easy tuna green chile zoodle casserole

• 3  6-7 inch Zucchini (see notes for prep)
• 2  5 oz. canned Tuna
• 4 oz. diced Green Chiles
• 1/2 Cup real Mayo with olive oil (add 1/4 cup more if you want extra creamy)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped Chives (plus extra for topping)
• 1/2 tsp. Seasoning Salt of choice or natural Sea Salt with dehydrated garlic or onion added
• 1 Tbsp. organic Mustard (spicy or regular without added sugar)
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped Yellow Onion
• 1/2 cup chopped Celery
• 1 Tbsp. Avocado or Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Coconut Flour “sifted” (Almond flour works too, but does not hold together as well as other flours.)
• 1/2 cup Coconut Milk or Cream without additives
• 1/2 tsp. Chili Pepper or Red Pepper Flakes
• Parsley to garnish (optional)

1. Wash and clean your veggies.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. Oil a 9×13 shallow casserole dish.  Set aside.
4. Ribbon cut or spiralize your zucchini into noodles.  Press/squeeze as much excess water out of them as you can.  You can do so with a paper towel.  Set aside.  (See notes on how to remove excess water from zucchini noodles first.)
5. In another bowl, combine your tuna (drained), mayo, green chiles, chives, mustard, pepper, and garlic powder.  Mix thoroughly.  Set aside.
6. Oil a medium skillet.  Add in onion, celery, and seasoning of choice.  Cook for about 6 minutes until onion browns a bit.
7. Next add coconut flour and milk to the skillet.  Stir together with the celery and onion mix until no longer clumpy.  This basically acts as a thickener.  It’s okay if it’s not a smooth mixture, just make sure it’s mixable when adding to the zucchini noodles.
8. Add your zucchini noodles to the skillet and toss all together.  Cover and let the noodles and mix cook together for 1 or 2 minutes on medium heat until zucchini is softened, but not thoroughly cooked.  Don’t let it get soggy.
9. NOTE -> Try to press out ALL water from tuna and zucchini before mixing all together. You don’t want the casserole to have too much liquid.
10. Remove skillet from heat and pour contents into a large bowl.
11. Mix your tuna/green chile mix in the same large bowl (with the zoodles/milk/onion mix).
12. Toss everything together.
13. Pour mix from the large bowl into your casserole dish.  Top with extra seasoning of choice.
14. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until edges are brown.  If the casserole does not brown after 15 minutes, leave in an extra 5-10 or until crispy edges.
15. Broil last minute or so to make crispier edges.
16. Remove from oven.
17. Garnish with optional parsley, chives, and top with red chili pepper flakes.
18. Serve immediately.
19. Keeps well in sealed container in fridge for up to 1 week.  Freezes for up to 6 weeks, but will contain extra water once thawed out.

NOTES

1. Feel free to freeze this dish, but it will have extra water once thawed due to zucchini.  I simply add in more flour or a but more fresh zucchini.
2. **** To avoid the coconut flour/milk mixture is too clumpy, sift your coconut flour before hand.  OR you can just add a few more Tbsp. coconut milk while mixing.  You want this to be your “thickener” for the casserole.  The flour will also add a little crunch when baked.

ZUCCHINI NOODLE NOTES ->  Try to press out ALL water from tuna and zucchini before mixing all together.  You don’t want the casserole to have too much liquid.  You can also place the zucchini noodles on a baking sheet and “bake” at 250F for 20-30 minutes (depending on the thickness).
​Serves 5-6.