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    Home » recipes » kid-friendly feeds

    By Amanda Smyth 6 Comments

    tuna bake | the good, the yum & the ugly

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    Before I start extolling the virtues of tuna bake, may I just say I am loving this ugly food project?  The very best recipes are timeless. Long ago, in the time before food blogs (gasp!), these kinds of recipes were hand written on recipe cards and either shared or fiercely guarded.  Things aren't too different these days I guess, I'm still not sharing my prize-winning pickle recipes.

    Tuna Bake has been around for eons and for good reason: it's easy, it's tasty and it's budget friendly. The ingredients are things we routinely have in the pantry/fridge and it's another fabulous late-home-from-footy freezer meal.

    tuna bake

    TUNA BAKE-2

    Ingredients:

    • 425g tin tuna
    • 200g penne (or another tubular pasta), uncooked
    • 1 medium brown onion
    • 2 sticks celery
    • 1 carrot
    • 60g butter
    • 3 tbs plain flour
    • 400ml milk
    • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
    • 1 cup grated cheese (plus more to top the bake)
    • salt and pepper

    Method:

    Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.

    Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery and sauté with the butter in a large saucepan until the onion is translucent.  Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables, cook over a low heat for several minutes. This is important, if you don't cook it long enough, your tuna bake will taste of raw flour.

    Add the milk, 100mls at a time, stirring and allowing the mixture to thicken between additions.  Add the cheese and mustard powder, stir until combined.  Add the tuna, I think it's best to break up the big bits but leave reasonable chunks - so you can recognise what you're eating.  Stir in the cooked pasta.

    Transfer into an oven proof dish, top with extra cheese and bake in a 180ºC oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden.tuna bake

    tuna bake the good the yum and the ugly

    are there any secret recipes in your family?

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me says

      April 01, 2015 at 11:39 am

      So no one except the cat and I eat Tuna so sadly I will never make this. Or maybe I'll make it and tell them it's chicken!

      Reply
    2. Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid says

      April 01, 2015 at 5:12 pm

      Tuna is one of my favourite ingredients. This is pretty much my dream dinner, tuna, pasta and cheese! Ugly food for the win!

      Reply
    3. Robyna says

      April 01, 2015 at 10:23 pm

      Tuna bake is our fail safe around here. I add spinach and parmesan cheese. Hmmmm. Salty.

      Reply
    4. mscate says

      April 02, 2015 at 1:39 am

      I'm mostly vego these days but my two exceptions are tuna bake and the odd bit of bacon...

      Reply
    5. Grace says

      April 07, 2015 at 8:59 pm

      I came across your lovely blog via blogchicks.com.au. Oh my, your food photos are amazing!!!

      Reply
    6. rebeccassunday says

      April 17, 2015 at 7:11 pm

      You're so right - it's a great keeper recipe. I think it looks quite good and I heard a belly rumble for sure. Our family prides itself on our Spag bol and I have successfully vegetarianised it!

      Reply

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