutrition

Per serving: 406 calories; 8 g fat ( 3 g sat , 3 g mono ); 53 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrates; 32 g protein; 5 g fiber; 684 mg sodium; 593 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (30% daily value), Potassium (17% dv), Iron, Vitamin A & Vitamin C (15% dv), good source of omega-3s.
Carbohydrate Servings: 3
Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1/2 nonfat milk, 3 lean meat