Tweet
(Creamed Tuna in a casserole. Picture courtesy of dharder9475 at flickr.com.)
Here’s hoping that this is a day that’s easy on all you moms of whatever sex or situation. Mothering is a good thing we do for a variety of others, and it’s not about the flowers.
A meal that I always found easy to do, and with ingredients I had on hand, was creamed tuna. My kids enjoyed it, it’s healthy and warm, and speaks words of comfort to me even now.
The following recipe uses a beaten egg, and paprika, but I didn’t. I did chop up some boiled eggs to make the final dish. Of course, it doesn’t have to be tuna, canned meat or just boiled eggs – yes, iguana eggs work, make the same dish, giving it a slightly different wrinkle.
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, white pepper preferred
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 cups hot milk
• 1 1/2 cups cooked tuna
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika.
Stir well, pour in the milk, and when this has thickened add the tuna fish.
Heat the tuna fish thoroughly in the sauce
Add the slightly beaten egg and cook until this has thickened.
The vegetables can be any kind you have around, and can be chopped small so the kids can’t pick them out if they’re going through that anti-veggie time. Flavoring the final product with a buillon cube worked for me, adding it while the milk was being stirred with the butter mixture. The creamed sauce can be served over rice, toast, mashed potatoes, pasta, quinoa, grits, anything that’s hanging around or ready to be used up.
This is one of those easy dishes that was always welcome to both mom and kids, and takes very little time and effort.
Enjoy your mother’s day, however your mothering happened, and thanks.
23 Comments
Thanks Ruth,
This “mother/father,” can always use a simple recipe. I have some mahi-mahi coming in about three weeks from now. This is similar to what I have done with the left-overs. We follow the limits pretty closely on the recommended dosages of tuna or even our local fish, but free range chicken would work.
OT Sorry I missed your comment (and Peg’s nice greeting) to me yesterday morning. I’ll try to be on time and follow along better.
Your presence is appreciated, and so glad if you can use this staple recipe from my homemaking days. Anything thrown in the basic sauce is good.
Hold the veggies for me, add mushrooms. Good morning and Happy Mother’s Day!
Thanks. Just don’t look too closely, you’ll never notice them. (Used to put dried veggie soup mix into the meatloaf.)
One can of cream of mushroom soup.
One cup of noodles.
One can of tuna.
Loaf of homemade bread.
Supper. :<)
Ahhhhh…..
Your recipe brings back some long forgotten memories of my teenage years, coming home from school absolutely famished!
Since these items were always available in our house, my favorite go-to “snack” was creamed tuna on toast – One can of cream of mushroom soup, one can of tuna, drained, a tablespoon (or so) of dried, minced onion and a hunk of Velveeta cheese, cubed. I’d heat this until hot and cheese was melted and spoon it onto toast and sprinkle liberally with pepper – my brother and I would be sufficiently satiated until Mom got home and we could then delve into the actual dinner.
Thanks for bringing back that memory, Ruth – your recipe definitely sounds better than what I mushed together as a teenager!
Happy Mother’s Day!
I suspect many of us depended on the cream soup too, but in my memories, I am still doing the basic ingredients. I had hyperactive kids, stayed away from additives when they were little – luckily I had a really good, anti-medicated kids, doctor then.
Ahem!!!
I was expecting iguana on the menu today. Talk about false advertising, or setting unreal expectations.
I have to admit, I always used and still use the cream of mushroom soup. Green Beans too.
But, I would like to try the basic recipe. Just for ducks.
Hmmmm, cream of duck.
Happy Mutha’s Day, all you muthas.
I’m “not lifting a finger” today. :)
Gave a nod to the iguana eggs, anyway, but my iguanas are a bunch of muthas so they get the covered dish version. Hey, mothers need all the help they can get.
I drove a Euclid once and boy was I disgusted.
Sorry demi, I couldn’t find any willing Iguana muthers.
{{Happy Mother’s Day}} 2012
Shoot, I missed the iguana eggs reference the first time. Soar it the second time through…
I shouldn’t have doubted you and I humbly apologize.
:)
Iguana muthas bury their eggs, so you missed them.
Seafood SOS!
*G*
Happy Mother’s Day to all moms past and present n bless you all for putting up with us.
Mangiamo!
Nice pic and rcc’d too, btw.
Sister, you never miss a trick.
You inspire me.
Mr. Demi is in the kitchen making pancakes, right now. :)
All I have to do is decide between butter and syrup, or yogurt and bananas.
Thanks, and you nailed it, S**t on a shingle for sure.
Ooooh, butter and syrup (I have this really nice maple syrup with Cointreau for such special occasions) *and* bananas. Yogurt on the side, for dessert (it makes the pancakes too cold).
Happy Mother`s Day to all of you who celebrate it! I have never actually been a mother, although I am a proud step-mama. I solemnly swear, though, that I get hundreds of cards every Mother`s Day from people, many total strangers, thanking me for *not* being their mother. Works for me. : )
Thanks for this, Ruth. I cook for at least one die-hard TNCasserole (w `shroom soup) person. I will try the creamed tuna as I want as little to do with processed foods as possible. Doh, I cream canned salmon, don`t know why it never occurred to me to do it with tuna.
Speaking of fishes, I bought some smoked herring to make kippers and eggs, have lots left over but it won`t keep forever. Anyone have any ideas for it? Googling turned up nada.
Oh, for Spudtrucker, I have a recipe for tuna (or salt cod) slow-baked with potatoes and onions, Portuguese and Mexican versions. Do you eat spuds too, or just chauffeur them?
We call it creamed tuna on toast, but my Mom’s versions differs:
Basic white sauce as described above, ceyanne pepper, dash Worchestershire, frozen peas, diced onion. Serve over sour dough toast with lemon and tobasco at hand.
It’s such a comfort. It reminds me of my Mom, who I know, but doesn’t know me anymore, and when I’m in need of mothering, it hits a spot.
Thanks Ruth, for striking a tender nerve.
This makes a good addition to a potato salad, or just plain green salad. Thanks, glad to pass on my hard learned family food steps.
So glad it brought back one of those comfort/home memories, funny how it does that for so many of us. When I started thinking about food posting for Mothers’ Day, this popped right up.
LOL! Imagine what it feels like to live here! :)
Happy Mother’s Day to you, too!