Crock Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole

Bravo for a tuna noodle casserole that forgoes crackers in favor of healthier ingredients like peas! This one is easy to prepare and relatively inexpensive. The flavor can be zipped up, if you desire, by sprinkling with Cheddar or Parmesan cheese the last 1/2 hour of cooking time, or after it is cooked. White albacore tuna tastes the best; however, other tuna works well too and is freer of Mercury. This recipe fits a 2.5 qt. crock pot.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 4  cups  egg noodles, uncooked
• 10 3⁄4 ounces  condensed cream of mushroom soup (1 can)
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1⁄3 cup onion, finely chopped partially cooked
• 12  ounces tuna, drained (2 cans)
• 1  cup  frozen peas, thawed

Directions

1. Follow pasta package directions to cook pasta.
2. Drain pasta.
3. Meanwhile, in a sprayed slow cooker combine soup with 1/4 cup water.
4. Choose between the following two methods (steps 5 and 6 below) of assembling the casserole, with the first yielding the prettiest result but both working well.
5. Pour cooked, drained pasta in slow cooker in the first layer; add onion for the next layer; add tuna for the third layer; and add thawed frozen peas for the top layer (1st method).
6. In a large bowl, mix cooked, drained pasta and onion and tuna and peas and put into sprayed slow cooker (2nd method).
7. Cover and cook on High 1 1/2 to 2 hours to heat through; and, if you like, add cheese during the last 1/2 hour of baking.