Cheesy Tuna Skillet Pasta

 

I really love skillet meals like this Cheesy Tuna Pasta.  Meals/entrees that can be cooked all in one pan on top of the stove.  In the summer they are especially welcome as they don't heat up the kitchen like oven bakes do.

 

This Cheesy Tuna Pasta is just like your favourite Tuna Casserole, except it is cooked in a skillet.  Amazingly there is no need to cook the pasta first.  It cooks right in the pan with everything else, which also helps to cut down on the washing up!

 

So what do you need to cook a fantastic meal like this?  Nothing unsual.  Its simple, economical, quick and easy to make.

• small pasta shapes (I used smaller size macaroni)
• Albacore white tuna (I only ever buy albacore)
• whole milk (homogenised, don't use a lower fat milk, the richeness of the sauce comes from the use of whole milk)
• water
• butter
• dry mustard powder
• sweet paprika (the opposite of hot paprika)
• greated strong cheddar cheese (don't be tempted to use pre-grated cheese please, it simply doesn't work well in this recipe.)
• frozen petit pois (sure you can use full size peas, but I prefer petit pois)
• salt, pepper, hot sauce and chopped parsley to garnish

 

As you can see, nothing too out of the ordinary here.  The most expensive bits will be your cheese and your tuna. I buy my Albacore tuna in glass jars from Ocado.  I end up with really great tuna, and an empty glass jar that I can use when I make jam in the summer time.

 

Do you save your glass jars?  I always have done, and plastic bags, etc. When I lived in Canada we used to buy our milk in plastic bags, in the 4 litre pack we would get three bags.  After the milk was gone I would wash and dry them and store them for future use.  They made great freezer bags!  Nice and heavy duty!

 

This is a fabulously tasty skillet meal.  It goes together really quickly and is done in about 15 minutes time maximum.  While it is cooking you can be putting together a nice salad to serve on the side.

 

You do need to keep an eye on it while it is cooking. First when you bring everything to the boil. Milk has the magic quality of being able to just about double in size when it comes to the boil, so keep watch.

 

You also want to keep a watch on it and stir it often while it is simmering away so that all of the pasta cooks equally and none sticks to the bottom of the pan.

 

Don't attempt to cut fat in this recipe by using skimmed milk.  You want at least 1% or higher.  I use whole milk. It gives a lovely rich sauce. I have never used any other kinds of milk in this dish other than cow's milk so I cannot speak as to how well they would work. (Soy, oat, almond, etc.) I can't think that they would be very nice actually. 

 

You can use fresh garden peas if you have them.  I use frozen petit pois (baby peas).  I am thinking that frozen chopped broccoli would also work in the same quantity as the peas, as would a mix of frozen peas and corn.

 

Always grate your own cheese when you are using it for cooking like this.  They add things to pre-grated blends to help them flow smoother when pouring out of the bag and they can often give you a poor finish. It doesn't really take too long to grate your own, and it is so much nicer tasting and texture wise! Also use a nice and flavourful cheese. I use strong cheddar. You can also add a TBS or two of grated Parmesan if you wish.  This adds an extra special touch!

 

I only ever use Albacore Tuna.  An old Italian woman told me to never use anything else once. I was in the grocery store and buying tuna. She was right. There is really no comparison and, to me anyways, it has always been worth it to pay a bit more and get albacore.  Its just nicer and tastes far superior.

  

Make sure you use a pasta in this recipe which says it can be cooked in 6 to 8  minutes as per the instructions on the box.  I used small elbows which worked perfectly.  All in all I think this is one winner of a weeknight supper! My children have always loved it. As a busy mom raising five children this is a recipe which always came in handy!

Cheesy Tuna Skillet Pasta

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Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner

A simple all in one supper entree that comes together in one pan lickety split!

