Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Tuna and Noodle Casserole Diabetic Makeover.

Hubby and I really enjoy tuna & noodle casserole.  It's been one of our staple dishes since we started living together way back in 1996.  In fact, we love it so much, we usually would polish off a whole casserole in one sitting.  Just the two of us!

Since I was diagnosed with Diabetes, we've stayed away from tuna & noodle casserole.  I mean, the name of it just screams glucose high.  This week, I was feeling a bit creative.  I wanted to reinvent the dish to be a lot less carb, but keep it just as yummy and filling as it always was.  Yes, me, the non-cook is coming up with new ideas on her own.  It's scary and someone should write this down on the calendar.

I knew I'd need to cut down on the noodle part, but what do I replace it with?  Veggies!!  This has been my answer to a lot of things lately.  I happen to know that the more veggies I eat, the better my numbers are.  This is likely because I eat less carbs if I eat more veggies.  Lately, I've been throwing broccoli and mushrooms into one-dish meals to make the carbs stretch farther.

Most recipes for diabetics that are low-carb and one-dish use a lot of pepper and onion or zucchini.  Um, well, Hubby doesn't like squash and I have acid reflux flare ups with onions and peppers.  I also notice with a lot of the low-carb tuna & noodle casseroles, they were still so high on the noodle carbs that there was no way I could eat half a casserole.  So, I got thinking.  What if I throw in my new carb stretching, veggie amplifying solution to one-dish meals; broccoli and mushrooms?  

Not only did I add broccoli and fresh mushrooms, but I also added some shredded carrots to the dish.  The best part is, I could still eat half the casserole and only eat 42 grams of carbs (my allowance is 45!).  Oh joy!!  Just like old times.  Hubby and I made short work of it tonight, although, I pretty sure he ate more than half.  We both loved this dish!  We will certainly make it again.

Below, I share the ingredients for my old way of doing tuna & noodle casserole along with the full recipe and directions for the new way.  Here's a picture of the finished product.  It looked so much more tasty than the usual stuff I used to make.  I couldn't wait to dig in.


 OLD INGREDIENTS:
1 can of mushroom soup
1 can of peas
1 jar of mushrooms
2 cans of tuna
2-3 cups of uncooked pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste.
(I don't even want to think about how many carbs there were!)

NEW RECIPE:
Servings: 4 (for Hubby and I it's 2)
Total Starch Carbs for the entire recipe: 65.5 grams (27g noodles, 22.5 grams mushroom soup, 13 grams peas, 3 grams milk)
Starch Carbs: 16 grams (for me, 42 grams)


Ingredients:
1 Tbsp oil
1/4 of a lb. frozen broccoli florets
8 oz. fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup uncooked egg noodles (whole grain, if possible)
1/3 can of peas
2 cans water packed tuna
1 can of low fat mushroom soup
1/4 cup 2% lowfat milk
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste
(Note: I might add a little bit of onion to the veggie mix next time.  Just enough for flavor.  Not enough to upset my tummy.)

Directions:
Cook noodles as directed on package.

While noodles are cooking, heat oil in large skillet.  Add broccoli, mushrooms and carrots to the skillet.  Saute until broccoli is tender and mushroom juices are mostly gone.

Combine veggie mixture, noodles, tuna, soup, milk and peas in a casserole dish.  Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes (more if you like the top brown and crunchy).  Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes.  CAUTION: Broccoli will be extra hot.

We had salad along side the dish.  Next time, I might add a fruit for dessert.  

Post Prandial Glucose (2 hrs after): 97. Woohoo!


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