Cheesy Tuna Broccoli Crepes

Featured Food Storage: Tuna Fish
Suggested Food Storage or Pantry Item: Cheese Powder (Morning Moos available at Wal-Mart)

First, I know that I have fallen off the blogging wagon but during Christmas I was busy baking and playing. But now Christmas is over and I am realizing that no matter how hard I tried I still went over budget. Therefore, it is time to get back to cooking from the pantry and the food storage a little more religiously. Maybe you are looking at your tuna fish or your pantry staples with a little more appreciation. How can you bring delicious to the table on a tight food budget this year? I hope that in 2010 I can continue to bring you economical meals that will get you through the thin times.

And so I bring you a recipe that I am ridiculously proud of. It is sooo cheap to make and yet it is just a little bit of fancy. I mean seriously, when doesn't the word "crepe" class up the joint a little bit. Crepes are really an economical and versatile dish. I love a good dessert crepe but I also love a dinner crepe. I made these crepes a little more savory by changing out the regular butter for some of my homemade herb butter from the freezer storage. I also left out the sugar. 8 filled dinner crepes came in under $5.

Instead of making my own cheese sauce from fresh cheese, I decided to give the cheddar powder sitting in my pantry a try. I mean what is the good of food storage that sits on the shelf. I have to say that the sauce from the cheddar powder worked great in this dish. I used Morning Moos brand because that is what I had. I am going to include both the regular cheese sauce recipe and the recipe using the cheese powder blend.

Don't be intimidated by the multiple steps in this recipe. As my eight-year-old would say it really is "easy peasy, lemon squeezy."

Crepes -- This is my favorite fail safe recipe for crepes. They turn out fantastic every time.
Savory version
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 Cup flour
3/4 cup milk
2 Tb butter, melted ( I used herb butter to give it a little gourmet twist)
Vegetable oil

With an electric mixer on medium beat the egg, egg yolk flour and 1/2 cup of the milk until well blended. Beat in melted herb butter and remaining milk to form a smooth batter. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

To cook the crepes, heat a lightly oiled crepe pan or 8' nonstick skillet to low/medium heat. Drop batter by 1/8 cupfuls onto pan while turning pan to spread out banner in a thin, even and circular layer.

Cook until underside of crepes begins to brown and then carefully lift and flip the crepe to lightly brown the other side. Stack crepes on a plate.


Cheese Sauce
Morning Moos
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup of Morning Moos cheese powder blend
1/8 cup of milk

Gradually combine cheese mix with hot water and milk. Stir together until smooth. Set aside

Fresh Cheese Sauce
1 1/2 Cups milk
1 1/2 Cups shredded American cheese
1/4 Cup chopped onion
3 Tb butter
3 Tb all purpose flour
1 Tb prepared mustard
1/8 tsp pepper
In a medium sauce cook onion in butter until tender but not brown. Stir in flour, mustard and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Add cheese. Stir and cook till melted. Remove from heat.

Crepe Filling
1 ten oz. bag of frozen chopped broccoli, cooked according to directions
3 cans (6 1/2 oz each) of tuna, drained and broken into chunks
Cheese sauce

Combine tuna, broccoli and 3/4 cup of the cheese sauce. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of tuna filling down center of each crepe. Roll up. Place crepes seam side down in a baking dish. Bake covered in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. Reheat remaining cheese sauce, (add additional milk if needed) Pour over crepes.