Northern Camp Casserole
Recently, we went on a canoeing trip to the Missinaibi River in Northern Ontario and although I love the wilderness, I just can't survive on freeze dried meals and nuts.
James likes to pack light (mostly because he does all the hard work) but he has seen me hungry and it's just easier to let me pack the food! This casserole is tasty, filling and only requires a bit more weight to your food pack!
You will need about 3 cups of noodles (at home I measure about 3 cups of the broad, yolkless noodles into a ziploc bag...these noodles cook quite fast), 1 pkg of powdered alfredo sauce mix, 2 tins of tuna (the solid white tuna tastes best in this recipe...I also got the drainless variety which alleviates the "tuna juice mess" that might just be a real lure for bears...that would be my luck!)...1 tin of carnation milk ( you will only use about a half of the tin...save the rest for camp coffee), 1 tin of peas and salt/pepper for seasoning.
Turn your propane stove to high heat and pour about 3-4 cups of water into a medium sized pot, cover with lid until water starts to boil...
Add your noodles, making sure there is enough water to almost cover the pasta...you may need to add a bit more water if not.
Put lid back on and boil until noodles are tender...and take in the scenery while your pasta cooks!
When the noodles are tender (but not mushy) remove lid and DO NOT drain...this water is needed to mix with the alfredo sauce...add a forkful (about 1 tbsp.) of butter to the water/noodles...
stir until melted.
Pour in about a half of a can of evaporated milk, such as "Carnation" (370ml tin..I couldn't find the smaller one so that is why I only used half)...about 3/4 cup.
Turn your propane stove down to low...on a side note, my fingernails are surprisingly clean on the camping trip!
This is the powdered sauce mix that I used.
Sprinkle the entire package into noodle mixture...
...stir until all is combined...the sauce will thicken up as it continues to cook on low heat. If you want the sauce thinner, add a bit more milk.
Using a fork, flake in your 2 tins of tuna (drained, if you didn't take my advice about the "bear bait" and bought the kind that you have to drain)...
Stir until tuna is mixed into the noodles and sauce.
Next, crack open a tin of peas...we don't carry an arsensal of kitchen gadgets when we camp ( I like to save the room for snacks)...James uses a "Leatherman" multi tool...handier than a third arm, as my friend would say!
I only used half of a tin of peas but feel free to use the whole can...as I poured them in, Isabel turned her nose up and I got scared at the halfway point!
Season with a bit of salt and pepper if you have it...
Stir and there you have it..."Northern Tuna Noodle Camp Casserole" (for short)...stick to yer ribs in the woods deliciousness!...or maybe it just tastes really good cause we were starving?!
Either way...we all loved it!
Northern Camp Casserole
3-4 cups of water
3 cups yolkless broad noodles
1 pkg alfredo sauce mix (such as "Knorr")
2 tins of drainless, solid white tuna
1 tin of peas
1 tin of evaporated milk, such as "Carnation" (370 ml tin) I only use half of this...about 3/4 cup
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste.
1. Turn your propane stove to high and pour about 3-4 cups of water into a medium sized pot.
2. Put lid on and bring to a boil...add your noodles and put lid back on...cook until pasta is tender (don't drain the pasta water!)
3. Add 1 tbsp of butter to the noodles/water and stir until melted.
4. Next pour in your evaporated milk. Turn your stove down to low and sprinkle in the dry alfredo sauce mix...stir until all combined (adding a bit more milk if you like a thinner sauce). Using a fork, flake the tuna into the noodle mixture; stir again...next add your peas and season with salt and pepper. Mix until all is incorporated, then serve...preferably on old fashioned enamel camp plates...this step really adds to the outdoor experience! :)
Serves 3-4 (3 for us, cause we paddled up an appetite!)