Todays Guest blogger is Liberty from Naturally Frugalicious!
In our family we eat predominately vegetarian. Several of my children are vegetarian by their own choice and much to my omnivore husband’s chagrin, I prefer a mostly vegetarian diet as well. Thankfully a Veggie diet is also frugal in nature so I get away with serving my die-hard meat eating husband more meatless meals than not.
Being a busy mom, I am always on the hunt for easy recipes that can feed my family without keeping me in the kitchen for hours (though admittedly, I do like to put on a good spread from time to time for our friends and family). Casseroles meet this need and typically are very inexpensive to throw together.
One of our busy day favorites is a mock tuna casserole. You don’t really miss the canned tuna (who would really?) and this recipe leaves room for interpretation and use of healthier or vegan ingredients.
If you don’t live in a vegetarian household this may be a great way to implement Meatless Mondays with your family.
‘Not Tuna’ Noodle Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 - 12 oz bag of egg noodles
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 10 oz baby Portabella mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1 - 16 oz carton Portabella mushroom soup**
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 - 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 Tbs nutritional yeast
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
Directions:
- Heat oven to 375ºF. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a stock pot over high heat, bring 4-6 quarts of water to boil. When water comes to full boil, prepare egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and place back in the pot, setting aside.
- While noodles are cooking, add the EVOO in a saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and mushrooms. Saute the vegetables until the mushrooms begin to release their juices; about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a food processor, add the garbanzo beans and parsley, pulse until they’re chopped into small pieces. Add the soup, nutritional yeast and mayo. Pulse until blended. At this stage, taste the mixture, add salt and pepper to taste. Add in the egg and pulse until well blended.
- Pour the garbanzo bean mixture into the egg noodles. Add in the cheese and vegetables and stir until well combined.
- Spoon the noodle mixture into prepared 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the Panko breadcrumbs on top of noodle casserole for the crust.
- Bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
**If you can’t find the soup in a 16 oz size container, you can substitute with a can of cream of mushroom soup and a little bit of water or milk/non-dairy creamer if you find it needs a little bit more liquid.
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Give this vegetarian ‘Not Tuna’ Noodle Casserole recipe a try and be sure to let us know what you think!
Liberty Ann is a photographer extraordinaire, life coach, and blogger who has a sometimes snarky and irreverent approach to life. Her personal blog, Naturally Frugalicious, offers perspectives on healthy eating and frugal living through recipes, tips, and DIY projects. When she isn’t blogging or elbow deep in her photography, Liberty can be found drinking a glass of wine and getting lost in Pinterest.
She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, as is Naturally Frugalicious.