Tuna Mornay That Feeds a Hungry Family for Under $17

Some budget dinners feel like punishment.

This is not one of them.

Because when grocery prices are ridiculous, everyone’s starving by 5pm, and takeaway is somehow pushing $80 again, this easy tuna mornay becomes the kind of dinner families keep making on repeat.

It’s creamy.
Cheesy.
Comforting.
Actually filling.

And best of all, you can feed a hungry family for under $17 using simple ingredients most households already have sitting in the pantry or fridge.

Which honestly feels like a small miracle lately.

Why Families Still Love Tuna Mornay

There’s a reason tuna mornay survives every cost-of-living crisis.

It works.

It’s:

• affordable
• filling
• easy to make
• great for leftovers
• surprisingly kid-friendly

And unlike some “budget dinners” that leave everyone hunting for snacks an hour later, tuna mornay actually feels comforting and satisfying.

Especially on busy weeknights when nobody has the energy for complicated cooking.

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How to Make Tuna Mornay

Recipe by Stay at Home Mum

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: MainCuisine: AustralianDifficulty: Easy

A creamy, cheesy tuna mornay that’s affordable, comforting, and perfect for busy weeknights when everyone’s hungry and dinner needs to happen fast.

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

350

kcal

Total time

20

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Butter

• 1 Brown onion diced finely

• 1 tbsp Plain Flour

• 3/4 cups Milk

• 1/2 cups Cream

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1/3 cups Cheese – grated

• 1 cup broccoli florets

• 425 gram Tuna in Springwate r- drained and flaked

Directions

• Melt butter in frying pan, add the diced onion and fry for approx. 3 mins until soft.
• Add flour and constantly stir until mixed in.
• Slowly add milk and cream, stirring until mixture thickens.
• Stir in cheese, broccoli florets, tuna, Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper.
• Mix well until heated through, then top with grated cheese before serving.
• Serve with pasta or rice (I like to mix my pasta through the sauce before serving).

Equipment

• 
  Bessemer Red Multi Frypan 32cmView here
• 
  Wolstead Calibre 3pc Prep Knife Setview here
• 
  Colormix Peeler OrangeView here

Notes

• You can also top the Tuna Mornay with breadcrumbs and a few knobs of butter and place under the grill.
• Not suitable for freezing due to the creamy sauce.
• Add extra cheese if your household believes cheese is a personality trait.

Cheap Dinner Tips That Make This Stretch Further

If you’re feeding extra-hungry kids or trying to stretch the budget further, families often:

• add extra pasta
• mix through frozen peas or corn
• serve with garlic bread
• make double batches for leftovers the next day

And honestly, leftovers taste even better the following day.

Final Thoughts

Tuna mornay might not be trendy.

But when life gets expensive and everyone’s hungry, recipes like this become absolute lifesavers.

Cheap ingredients.
Minimal effort.
Full stomachs.

And honestly, that’s sometimes exactly the kind of dinner busy families need.

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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