Tuna Noodle Casserole

This is one of those meals that I throw together when all of the sudden out of nowhere the clock says 5:45 PM and I haven't given supper the teeniest tiniest thought.  It is very fast to prepare and doesn't really need to bake for too long at all.  Just about anyone would have every one of these ingredients at any given time as well.

You will need:

•  2 1/2 cups Egg Noodles (If I don't have egg noodles I just use whatever kind of pasta I have and it works just as well)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 2 cups Milk
• 2 cups Colby Jack Cheese
• 2 or 3 cans (small cans) Chunk White Tuna
• Plain Potato Chips Or Ritz style Crackers, Crushed

Preheat oven to 400. Boil noodles until nice and tender. 
In a medium sauce pan on medium heat melt the butter then add the flour and whisk well.  Be sure to incorporate them as soon as you put the flour in. Then add the other seasonings and continue to whisk.  Once well incorporated, pour in the milk, increase heat a medium high and whisk some more.  -I sound like a broken record I know but it truly is important, you want the butter, flour, and milk to become one ingredient and it will also burn quickly-
Once the mixture starts to boil it will start to thicken.  Once thick remove from heat and stir in cheese and tuna. 
Drain noodles and pour into a sprayed 9x9 baking dish. Pour the cheesy tuna mixture over the top and mix through it a little. 
Now, crumble an even layer of potato chips or crackers over the top and bake uncovered for about twenty minutes or so. 
Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.

"Gourmet" Salmon

Now, I am all but gourmet but this salmon is SO gourmet... meaning it is SO SO SO delicious!  But oh so simple and quick!  Really, give it 15 minutes to be on your plate.

Ingredients: 

Salmon ( I buy this individually wrapped "steaks")

Fish & Seafood Seasoning I HIGHLY recommend Spade L Ranch. In my area I find it in Smiths or Albertsons 

Sesame Seed Oil (near the asian food in any grocery store) 

Here is a link to find this amazing seasoning in your area. No, I'm not being reimbursed at all for this I just REALLY like every one of their seasonings!  Click here to find it Spade L Ranch Seasonings

 If you are like me, for whatever reason I have a terribly hard time getting my meat out of the freezer in the morning to thaw it out for dinner and always end up doing it the speedy quick "not recommended" way.  With fish you NEVER want to defrost it in the microwave!  Grab a large bowl, place the fish in it and fill it with luke warm to cool water.  Do not use hot water.  The hot water can cook the fish instead of thawing.  You can thaw a chunck of fish in about ten minutes doing it this way... you may want to add new luke warm water a few different times to speed the process up even more.

Season one side of the salmon.  With this seasoning it takes about 1 1/2 Tablespoons.  Really just a guess though.

 Now drizzle about a Tablespoon of Sesame Seed Oil into a frying pan... this oil has loads & loads of flavor so go easy.  If you think you need more while the fish is cooking I would probably use some olive oil.

 Heat the pan on a medium high heat.  Let it get good and hot before you place the fillets in it.  For beauty purposes set the salmon in with the seasoned side up.

 Depending on the thickness you should let these cook for about four minutes on this side before turning.  You can check the ends to see how it's cooking.  As it cooks the meat will become a light/pale pink.  Wait to turn it until it is just more than half way up.

 To make sure it is thoroughly cooked; check the ends once again it should be that pretty pink color throughout.  Also, it should flake when a fork is inserted into it and pulled back a bit with the grain of the meat.  You do not want to over cook fish, stay close!

Serve with this Pecan Rice  and Cheesy Green Beans.

Thanks!