Tuna Casserole

baked casserole in white dish with teal blue napkin in background

This old-fashioned tuna casserole is made without soup! This easy recipe requires only 10 minutes of prep time and 25 minutes of bake time.

Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 391kcal

Author Anne Clark

Equipment

2-quart casserole dish
Large pot for boiling pasta
Pasta strainer
large pan
measuring cup(s)
measuring spoons

Ingredients

CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS

8 oz dry rotini pasta
3 tablespoons butter, divided
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour (use gluten free if necessary)
1-¾ cups milk (whole or 2%)
½ cup parmesan cheese
10 oz solid white albacore tuna, drained
1 cup frozen green peas

TOPPING INGREDIENTS

½ cup breadcrumbs (use gluten free if necessary)
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart oven-safe casserole dish with non-stick spray.
Boil the pasta noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles and set them aside.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add sliced mushrooms, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well and gently simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl or plate.
Using the same large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until blended. Slowly pour in the milk, and continue to whisk to remove any lumps. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Turn off the heat. Stir in parmesan cheese. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
Add cooked noodles, sauteed mushrooms, tuna, and peas to the sauce. Stir to blend. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.
In a small bowl, stir the breadcrumbs with the melted butter until well combined. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the casserole and bake for 25 minutes.

Notes

Make-ahead: Prepare the casserole (except for the breadcrumb topping). Stored covered in the refrigerator for one to two days. When ready to eat, top with buttered breadcrumbs and bake as directed. You may have to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes since it'll be cold.

You can use gluten-free all-purpose flour. You may have to experiment with different brands because not all gluten-free flour performs the same.

Instead of frozen green peas, you could use mixed vegetables.

Instead of buttered breadcrumbs, top with crushed potato chips!

Serve with rolls and a green salad!

Nutrition