Tuna-&-Tomato Mac & Cheese
Tuna mac & cheese takes a trip to the Southwest with spicy tomato and festive blue tortilla chips on top. Canned tomatoes with green chiles and ancho chile powder add a peppery kick, but if you like, you can keep it mellow by using a 14-ounce can of drained petite diced tomatoes and mild chili powder.
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Recipe Summary
Ingredients
Directions
Tips
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 5 (transfer to a baking dish, if desired, before topping with tomatoes), cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bake at 450°F until hot and bubbling, about 35 minutes.
Notes: Ancho chile powder, made from dried poblano peppers, has a mild, sweet spicy flavor. Look for it in the spice section of well-stocked supermarkets.
Chunk light tuna, like all fish and shellfish, contains some mercury. According to the FDA and EPA, women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children should limit their consumption to 12 ounces a week of fish with lower mercury, including canned “light” tuna. Consumption of albacore tuna (which is labeled “white”) should be limited to no more than 6 ounces a week. And, if you're looking for an environmentally sustainable canned tuna option, check the label--tuna that was caught by troll or pole-and-line is considered the best choice, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program. Or look for the blue Certified Sustainable Seafood label from the Marine Stewardship Council.
We like to use flavorful Rotel brand diced tomatoes with green chiles--original or mild--in place of regular diced tomatoes in Southwest-inspired dishes. Find them near other diced tomatoes and/or in the Mexican-food section at most supermarkets.
Nutrition Facts
3 starch, 1 reduced-fat milk, 1/2 vegetable, 1 1/2 medium fat meat