Tuna Noodle Casserole

Yummy!

This is by far the best tuna casserole I've had and I probably won't ever make a different one! I found this recipe on allrecipes.com Normally I make this in the fall/winter but I had a craving for it the other day. I love summer but I'm already tired of just eating meat from the grill!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter divided
1 (8 ounce) package medium egg noodles
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced (I only used 4 oz)
1/4 flour
2 cups milk
2 (6 ounce) cans of tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoons bread crumbs (I crumble Ritz crackers)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Boil egg noodles as directed on package, drain.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in onion, celery, and garlic, cook until tender. Mix in mushrooms (I had to add a bit more butter here) and continue to cook a few more minutes. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter a medium baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter.

In a medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons butter, whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk and continue cooking until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tuna, peas, mushroom mixture, 1/2 cup cheese, and cooked noodles. (Taste here and season with salt and pepper to your liking). Transfer to the baking dish and top with remaining cheese.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Mix with bread crumbs and sprinkle over the casserole. (I didn't feel this was enough bread crumbs so I melted another tablespoon of butter and mixed with more crushed crackers)



Bake 25 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned.



Serve with toasted bread and salad. Enjoy!