Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Budget Beater - Hot Tuna Roll


Doesn't look all that much, and it's only because my eldest son did ask - "Did you take a photo?" after he'd sat down with his piece. Fortunately, I'd saved a serve for a lunch at work.

Hot Tuna Roll.

Ingredients:
Dollop of butter/margarine
Cornflour or plain flour
Milk
Lump of leftover tasy cheese - grated (about 1 1/2 cups worth)
2 spring onions - chopped
Large tin of Tuna in Brine.

All of my ingredients were generic brand items - the tuna is really good value - at under $2.00 for the tin - I've never noticed any difference from the leading brands.

Method:

Make a basic white sauce - melt the butter, add the flour - I use a whisk and cook it, while stirring for a couple of minutes - I think it burns the excess starch from the flour. Gradually add enough milk to make a thick, but smooth liquid - about twice the thickness of normal milk.
Add the grated cheese and keep stirring until it melts in. Then add the spring onions and any seasoning (salt & pepper or lemon pepper) of your choice. Add the tuna, breaking up the clumps. By now I've given up the whisk and am using a fork or wooden spoon to mix through - heat, stirring, until a suitable thick gloop exists. Take it off the heat.

Oh yes... the Roll bit....
I used a large Cob style loaf, topped it like a hard boiled egg (making a bread lid), scooped out all the fresh bread inside it, to leave a bread shell. I poured the tuna mix into the loaf, popped the lid of the bread back on it. I wrapped it loosely with foil and put it onto a tray in a pre-heated oven (180c) for 20 minutes - until heated through.

Cut into serves and quickly scoop it into a bowl to serve - as the innards WILL ooze out.

Next time I'm tempted to cook this, I think I'll either use individual small crusty rolls or in ramekins with topped bread lids.

A great, quick, cheap dinner - serves 4.

Family verdict: "Yeah, we'll eat it again!"

1 comment:

jaz@octoberfarm said...

hi...thanks for stopping by! this looks yummy! one of the things i am doing with my recipes these days is trying to make them as inexpensive as possible. i should mention the cost when i post them. that french daube cost me about ten dollars.