Family Classic - Tuna Casserole

Growing up I am sure you had classic family meals.  For some it is meatloaf, for others it could be spaghetti. In our house, Sunday lunches mean we make a casserole.  Why?  Simple...because I like to start our week with leftovers.  Leftovers make my lunch making SO MUCH easier (hey, a Momma needs a break every now and then for all the lunches we prepare every day and night!).  We have a few go-to favourites when it comes to our Sunday lunch casserole, and the one I am sharing today is one of our favourites.  We change up the vegetables based on what we happen to have in the fridge (which is usually a good variety since I typically do our grocery shopping on Sunday morning).  Here is the base recipe that we use:

Family Classic - Tuna Casserole

1 can tuna, drained
8 ounces macaroni (or other pasta)
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
1/4 cup panko

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cook pasta according to package directions until tender.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter.  Add in the onions and green pepper (and any other vegetables you wish to add at this point, except the peas) - saute over low heat for about 5 minutes.  Add in the flour, salt and pepper.  Stir until smooth and bubbly.  Reduce heat to low and add in the milk and the cream of mushroom soup.  Stir until smooth and thick.  Add in the cooked pasta, tuna, peas and half of the cheese.  Mix well.  Pour the mixture into a buttered 8x8 or 9x9 casserole dish , top with the remaining cheese and panko.  Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.

VERDICT:
This is a classic in our family.  Our kids love it, and it makes great leftovers for lunches!