Tuna Romanoff

A friend at church brought this dish over after the birth of one of my children.  It was so delicious, I had to get the recipe.  I scribbled it out on a sticky note, lost it in a pile for a few years, and was delighted to come across it the other day!  The kids forgot how good it was!  It's definitely 'not your mama's' tuna casserole!  It's very cheesy-I did use low fat milk and the 1/3 less fat cream cheese to lighten it up a bit, and I also doubled up on the noodles.  The original recipe only calls for 8 ounces, I used a pound and it was more than creamy enough.  I was informed by my daughter I need to make this more often, so I guess it's a winner!

5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2-1/2 cups low fat milk
16 ounces egg noodles, cooked and drained
8 ounces light cream cheese
12 ounces (2 small cans) solid albacore tuna, drained
6 ounces thinly sliced Muenster cheese

Topping:
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low to moderate heat.  Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper, stirring until slightly thickened.  Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly; cook until thickened and bubbly.  Add cream cheese, stirring until completely melted.  Add tuna and stir to combine.  In a greased 2 quart (8x11.5) casserole dish, layer half the noodles, 1/3 of the sauce, then a layer of half the Muenster cheese.  Repeat layers, ending with a layer of sauce on the top.  In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and melted butter.  Combine well with a fork.  Sprinkle evenly over the casserole.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.