A Casserole You Can Eat With Your Hands?

So I was trying to decide what to have for lunch today, but I couldn't come up with anything. So naturally that means I should experiment with a new recipe. I wanted something savory, hot, and filling, but quick and easy to make. To me hot, savory, and filling means casserole, but it's lunch time and ain't nobody got time for that since you usually have to bake it for a while. The other hangup I have with casserole is that most recipes want you to use a cream-of-something soup as the base, and I hate that stuff*, especially cream of mushroom which is the base for almost every casserole recipe I could find online. Well it's time to change that. Here is a recipe I came up with that takes, at most, 30 minutes to make, uses no cream of anything soup, and as a bonus you put it in a pita pocket for maximum portability (and minimum dishes!). Here is my very own Rice and Tuna Casserole Pita Pockets:

Rice and Tuna Casserole Pita Pockets

Serves 2-3 | Time: 20-30 mins

Ingredients

1/4 c onion, small dice

1/2 c mixed veggies**, cut into small pieces

1 tbsp. butter or margarine (or 1 tbsp. EVOO and 1/2 tbsp butter)

1/2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. chicken stock

1/2 c milk

1 can tuna***, drained

1/2 c raw white rice (or 1 c cooked rice)

1 pita pocket per serving

1/4 - 1/3 c shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

Procedure

Start the rice if using raw rice.

In an medium sauce pan, melt the butter/margarine (and add the EVOO if using).  Add the onion and veggies and chicken stock and sauté on medium/medium-low until soft and the stock has cooked off (about 8-10 minutes). Throw in a dash of salt and pepper while cooking.

Once the veggies are soft turn the heat to low and add the flour, stirring so it incorporates with the butter and doesn't stick too much to the bottom of the pan.

Let the flour cook for a minute then add the milk to the pan and stir until it starts to thicken. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the flour.

Turn off the heat and add the rice (which should be done by now) and tuna. Mix well so everything is coated in the cream sauce and the veggies and tuna are well distributed. You may need to add some extra milk if the sauce is too thick. Salt to taste.

Divide the cheese between the pita pockets and fill with the casserole, or fill the pockets first and sprinkle the cheese on top.

Microwave each pocket for 30-45 seconds on high to steam the pita and melt the cheese.

Serve and enjoy!

A few notes about the recipe:

*My deal with cream soups is not so much that I think they are gross (except in the case of mushroom soup, blech!) but that they usually contain a lot of unnecessary salt and fat. I like to taste my meal, not give myself chemical burns. Also, making your own cream base is incredibly easy and you know exactly what goes in it.

**I get the bag of frozen vegetable medley that is already cut. If using frozen veggies this will add a few minutes to your cook time.

***If you aren't a fan of tuna this recipe also works with chicken.

You can reduce the time for this recipe by using leftover rice from a previous meal or by using instant rice. Be careful with instant rice though, if you cook it too much it turns into a paste when you try and work with it.

Also not everybody keeps chicken stock around (although you should, it adds a great flavor to many dishes!) so use a couple tablespoons of water instead. The idea is to cook the vegetables without letting them get browned or burned and stock/water provides a good buffer. When it finally cooks off you are left with tender, unburned veggies.

Now, I know what you calorie counters are thinking "Rice AND pita!?! Carb overload!!!" Well, that's just how I did it because I wanted both casserole and a sandwich (this is lunch we're talking about after all). Strictly speaking the casserole will still be good without the pita, you just need to put it in a dish and sprinkle the cheese on top. Microwave or bake to finish, depending on your time frame.