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Simple, Budget-Friendly Dinners with a Can of Tuna

Canned tuna is delicious, nutritious & affordable—aka, the perfect ingredient. Here are our favorite ways to turn tuna into dinner.

This is huge news for dinner, which has to happen every night no matter how tired and stressed you are. If you’ve got a couple cans of tuna kicking around the cupboard, you can whip up something in a hurry without yet another trip to the store. These are our top budget-friendly ways to turn a can of tuna into a hearty dinner.

Mom’s Favorite Tuna Noodle Casserole

Old-school tuna noodle casserole is overdue for a comeback. This version is as classic as it gets: Egg noodles, tuna, and peas, baked with a rich creamy sauce until bubbling hot, with a shower of crunchy breadcrumbs for good measure. There’s no chopping required, so the hardest part is boiling the noodles and opening some cans.

Jalapeño Tuna Salad

If you have a hard time getting excited about tuna salad, try this spicy twist on the classic. Fresh diced jalapeños add a little bit of crunch and a whole lot of heat. You’ll likely want to eat this straight from the bowl, but we hear it also makes a killer tuna melt.

Classic Tuna Melt

The humble tuna melt is an underrated budget dinner hero. It’s creamy and cheesy enough to feel like a treat, and you need just a couple minutes and some pantry staples to make it happen. After a long, stressful day, that’s pretty hard to beat.

Quick and Easy Zucchini Tuna Patties

Zucchini fritters are a delicious, easy way to get your veggies. Adding protein-packed tuna makes them a little heftier. Savory, filling, and super simple to make, these patties are as good for dinner tonight as they are for lunch tomorrow.

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