Comfort food - tuna casserole

1c. Veg. 

1t. Oil or solid fat

2T. Flour*

2T. Butter or solid fat of choice 

1/2c. Coconut milk

1/2c. Non-dairy milk

1t. Your favourite seasoning (I used s&p, garlic and thyme)

3 servings 'bouillon' - I used vegetarian 'better than bouillon no chicken base'

1/2c. Mayonnaise

1c. Non-dairy milk

2 cans tuna, drained

1c. Peas (optional)

1/4c. Parmesan (optional)

2c. Fusilli or rotini pasta

1/2-3/4c shredded cheese

1) Preheat oven to 375°. Chop your veg into small pieces (pea sized or smaller). I used 1/2c. onion & 1/2 c. celery, but mushrooms would be great, too. Find the blend that makes your mouth and tummy happy.

2) sauté your veg of choice in your choice of oil or solid fat. Set aside.

3) set a small pot on low and let it heat up a bit. Then add solid fat and heat gently until almost completely melted. Add the flour, whisking constantly (I use a flat whisk that gets in the corners of my pot). Cook until it turns a very light golden beige colour.

4) while continuing to whisk constantly, begin to add the milk. The key is patience. Add a little at a time whisking constantly so there are no lumps. (If you like coconut milk, you can use a whole cup instead of 1/2c of another milk) Your concoction should be thick, like thick gravy. Add the bouillon until combined. Add the veg, mix it up and set aside.

5) in a large bowl, combine the mayo, 1c.  milk, optional ingredients and tuna. It should be a nice thick soupy mess. Add the dry pasta and gently fold in until all the pasta is covered in goo.

6) Spoon into a greased casserole pan. Sprinkle with cheese if desired, covering the top evenly.

7) Bake for 35-40 min. Let stand at least 5-10 min. before digging in.

* I used GF Namasté Perfect Flour Blend. It needs to have some starch flour and xanthan gum.