Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
Dig through that browned Parmesan topping and there's a creamy tuna pasta dinner underneath, with peas and mushrooms in every scoop. This casserole is a good invitation to gather around a baking dish and serve generous spoonfuls. The little bit of crunch on top makes the soft noodles especially welcome.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 15 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Fish
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Noodles · Casseroles
A few quick notes
1. Stop the noodles at al dente
Drain the pasta while it still has the al dente bite called for here; it has more cooking ahead in the casserole.
2. Cook down the mushrooms
Let the onion turn translucent and the mushrooms cook down before adding garlic, then give the garlic its own short cook.
3. Add the liquids slowly
Stir the almond milk and broth into the flour-coated vegetables gradually, then keep mixing while the sauce thickens.
Get to know the ingredients
Drained tuna
Drain the canned albacore before adding it to the noodles and sauce so it's ready for the casserole mixture.
Frozen peas
Keep the peas for the mixing stage with the noodles and tuna; they aren't part of the initial vegetable saute.
Two cheeses, two jobs
Stir cheddar into the hot sauce off the heat. Save the shredded Parmesan for the topping on the baking dish.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 10 steps completeMake room for Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Watch the top brown
After baking, broil briefly to brown the Parmesan and almond meal or breadcrumb topping. Keep your attention on that final stage.
A little more help as you go
Coat the vegetables with flour
Mix the flour through the onion and mushrooms before adding liquid, so the sauce starts with evenly coated vegetables.
Prepare the baking dish
Spray the casserole dish before filling it; the noodles, peas and tuna are mixed into the sauce before the transfer.
A few questions you might have
Can I use regular pasta?
Yes, regular pasta is listed alongside Banza rotini. Follow its package directions for al dente and use the casserole baking range given.
When does the cheddar go in?
Take the sauce off the heat, then stir in the cheddar until it has melted before adding noodles and tuna.
Do I need breadcrumbs for the topping?
Almond meal or breadcrumbs are both listed choices. Add your chosen topping with the Parmesan before the casserole goes into the oven.
What should the sauce look like before adding cheese?
It should have thickened during the simmer, with frequent mixing. Then remove it from the heat and stir in the cheddar.
Does the garlic cook with the onion from the start?
Add it after the onion and mushrooms have cooked down. Give it the separate short cooking period before the flour.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: eatingbirdfood.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
