Back in 2005, I gave up pasta (for the most part) in favor of a low carb diet. Along with giving up pasta, I gave up some of our family’s old standby dishes, mostly in the form of casseroles.

Casseroles were a staple in Todd’s mom’s cooking repertoire, and she’s a master at making them. My mother-in-law, Jody, taught me the value of being able to put together an easy, wholesome, filling meal that really hits the spot. I’ve really missed using her ideas for wonderful savory sauces, gravies, and one-dish meals.
Casseroles are also quite versatile, meaning as long as you have your carb source (potatoes, pasta, rice), your veggies, your meat, your sauce, your cheese, and something to add some crunch to the top of it, you’ve pretty much got a casserole. It’s a great way to create a ‘new’ dish out of leftovers, too!
Since Todd and I are pretty good at watching our weight these days, I’ve added one of our favorite casseroles back to our menu, the tuna noodle casserole. While white flour is not one of our favorite foods to have in our diet, it is part of the white sauce mix I use in this recipe. In order to scale back the amount of white flour we are consuming, I’ve chosen to substitute the regular pasta for whole wheat.
I really love this dish because it’s easy to make, filling, and such a comfort food for me. I’ve got one in the oven today, and so I got the idea to share the recipe with you. I’ve a ‘barebones’ casserole recipe I’m calling “The Versatile Casserole Recipe” below so that you can easily put together your own casserole with what you’ve got in your fridge or cupboard.

Kristi’s Tuna Noodle Casserole

What you need:
3 cups pasta
2/3 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup frozen green beans
1/3 cup dehydrated carrots, reconstituted*
1/8 cup dehydrated onions, reconstituted*
3 cans tuna, any kind you prefer
2 cups white sauce mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 cups water
Optional:
Bread crumbs or parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top of casserole
What to do:

1. Boil pasta according to package directions. When done, set aside.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, saute all of your frozen and reconstituted veggies with a little bit of water until they are all soft. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3. In the same skillet you used for the veggies, add white sauce mix and water and whisk until smooth. You will notice it getting thick pretty quickly.
4. Add meat, veggies and pasta to the skillet and mix well.
5. Top with bread crumbs or parmesan cheese, then bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and  golden brown on top.

*To reconstitute your vegetables, soak them in boiling water for 30-90 minutes, depending on the vegetable and on your family’s preferences.

Versatile Casserole Recipe

3 cups starch/carbs – boiled/diced potatoes, cooked rice, cooked pasta
2 cups vegetables – any kind of colored vegetable +onions, dehydrated, canned and drained, or fresh (you may need to blanch/par cook more dense veggies, like carrots, turnips, parsnips, etc.)
1 lb cooked meat – chicken, beef/ground beef, pork – or none, if you are vegetarian!
2 cups white sauce mix
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, mozzarella, pepper jack, american, or even diced velveeta)
4 cups water
Optional:
Bread crumbs or parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top of casserole
What to do:

1. Boil pasta or rice  according to package directions, or boil diced potatoes until almost done (so they don’t get mushy when cooking in the oven).Drain the pasta or potatoes (rice doesn’t need to be drained). When done set aside.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, saute all of your frozen and reconstituted veggies with a little bit of water until they are all soft. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3. In the same skillet you used for the veggies, add white sauce mix and water and whisk until smooth. You will notice it getting thick pretty quickly.
4. Add meat, veggies and starch item to the skillet and mix well.
5. Top with bread crumbs or parmesan cheese, then bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and  golden brown on top.