Lightened-Up Tuna Casserole Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

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This lightened-up tuna casserole recipe is tossed with a creamy garlic-herb sauce, lots of veggies, tender egg noodles and a crispy Panko topping.

Raise your hand if you grew up eating tuna casserole! ♡

This was one of our family’s favorite weeknight dinners growing up, and still continues to be one of those recipes I love turning to this time of year when we’re craving some warm and cozy casserole comfort food. (Forever and always a Midwesterner at heart, right?)

Three decades ago, we always used to make tuna noodle casserole from a box or with the help of some canned cream of mushroom soup. But it’s actually incredibly simple to make homemade tuna casserole completely from scratch, which gives us the chance to also toss in lots of fresh veggies and lighten up the creamy sauce a bit. If needed, you can also easily adapt this recipe to be gluten-free too.

I will say that prefer to just serve this pasta “casserole” straight out of the pan nowadays, topped with a generous sprinkling of toasted Panko breadcrumbs, rather than baked the traditional extra 20 minutes in the oven. (Why overcook the pasta when it can be served perfectly al dente with with a melty cheddar cream sauce?) And while I made this batch with the traditional mushrooms, carrots and peas, this recipe would welcome just about any leftover veggies that you happen to have sitting in your crisper drawer.

Let’s make some modern tuna casserole!

Tuna Casserole Ingredients

Here are a few brief notes about the tuna casserole ingredients you will need to make this recipe:

• Tuna:I recommend a good-quality brand of oil-packed canned tuna for this casserole. (Water-packed canned tuna will also do, but it will be less flavorful.) If possible, please consider looking for a more sustainable brand of tuna too!
• Egg noodles:I always grew up eating tuna casserole made with curly wide egg noodles, which taste delicious here. But you’re welcome to sub in any other kind of semolina, whole wheat, legume or gluten-free pasta that you prefer.
• Veggies: We’ll use a traditional mix of carrots, onions, baby bella mushrooms, frozen peas and garlic, sautéed in butter (or you can use olive oil if you prefer).
• Cheddar cheese: I love making this casserole with a good sharp white cheddar cheese, but see suggestions below if you would like to swap in a different kind of cheese.
• Flour:We’ll use basic all-purpose flour to slightly thicken the cream sauce.
• Broth + milk:I like using a 50/50 mix of broth (either chicken or vegetable broth) and plain milk (dairy or plant-based) as the base for the cream sauce.
• Seasoning:All you need is Italian seasoning, fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to season this retro casserole. That said, feel free to swap in some fresh Italian herbs for dried if you happen to have them on hand.
• Panko:Crispy panko breadcrumbs will serve as a simple topping for this casserole, which you can toast until golden either on the stovetop in a sauté pan or in the oven on a sheet pan.
• Optional garnishes: Finally, I recommend a generous sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley or thyme. And I also definitely recommend serving up each portion with a large lemon wedge for squeezing.

How To Make Tuna Casserole

Full step-by-step instructions for how to make tuna casserole are included in the recipe below, but here are a few tips to help make this recipe a success!

• Grate the cheese by hand.As always, I recommend purchasing a block of cheese and grating it by hand (I use this box grater) in order for it to melt smoothly into the sauce. Store-bought pre-grated cheese can work in a pinch too, but the coating on it will likely prevent it from melting perfectly smoothly.
• Watch the Panko closely while toasting.Whether you choose to toast the Panko on the stovetop or in the oven, it can go from golden to burnt in a matter of minutes. So keep a close eye on the Panko, and be sure to give it a good shake/toss once the first layer begins to turn golden so that all of the Panko can toast more or less evenly.
• Don’t overcook the noodles.Be sure to transfer the noodles into the sauce when they are just *barely* al dente, since they will continue to cook slightly more while being tossed with the hot cream sauce.

Recipe Variations

Here are a few additional ways that you’re welcome to customize this easy tuna casserole recipe if you would like:

• Add extra veggies: Add (or swap) any other veggies into the sauté that you think would go well with this casserole, such as asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, green beans, kale, spinach, zucchini, etc.
• Use a different cheese:Use your choice of shredded cheese in place of the cheddar, such as Gruyere, Gouda, Monterrey Jack, mozzarella, etc. Or reduce the amount and instead use a crumbled cheese, such as feta, goat cheese, Parmesan, etc.
• Use different seasonings:There are a number of different directions that you could go with the dried or fresh herbs and seasonings used to season this casserole. I often love using fresh instead of dried Italian herbs if I happen to have them on hand, such as fresh basil, rosemary or thyme. Or I’ve also made this casserole using various Cajun seasonings, which was delicious. Or you could really amp up the lemon and black pepper to go for a lemon pepper vibe. Lots of fun options!
• Make it gluten-free:Use your favorite variety of gluten-free noodles in place of the egg noodles. Then I would recommend using a tablespoon or two of cornstarch slurry (equal parts cold water whisked with cornstarch) to thicken the sauce in place of the all-purpose flour.

More Favorite Casserole Recipes

Looking for more classic casserole recipes to try? Here are a few of my tried-and-true favorites:

• Healthier Broccoli Chicken Casserole
• Chicken Enchilada Casserole
• Green Bean Casserole
• Easy Breakfast Casserole