TUNA RICE CASSEROLE

TUNA "RICE" CASSEROLE
20 ounces fresh cauliflower, shredded, 1 small head
2 tablespoons butter
1 stalk celery, diced
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry minced onion
2 6-ounce cans tuna, drained
4 ounce can mushrooms, drained

Put the cauliflower in a 2 1/2 quart casserole with a lid. Cover and microwave on HIGH 8-10 minutes until just tender, stirring every couple minutes. Do not overcook. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter.

Meanwhile, saut?the celery in the remaining tablespoon of butter until very tender. In a medium microwaveable bowl, mix 6 ounces of the cheese and cream. Microwave 2 minutes on HIGH to melt the cheese; stir until well blended. Whisk in the mayonnaise, seasonings and dry onion.

Stir the celery, tuna and mushrooms into the cauliflower; add the cheese sauce and mix well. It can be covered and chilled at this point and baked later. Cover and bake at 350?for 20 minutes. Uncover, top with the remaining cheese and bake another 10-15 minutes until bubbly. Add an extra 5-10 minutes to first baking time if chilled.

Makes 6-8 servings
Can be frozen

Per 1/6 Recipe: 410 Calories; 32g Fat; 25g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs
Per 1/8 Recipe: 308 Calories; 24g Fat; 19g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

My mom used to make creamed tuna and serve it over toast, but I preferred it over rice. This tastes just like what mom used to make. Lots of pepper and a touch of onion powder and dry minced onion are what make it taste like the real thing. Click the photo to see a close-up.

VARIATION (Not suitable for induction):
Prepare as directed above, but mix all of the cheese into the cheese sauce. Make a bread crumb topping using 2 slices lightly toasted Oroweat Carb Counting bread that's been processed in a food processor. Combine the crumbs with 2 tablespoons melted butter; sprinkle over the casserole and bake at 350?for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Per 1/6 Recipe: 464 Calories; 36g Fat; 27g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 7g Net Carbs
Per 1/8 Recipe: 348 Calories; 27g Fat; 20g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs

Here's how the bread crumbs looked on top of the casserole:

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