Ingredients:

• 230g small size pasta shapes (2 cups, I use small macaroni)
• 280g Albacore white tuna (10 ounces), well drained
• 480ml whole milk (2 cups)
• 240ml water
• 4 TBS butter
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 245g grated strong cheddar cheese (2 cups)
• 75g frozen peas (1/2 cup)
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions:

1. I use my largest non-stick skillet for this recipe.  Add the macaroni, the tuna (broken up), the milk, water, butter, dry mustard powder and paprika to the skillet. Place over high heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. (Stay on it as milk really doubles in volume as it boils and you don't want it to boil over.)  Turn down to a bare minimum heat and cover tightly. 
2. Simmer until the pasta is cooked al dente, about 10 minutes or so, and almost all of the liquid has been absorbed.  Stir frequently to prevent the bottom from catching. Stir in the frozen peas and cheese.  Allow the cheese to melt.  Season with the tabasco sauce and salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

notes:

Do NOT use pre-grated cheese. It doesn't work well in this recipe.  Please grate your own.  Any small pasta shape will work. The cook time depends on your pasta. If its not cooked and most of the liquid has already been absorbed, add a  bit more boiling water if need be.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #EnglishKitchen

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What are your favourite things to do with Tuna?  We love it in sandwiches, salads, pasta dishes, baked loaves and patties!   

 

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Skillet Sausage, Peas & Rice

 

I love to cook, and I love to eat.  I worked as a Personal Chef for a number of years for a very wealthy American Family here in the UK, where every meal had to be a production.  I didn't mind.  It gave me the opportunity to stretch, and it was what I was being paid to do.  It was the dream job in many ways for the consummate foodie.

 

To be honest however, it is not how I like to eat and cook in my personal life.  With the exception of Special Occasions, I want to cook  . . . and I enjoy . . . simplicity.  Less is more in my kitchen. 

 

I prefer simple ingredients, put together quickly, easily and in a delicious way. You can call me lazy if you want to, but it truly is what works best for me.  I don't want to spend hours and hours in the kitchen cooking . . .  or cleaning up! 

 

For most of my every day cooking meals like this Skillet Sausage, Peas & Rice work well for me.  Its the type of thing I like to cook and to eat. 

 

Simple, honest and, yes  . . .  delicious.  Quick too!  Meals like this get me in and out of the kitchen in a short period of time.

 

Polish Sausage (smoked sausage) is one of the main ingredients.  I adore the smokiness and spiciness of a good polish sausage and yes . . .  the hit of garlic.  It is just so good! 

 

In this simple dish polish sausage rounds are lightly browned in a bit of olive oil and then combined with some fresh garlic for even more of a garlic hit!  Don't worry it's not too much, not too much at all. (Be careful not to let your garlic brown or burn. It will turn bitter.)

 

After that you simply add some basmati rice, chicken stock and a bit of seasoning.  Brought the boil and then simmered, within about 20  minutes, your dish is almost done. 

 

All you need to do now is to stir in some frozen baby peas, chopped spring onions and chopped parsley. 

 

The heat from the dish, helps to thaw the peas and slightly cooks them without causing them to lose that beautiful green colour . . .

 

It also takes any harshness out of the spring onions, leaving you just with a lovely light onion flavour that is not obnoxious in the least. 

   

Parsley adds even more lovely green colour and contrast.  Oh but this is some delicious.  We love it! You can also successfully cut the recipe in half if you wish. 

Yield: 5 - 6Author: Marie Rayner

Skillet Sausage, Peas & Rice

prep time: 15 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 35 mins

Meals like this all in one pan skillet sausage, peas and rice make for a really delicious, quick and easy mid-week supper.  All you need on the side is perhaps a salad and for the heartier eaters, some crusty bread!

ingredients:

• 2 tsp light olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 pound polish (smoked) sausage (kielbasa) sliced into 1/4 inch thick coins
• 710ml chicken stock (3 cups)
• 315g basmati rice (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 tsp garlic granules (not salt)
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• salt as needed
• 225g frozen petit pois (1 1/2 cups)
• 4 spring onions, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
• a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet (with a lid).  Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until it browns on the edges.  Add the garlic. Cook and stir for a minute or so longer, until fragrant. (Don't let the garlic brown or it turns bitter.)  Add the chicken stock, rice, garlic granules and pepper.  Stir and bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer, cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed.  Stir in the frozen peas, spring onions and parsley.  Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes then serve.  (Don't worry, the peas thaw out beautifully and semi-cook during this time.)

