Cheap Eats: $10 Tuna Casserole

Seeing as the majority of our household is unemployed, we often try to cook affordable, palatable, and filling meals. Casseroles are a perfect example of something that's fast and easy to make in just one pan, and it can feature ingredients from every sector of the Nutritional Food Pyramid. Tonight Dick and Schroeder made the Tuna Casserole that's pictured above.

Simply said and simply done:

• Make enough rice to yield 8 cups total per directions on the back of the package (Usually 4 cups dry is 8 cups cooked)
• Now preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
• Spread rice evenly in a lightly greased 13" x 9" glass casserole dish.
  
• Top with one or two cans of cream of mushroom soup.
• Top with canned Tuna, cooked and chopped Chicken, or any meat of your choosing.
• Cover with vegetables, if using any. Broccoli works well, it's up to you.
• Then grate a block of cheddar cheese and spread that across the top.
• Cover with tinfoil and place in oven until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
  
• A greasy treat is to top that with broken Lay's potato chips. Now return uncovered in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
• Let rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
  

This is a great dish to make when you have a little extra time. It makes 8-12 servings which you can freeze or place in the fridge to eat later. Like I noted above, you can use anything in your casserole. Last week we BBQ'd some chicken because it was such a nice day. Then we chopped that and put it in the dish. Let your imagination run wild... unless you're poor and hungry like us, just use what you have in the pantry already.