Tuna Casserole

This is one of those old-fashioned comfort foods that's just perfect in the middle of winter—it's somehow super satisfying and warms you up from head to toe!

Basic White Sauce Mix Recipe(makes one cup)

2T butter

2T flour

¼ tsp salt

1 C milk

Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and salt. Stir for about 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly add the milk and stir until the sauce is smooth and begins to bubble and thicken. Set aside.

Tuna Noodle Recipe

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 C macaroni, cooked and drained

2 cans (6 ½ oz each) tuna, drained

4 oz can mushroom stems and pieces

¼ C green pepper, chopped

½ C olives, pitted and sliced

1 tsp seasoned salt

¼ tsp oregano

¼ tsp pepper

½ C Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°.

Prepare the white sauce (see recipe above). Add the peanut butter. Mix in cooked macaroni, tuna, mushrooms (with liquid) and remaining ingredients except the cheese.

Pour into ungreased 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Roughly stir in about a third of the Cheddar cheese. C

over and bake for about 30 minutes.

Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and cook for another 10 minutes or so until the cheese melts and begins to bubble.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

I love this recipe in the summertime! Although it takes a little while to prepare, it's super tasty and great to have in the fridge when you want something quick for supper.  I really don't care for watery canned black olives so I always use Kalamata, and definitely don't skip the muffaletta. I believe that the olive salad might be the secret ingredient in this dish! I've adapted it from John Folse's recipe.

1½ cups uncooked orzo pasta

12 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped (and the liquid)

1 1/2-2 (or more) cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cucumber

1/2 yellow or red bell pepper, diced

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped

1 cup Italian olive salad--muffaletta (and the liquid)

1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano

1 Tbsp chopped thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Cook the orzo as directeduntil al dente. Peel the cucumber and then slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and then slice each half. Drain the cooked orzo in a colander and run under cold water until it's completely cooled. Then spoon the orzo into a large bowl, and add the artichoke hearts with liquid, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, feta, olives, olive salad, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. The feta and olives add saltiness, so definitely go light on the salt. 

Chill before serving. It's delicious with grilled fish or chicken.