CHEESY TUNA CASSEROLE

CHEESY TUNA CASSEROLE
2 6-ounce cans tuna, drained
16 ounce bag frozen French cut green beans
3 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped, about 8 small
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Xanthan gum, optional - see note
4-8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded *

In a medium pot, cook the green beans as directed on the package; drain well. Meanwhile, saut?the mushrooms, celery and onion in the butter until very soft and starting to brown a bit. Add the broth; bring to a boil. Let the liquid reduce by half, then stir in the cream. Bring back to a boil. Turn down the heat a bit and cook until reduced and thickened, stirring frequently and watching closely so it doesn't boil over. Season to taste. Stir the tuna and mushroom soup mixture into the green beans. Add salt and pepper, if needed. Mix in the cheese; put into a 1 1/2 - 2 quart casserole. Microwave or bake until hot and bubbly.

Makes 4-6 servings
Do not freeze

* After making this again, I think it may be a little too cheesy with 8 ounces of cheese. If you want, you can cut back the cheese to 4 ounces and it will still be good.

Per 1/4 Recipe: 573 Calories; 42g Fat; 38g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 8g Net Carbs
Per 1/5 Recipe: 458 Calories; 34g Fat; 31g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 7g Net Carbs
Per 1/6 Recipe: 382 Calories; 28g Fat; 25g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs

Using 4 ounces cheese:

Per 1/4 Recipe: 459 Calories; 33g Fat; 31g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 8g Net Carbs
Per 1/5 Recipe: 367 Calories; 26g Fat; 25g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 7g Net Carbs
Per 1/6 Recipe: 306 Calories; 22g Fat; 21g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs

NOTE: If you have some xanthan gum on hand, you can very lightly sprinkle a little over the mushroom sauce mixture just as it starts to thicken and quickly stir it in, adding a little more if needed until the sauce gets thick to your liking. You may need to let it stand a minute to let the xanthan gum start to work before adding more. I found that this addition helps to stabilize the sauce. I haven't yet tried reheating the casserole yet, so I'll post back to let you know how the soup holds up. Another benefit of adding the thickener is that you won't have to reduce the broth and cream quite as much so you'll end up with more sauce for no extra carbs.

I've since reheated some of the casserole made with xanthan gum and the sauce holds up beautifully.

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