$0.95 per serving ~ Tuna Mac n'Cheese Casserole served with Carrots, Snap Peas, Black Beans and Edamame

I may be the only person who LOVED tuna noodle casserole growing up. My mom made it every few weeks and everyone in the house complained about it but me. When I was in college they created "easy mac" and mini cans of tuna... I lived on that in grad school. I realized we have a ton of mac n cheese boxes and cans of tuna. So here I went, trying to make a version that wouldn't be quite so "starving artist" but still economical.

Tuna Mac n' Cheese Casserole ~ $0.70 per serving
1 package macaroni and cheese ($0.80)
prepared with 1/4 cup milk ($0.05)
and 4 tbsp. butter ($0.25)
1 can condensed cream soup, undiluted ($0.50)
1/2 cup milk ($0.10)
1/2 cup shredded cheese ($0.70)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
Parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions.
2. Stir in soup (I used cream of celery), tuna, and milk. Pour into greased baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with cheese (I used colby jack), bread crumbs (I used panko), and parsley.
4. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes.
Makes 6 servings.

The Verdict
Jim has an unnatural hatred of anything containing both cheese and tuna, so I considered it a victory when he pronounced this dinner "OK". He ate seconds! Josh absolutely loved it, which is awesome. Now I can toss tuna into his mac and cheese anytime I make it. I think next time I will add some pureed butternut or acorn squash to make the dish more nutritious. I served it with our favorite frozen boxed veggie - Green Giant's "Healthy Weight" blend, which is sugar snap peas, carrots, black beans and shelled edamame in a light butter sauce. YUM! And if you clip coupons and shop sales, they can be really cheap!

Coming Tomorrow...
We will be taking Josh and Julia up to the mall for trick or treating, which means dinner out... but fear not, faithful readers! Inspired by the lovely Tami, I will be posting some of Josh's favorite healthy snacks... which are also mine! My peanut butter yogurt dip will be posted, along with some others!