Choosing one day a week to go meatless is a great way to save money throughout the entire year. During Lent though, Roman Catholics age 14 – 59 are obligated to abstain from meat on Fridays as a sacrifice. (I think that there are many people outside those ages — like our children — that also observe meatless Fridays during Lent.)

Some of our favorite Lenten Friday dishes are: cheese pizza with breadsticks, pancakes or French toast, scrambled eggs and toast, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Besides some of these ideas, one great and economical choice for meals on Fridays are meals that center around tuna! So, I thought I would share a couple of tuna recipes.

Tuna Burgers

Ingredients:

• 6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 2 cans tuna (6 oz each), drained and flaked
• 1 cup (4 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 tsp garlic salt
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 8 Kaiser rolls, split

Directions:

In a bowl, combine eggs and tuna. Add the cheese, green pepper, onion, garlic salt, and pepper; mix well. Stir in the mayonnaise. Spoon about 1/2 cup onto each roll; wrap individually in heavy-duty foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 8 servings.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Nobody will accuse you of trying to cook in a healthy manner with this recipe, but it is a favorite from childhood.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of tuna
• 2 – 3 cans of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 bag of egg noodles
• 1 small can of peas
• potato chips

Directions:

Boil noodles according to the package directions. Drain and return to pan.

Add in peas and tuna.

Next, add in cream of mushroom soup until the casserole is at your desired consistency. (You will probably need to continue to heat the casserole during this time.)

Add crushed potato chips to the top of servings.

(See…I warned you that it wouldn’t be healthy.)

Tuna Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 can of tuna
• Miracle Whip or Mayo to Taste
• 1 small can of peas
• 8 oz elbow macaroni, cooked
• 1/2 onion, minced

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and chill at least one hour before serving.

What are some of your favorite meatless dishes?  Do you have a certain number of meatless meals each week as a way to save money?

photo by amayzun