Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch!

I used to think making things from "scratch" took too much time and ended up costing more anyways. For instance, one time I tried making chocolate pecan pie. I gathered all the ingredients at the grocery store and when I looked down at my buggy, it was over $15 worth of items. I changed my mind, put everything back, and got a specialty chocolate pecan pie from Whole Foods for the same price.

But lately I haven't had a choice budget wise. I don't go around making fancy pies for any old occasion, but I do end up buying more ingredients that need more work. For example, brown rice, whole wheat noodles, ramen noodles, corn meal, dried beans, etc.

But it's not really much more work putting it all together, especially when you already have the ingredients at home like I did for this recipe. No shopping trip necessary.

Ingredients:
1 box of whole wheat rotini ($1.09 at walmart)
3 small carrots, peeled and chopped ($1)
1/2 bag of frozen peas ($.50)
1 can of albacore tuna ($1.20)
2 cups (soy) milk ($.75)
1 garlic clove ($.10)
4 tbsp butter ($.10)
4 tbsp flour
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp salt
Total $4.74-5

Recipe:
1. Steam carrots in a pot until tender and ready, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the garlic alfredo sauce in a small saucepan.
    a. Add butter to saucepan on medium and wait til it melts a few minutes.
    b. Add chopped garlic.
    c. Wait a few minutes and stir frequently.
    d. Add flour and mix it up into a sticky doughy roux.
    e. Add milk and bring to a boil on high. Then reduce heat to simmer on low for about 10 minutes until thick.
    f. Add cheese, salt, soy, parsley, mustard, and any other spices you want.
3. Boil noodles according to package, about 10 minutes.
4. Add carrots and frozen peas to bowl. Then add noodles when ready. Top with sauce. And stir it up. May need more salt, so add to your liking.