Tuna Noodle Green Bean Casserole!

Fall is officially here now that we had our first snow, last week! From here on out, my house will have steamy windows, Christmas Spirit essential oil blend diffusing in my living room, and a hot oven almost always warming the kitchen ... when it is cold, that is. Colorado weather can be quite unpredictable all season with warm days sprinkled throughout the next 6 months. Thank goodness for that!!! 

Two of my favorite comfort food dishes to make during the cooler months are tuna noodle and green bean casseroles. I used to make the green bean casserole the "traditional" way by using Campbell's mushroom soup and French's French Fried onions. Well, that was before I knew anything about reading ingredient labels. ;) Thankfully, there are natural alternatives now!!

Today, I've created a delicious combination by marrying these two favorites into one casserole! It is a creamy, mushroomy (shhhh, my boys hate those things), tuna-y, green bean-y .... you get the idea - and oh so tasty! Why didn't I think of it sooner?

It would have been great to add more green beans but my boys can sometimes be picky about vegetables so, it's up to you on how much to add! Go with whatever you have on hand or your preference. And always buy organic when possible and read all labels before purchasing. Your dollars make a huge impact on what manufacturers put into the food on the grocery store shelves. Remember to support your health by choosing quality ingredients and know that God always provides! Enjoy!

Ingredients

11oz carton cream of mushroom condensed soup (natural brand)

1 cup milk of choice

8-16oz frozen green beans, cooked and drained or one 15 oz can, drained

2 cans tuna, drained

1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded or use your favorite cheese

1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup fried onions, divided (natural brand)

1 tsp. sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

2 cups of Pappardelle noodles or use egg noodles

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 9x13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the following: cream of mushroom soup, milk, green beans, tuna, Gruyere cheese, 1/2 cup french fried onions. Stir to mix well and pour into the casserole dish.

3. Bake casserole for 25 minutes. Stir well and then top with the remaining 1/2 cup french friend onions and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until it has browned a bit on the top. 

   

Recipe by: Elisha

Inspiration: "Traditional" Green Bean Casserole

Gratitude: Thank you for reading!

Alphabet Vegetable Soup

My bigs were little here, in 2011 ... oh my how the time goes by! They were so cute! 

This is a time I remember and cherish because they both loved almost all vegetables and would eat just about anything I put in front of them. Those were the days. Fast forward a few years and bear with me as I tell you the veggies they won't eat (because, whaaat?). Here is the list: zucchini, mushrooms, corn, and peas. And to top it off, the younger one here will not eat tomatoes. Just won't even look at them. I completely disagree with all of this nonsense but I have to choose my battles for for my own sanity and let them have a few dislikes but that's it! No more dislikes, I can't handle it! Of course, I'm somewhat joking because I do believe that it is important to listen to our bodies and if I sit around forcing them to eat peas and carrots, they will 1. go against their body's intuition and 2. hate me. Besides, there are more stressful things to deal with in a day ... like getting my three year old (their newest brother) dressed for the day or keeping him from running outside stark naked. Yea, that. Not for the faint at heart. 

I do however miss the tasty veggies sometimes and will sautee up some mushrooms all to myself. Or if I could have a big bowl of all those yummy vegetables combined, I'd eat them slightly steamed with bit of butter and a few squirts of Bragg's Liquid Aminos! Yum!

The bowls of vegetable soup sitting in front of them here were devoured at the time but if I made it today, they would frown and say, "Eww, corn and peas!" I found a similar recipe for Alphabet Vegetable Soup because I lost the old recipe. This one looks great and I will plan to make it again but will put the peas and corn on the side for the rest of the family to enjoy. :) 

I believe I served the dill muffins from a previous post. 

What are your kids' dislikes with food and how do you deal with it? 

Roasted Chestnut Cookies

I found this recipe on the Smitten Kitchen blog and fell in love with them ... they were so delicious!!! You can find the recipe here.