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All you really need on the side is a nice tossed salad and for the really big eaters some crusty bread.  It always goes down a real treat.  Delicious and it gets you in and out of the kitchen in about half an hour or so tops!  Win/win!

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Garlic Steak Bites & Potatoes

 

This recipe is one that I found and pinned from this site a long time ago.  I finally got around to making it for our Sunday dinner yesterday and it was every bit as delicious as it looked. 

 

I never used to have time to cook a big meal on Sundays because that was the day I always called my mum. I really miss those Sunday phone calls (as you can imagine), so it was nice to be busy and cooking so I didn't have time to sit and think.  Todd didn't mind.  He likes a nice meat and potatoes kind of meal.

 

I have to admit I am a huge fan of steak and potatoes also.  Especially when they are as delicious and as quick to throw together and cook as this one was. 

 

The original recipe called for flank steak cut against the grain.  Flank can be rather hard to find over here, so I used rump steaks, which worked beautifully. 

 

I also used the last of the garden potatoes.  They were starting to just show signs of sprouting, so it was really fortuitous that everything was in place to use them up.

 

The steak is sliced and marinated in a soy/srirachi marinade while you cook the potatoes.  

 

I cut down on the amount of fat used altogether, and it worked out quite well.  The thing with the potatoes, is not to agitate them.  Just bang them into the pan, one cut side down and then leave them (medium heat) for about 6 minutes or so until golden on that side, and then flip them over to the other cut side and do the same on that side.

 

We can be such impatient creatures sometimes and mither (agitate) things while they are in the pan . . . just leave them, and you will get much better results.  I tend to go off and do something else so I am not tempted to keep flipping things.

 

The original recipe suggested that you could also par-boil the potatoes if you wanted them to cook quicker.  I didn't think this was really necessary and as you can see I got beautifully golden brown potatoes.  My patience was rewarded big-time! 

 

I chose to do the steak in batches, browning only half of the steak strips at a time.  I figured that if you tried to do them all at once the first ones you put into the pan would be overcooked by the time the last bits were done. 

 

It was just common sense to do them half at a time . . . 

 

The end result was perfectly cooked bits of steak.  There is nothing tougher than an over-cooked piece of steak!  Not appealing in the least! 

 

Unless you happen to like your steak well done  . . .  we don't.  Medium rare is how we usually enjoy it!

  

We both really, really enjoyed this meal.  It went down a real treat!

Yield: 3 - 4Author: Marie Rayner

Garlic Steak Bites & Potatoes

prep time: 10 minscook time: 15 minstotal time: 25 mins

This simple recipe goes together in a flash. You can be enjoying tender juicy and flavourful steak and potatoes in very short time. All you need is a salad or vegetable on the side and dinner is served!

ingredients:

• 650g rump steak, sliced into 1/2 inch strips against the grain (1 1/2 lb)
• 65g baby potatoes, cut into quarters (1 1/2 lb)
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 2 TBS butter, divided
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp each dried thyme, rosemary and oregano
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• crushed red chili flakes (optional)

For the steak marinade:

• 80ml soy sauce (1/3 cup)
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 TBS Sriracha sauce

instructions:

1. Whisk together the steak marinade ingredients in a bowl.  Add the steak strips and set aside to marinate while the potatoes are cooking.
2. Heat 1 TBS butter and olive oil in a large skillet until the butter begins to foam.  Add the potato wedges, one cut side down, and cook for about 6 minutes or so until golden brown on that side, then carefully turn them over and cook for a further 6 minutes or so until golden brown on that side and the potatoes are tender.  Remove carefully and keep warm.
3. Add the remaining TBS of butter, garlic, dried herbs and red chili flakes if using.  Add the steak strips (work in batches if necessary) and cook over medium high heat for about one minute before flipping over and browning the other side. (I did mine in two batches)  Pour any reserved marinade over top and return the potatoes to the pan. Heat through.  Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.  Serve immediately.

