Super Secret…Tuna Spaghetti Alfredo

Ok, confession time…I am a huge fan of omega 3. Since wild caught tuna is a good (and cheap) source of this wonderful oil, sneaking it into the spaghetti alfredo for our Wednesday night children’s program is right up my alley. I want them to have a healthier snack with more omega 3 for better attention and less inflammation.

There’s also a decent amount of finely chopped vegetables throughout the dish. Thankfully most of them avoided picking out the items from the sauce… and they even came back for seconds! I’ll keep trying to convince them they won’t notice the veggies. Who knows? They may even start to like them.

Benefits of Tuna Spaghetti Alfredo

One serving of this tuna spaghetti gives them a decent amount of protein, calcium, and iron. Alongside some vitamin A, potassium, B vitamins, and fiber they’ll get more nutrients in this “snack” than a packaged item.

tuna spaghetti alfredo

Exposing children to vegetables each meal teaches them, this is how we eat. It also teaches them this is what we are designed to eat. God created all the vegetables for our growth and the maintenance of our cells. When children’s taste buds are trained to only eat sweets and processed food, they’re cheated out of good health. Plus, they don’t have the fuel or energy they need to function in school, nor do we in life!

The cream cheese gives this dish the rich full cream texture and the parmesan gives it just the right amount of sharpness.

There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?

    Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”

7 You have put more joy in my heart

    than they have when their grain and wine abound.

Psalm 4:5-7 ESV – Offer right sacrifices, and put your – Bible Gateway


Super Secret…Tuna Spaghetti Alfredo

  • 1 Box Spaghetti
  • 4 Cups Milk
  • 1 8 oz Cream Cheese
  • 1 4oz Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 Cup chopped carrots
  • 1 Cup Broccoli
  • 1/4 Cup Onion
  • 1 12 oz Can Tuna
  • 2 Tbsp. Flour

  1. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions.

  2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic on low heat until tender. Add the chopped broccoli and carrots.

  3. Add the flour to the milk and stir until dissolved. Season with salt and pepper then add it to the vegetables.

  4. Open the tuna and drain the excess oil/water, using a fork, spread it into the milk and vegetables. When fully heated add the cream cheese and parmesan cheese.

  5. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the vegetables and sauce. Stir until sauce thickens and then serve. Top with fresh chopped basil and a salad!


I hope your little ones like this tuna spaghetti alfredo as much as our church kids did! Check out more recipes in The Garden on this site!

It is a joy to serve you!



Jalapeño Chicken & Butternut Squash Enchilada

“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.”
Psalm 75:1
We have so much to be thankful for! How many countries have fully loaded produce sections with everything we need for our harvest feasts? None like our country. In light of that reality, I love having a special day dedicated to giving credit where credit is due!
Credit to our mighty God, who provides everything we need in addition to more, for helping other countries. Although, “In God we trust”, may be our nation’s motto, it’s not just a motto. Scripture is clear:
“For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon Him?
Deuteronomy 4:7

 

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
Psalm 33:12
With all these blessings and our God ever present to hear our call to Him, we can express our thanks every day. I am especially thankful to Him for friends, family and patients I’ve met over the years. It is a privilege and joy to revamp favorite recipes to help them stay on a healthier eating plan. Moreover,  without losing the flavors they love!
With that in mind, I’d like to introduce to you an enchilada dish removed of all it’s highly processed cheese and cream! Although it does have some cheese, it’s not the 2 cups you find in most enchilada recipes.

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You might ask, “Why is cheese a problem?”
Cheese is one of those preservative  and salt laden items that cause the blood to be more acidic. The more acidic our blood, the more inflammation we have in our joints, our blood vessels, and our gastrointestinal tract. Not good. Since, that means more pain, artery clogging, and mental fogginess.
Moreover, using your own fresh tortillas bring added flavor and nutrients to this dish! Recipes for making your own tortilla shells are HERE.
Also, I’m also using leftover butternut squash soup to use as my “sauce” on these enchiladas, that recipe can be found HERE

Jalapeño Butternut Squash & Chicken Enchiladas

A healthier, tasty, alternative to preservative laden enchiladas can be made using homemade tortillas. Using leftover chicken breasts, butternut squash soup, and premade tortillas shells make this dish easy as well.

  • 6 Soft Tortilla Shells (See Recipe link above)
  • 2 Cups Butternut Squash Soup (See Recipe link above)
  • 2 Cooked and Shredded Chicken Breast
  • 1 15 oz. Can of Great Northern Beans
  • 1 4 oz. Can Jalapeño Peppers
  • 1/4 Cup Small Chopped Onion
  • 2 Cloves Minced Garlic
  • 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
  • 2 Ounces Cream Cheese
  • 1/4 Cup Monterrey Jack Cheese ((optional))

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain and place the beans in a small mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Add the shredded chicken, cumin, onion, jalapeños, minced garlic, and cream cheese. Combine all ingredients well and set aside.

Take a 1/4 of cup of the butternut squash soup and spread onto the bottom of an 8 x 8 square pan. Take a tortilla shell and place a couple of tablespoons of the chicken filling onto the center, then roll and place into baking dish. Repeat this process until all the filling is gone and the pan is full.

Cover the rolled enchiladas with the remaining soup and cover with the shredded Monterrey jack cheese. Bake for 30 minutes then serve.

 

So, I hope you enjoy this belly filling chicken enchilada remake with butternut squash and jalapeños! It’s loaded with antioxidants, fiber, protein, and best of all…flavor!