Ranch Tuna "Noodle" Casserole

I was craving tuna noodle casserole, but I am not really a fan of the shirataki noodles. So what is a good substitute for noodles? Well, I have had success with green beans (canned variety), zucchini ribbons, and spaghetti squash strands. I personally like green beans for this particular recipe. They were soft and did not have any crunch to them which is why I like the canned green beans. Some people like a little crunch with their tuna but not me. It is a personal preference. The next issue I came across was the use of sour cream. I could've used up to 3 tbsp of sour cream as 3 condiments per serving but then you can't add your spices because you would be at your condiment limit. I guess you could sneak some in but I didn't tell you that :) I decided to try light ranch dressing to give it a little zing as well as use up my required healthy fats. As an option if you do not like ranch dressing, you could try 1/4 cup mayo (4 Healthy fats which is enough for this recipe) and 3 tbsp of sour cream (3 Condiments) with no spices. I may try that next time just to see which I prefer better. Feel free to add celery or green peppers if you want more crunch as well. Don't forget to add 2 additional green per serving! Enjoy!

 

 

Ranch Tuna "Noodle" Casserole

Ingredients:

14 oz tuna in water, canned (2 Lean)

1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese (1 Lean)

1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)

1/4 tsp garlic powder (1 Condiment)

1/4 tsp pepper (1/2 Condiment)

2 tbsp light mayo (2 Healthy Fats)

1/4 cup or 4 tbsp light Hidden Valley ranch dressing * see note below (2 Healthy Fats)

1-1/2 cups green beans no salt added, (I used canned but you can use fresh or frozen) (3 Greens)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine tuna, salt, garlic powder, pepper, mayo and ranch dressing until combined.

Stir in green beans. Divide mixture into three medium sized ramekins or 1 8" square casserole dish. Top with cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese has melted.

 

3 Servings with 1 Lean, 1 Green (still need 2 more Greens per serving), 1 Condiment per serving

No additional healthy fats required since 14 oz of tuna needs 4 healthy fats and cheese needs no healthy fat

  

I wanted to note that this recipe uses a light ranch dressing and not a fat free one. This is because I used it as a healthy fat. A dressing is considered a healthy fat when it meets the following criteria:

Fat: More than 5 grams (HV Ranch has 7 grams)

Calories: 40-80 (HV Ranch has 80)

Carbs: Less than 6 grams (HV Ranch has 3 grams)

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