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I dare say this would make a tasty addition to a Valentine's Dinner Menu if you were so inclined, and were looking for something that was delicious, but not too time or labour intensive.  I have always thought you can't go wrong with steak and potatoes!  Bon Appetit!

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Sheet Pan Sausage & Peppers

 

As you know I am doing a diet plan this week on trial, so Todd and I are not eating the same thing.  I have discovered how dangerous it is however, to look at even photos of tasty food when you are not eating regular food.  Its tortuous!  But one does what one has to do! 

 

Sheet pan suppers.  I love sheet pan suppers.  Everything all on one or two baking sheets, baked at the same time in the oven.

 

Easy peasy and if you line the baking sheets with foil, no clean up either.  You can't lose!

 

Myself, I adore roasted vegetables of any kind.  Roasting helps to enhance the natural sweetness of any vegetable  . . . I simply love the caramelised edges and almost-stickiness that happens.

 

You could of course serve this in  crusty hoagie buns with some honey mustard or something similar, and that would be fabulous!

 

For Todd I opted to serve it with a baked jacket potato . . .  broken open with a knob of butter tucked inside, and a sprinkling of cheddar gilding the top  . . . 

  

Just reading that made me hungry  . . .   my tummy is grumbling. 

 

For breakfast today I have had some of the Dietbon pancakes (low carb, no sugar and about 2 1/2 inches in diameter), a small banana and a smallish pot of sugar/fat free yogurt.  I have to say I am no a fan of the flavour of artificial sweeteners . . .  I would rather have plain yogurt with real fruit, and maybe some muesli.

 

Oh the things I do for my art . . .  I was quite hungry last night, but I think that was because I didn't have two dinners like I should have done.  I am quite used to eating my main meal at noon, and then just having toast or cereal in the evening.  Old dog . . .  new tricks.

 

Today I think I will do the two mains . . .  so I am not quite so hungry come nightfall . . . 

 

Back to the sausage and peppers.  Clearly simple.  Clearly delicious.  No fuss, no muss.

  

Jacket potatoes are very easily done in the Microwave.  Just poke with a fork, wrap in paper towelling (or place in a cloth bag for just this purpose) and nuke for 5 to 6 minutes until it yields slightly when gently squeezed.

Yield: 4Author: Marie Rayner

Sheet Pan Sausage & Peppers

prep time: 15 minscook time: 25 minstotal time: 40 mins

Everything cooks on one pan and if you line the pan with a sheet of aluminium foil, its a really easy and simple clean up!  Delicious!

ingredients:

• 1 pound of smoked sausage, sliced on the diagonal
  into 1-inch chunks
• 2 medium red peppers, trimmed and sliced
• 2 medium yellow peppers, trimmed and sliced
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 TBS light olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
  (Bear in mind the sausage is salty)

instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line several baking trays
   (with sides) with aluminium foil.  Place the sliced sausage and
   vegetables in a bowl.  Toss with the oil and seasoning.  Divide between
   the baking sheets, spreading out evenly.
2. 
   
   Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes,
   until the sausage and vegetables are gilded on the edges.  Serve hot
   with your favourite sides.  We like baked potatoes.

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While Todd was enjoying this, I was enjoying this . . .

 

Mexican Meatballs with Pasta Vegetables and a Tomato Sauce, along with an applesauce.  It was very tasty.  Tonight I am planning on enjoying a Whole Meal Salad with Chicken and Pesto.  Bon Appetit!

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