Low Salicylate Tuna Casserole

by | Apr 22, 2022

You know those posts where people wax lyrical about their most beloved childhood meals, filled with nostalgia about a treasured family recipe? Well, my folks, this is not one of those posts. When I was a child, one of our regular meals was a horrid casserole-type concoction called “fruit rice” made with canned tuna, tinned fruit salad, cream and you guessed it, rice. My sisters absolutely loved this dish, goodness knows why, but I would cringe whenever the answer to “what are we having for dinner?” was “fruit rice”. Blah! Anyhoos, not one to dwell on the past, I’m putting tuna casserole back on the table, this time using ingredients which are a little more to my, and hopefully your, liking.

Enjoy xx

 

Low Salicylate Tuna Casserole

Serves 4

 

Equipment

  • Grater
  • Cutting board and knife
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Saucepans
  • Oven dish
  • Storage container

 

Ingredients

2 cups pasta shells (I like to use chickpea pasta)

20 grams unsalted butter (plus 1 Tbsp for dotting)

1 clove garlic (minced)*

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups milk

1 Tbsp malt vinegar

Pinch salt

1/2 cup spring onion (finely chopped)

100 grams frozen spinach

425 gram canned tuna in springwater

1 can white beans (drained and rinsed)

1 cup tasty cheese (grated)

1 cup of crushed plain potato crisps

A handful of chives (finely chopped)

 

Method

1.) Preheat fan-forced oven to 160 degrees celsius

2.) Cook pasta according to packet instructions, drain, and set aside.

2.) Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Turn down the heat to low then add in the flour, whisking continuously for 1 minute.

3.) Turn the heat back up to medium and add the milk, 1/4 cup at at time, whisking so it combines with the flour. Don’t worry if there are lumps, it takes 3-5 minutes for the sauce to smooth and thicken to your desired consistency (use more milk if you like a thinner sauce, less if you like a thicker sauce).

4.) Once the mixture has your preferred thickness, add in the malt vinegar, salt, spring onion and frozen spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted and cooked through. Stir in tuna and white beans.

5.) Add in cheese, stir, and allow it to melt. Take off stove and stir in cooked pasta. Pour cheesy pasta mixture into a 20 cm oven dish. Top with crushed potato crisps and dots of butter.

6.) Bake for 20-25 minutes. When ready, remove casserole from oven and dish onto plates, sprinkling with chives before serving.

Cooled down leftover casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

*Garlic is listed as a low salicylate food only in very small quantities. If you find you don’t tolerate garlic well, just omit from the recipe.

DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

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