COLlive Women: Celebrated cookbook author Jamie Geller presents two casserole recipes - tuna with spinach and creamy noodle.

By Jamie Geller, Joy of Kosher.com

A tuna noodle casserole is a perfect dinner for a weeknight when the kids come home from school, cold and “starving.” They get one whiff of that warm, cheesy aroma and they are instantly soothed. In fact, just to guarantee that the kids will gobble it up, serve it with potato chips on the side, or crumble the chips on top. Who can pass up a meal that comes with chips?

And listen, my hubby’s favorite lunch is a tuna sandwich with a side of chips – he could eat that every day. So I say, let him think of this casserole as the dinner version of a tuna sandwich.

And now that we’ve satisfied everyone else, let’s look at it from our point of view: Tuna casserole is a filling, easy, quick, and inexpensive meal that you make in one pot. It doesn’t get any better than that!

The traditional recipe, Creamy Noodle Casserole, is wonderful in all its cheesy, creamy glory. But if you are careful about your weight, or your fiber, or your white flour intake — why should you watch while others eat? Why deny yourself this delicious treat?

So for you, my Whole Wheat Tuna Casserole with Spinach is the answer. It’s just as delectably yummy, but carries far less guilt! Hold the chips, or buy the baked (not fried) kind. Another option is to get that crunch with some crudité (a fab French word that simply means raw celery, carrot, pepper, broccoli or cauliflower spears dipped in vinaigrette or other sauce of your choice.)

If you are a casserole fanatic, visit JoyofKosher.com for lots more where these came from and watch me make this delicious recipe for Spinach and Feta Fish Bites mixed with Fusili.






Whole Wheat Tuna Casserole with Spinach

Times
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

4 cups cooked whole wheat rotini
1 cup baby spinach
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup part skim ricotta
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (5-ounce) can tuna packed in water and drained
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 Teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir well to mix everything together.
Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake 16 to 20 minutes or until heated through and top is lightly browned.

----

Creamy Noodle Casserole

Times

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups cooked wide egg noodles
1 (5-ounce) can tuna, packed in water and drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Directions

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.
In a small sauté pan, cook onion in olive oil over medium high heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine onion with noodles, tuna, cheese, sour cream, dry mustard and paprika. Stir well to mix everything together.
Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and top is lightly browned. Serve with potato chips.


Jamie Geller was “The Bride Who Knew Nothing” – until she found her niche as everybody’s favorite kosher cook next door. She is the author of the best-selling Quick & Kosher cookbook series, creator of the Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller magazine and host of the popular Quick & Kosher cooking show online at youtube.com/joyofkosher and on-air on JLTV. Join Jamie and the world’s largest kosher food community on joyofkosher.com to discover 5,000 FREE kosher recipes, inspiring menu ideas, how-to videos, and more! Follow more of Jamie’s Quick & Kosher cooking adventures on Twitter @JoyofKosher and on facebook.com/joyofkosher.