Tuna Casserole
User Reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Servings
8 people
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Tuna Casserole
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This Tuna Casserole is the ultimate cozy comfort food. Flakey Tuna, mushrooms (no cans!), peas, cheese, a luscious sauce, egg noodles and a zesty lemon panko topping with caramelized lemons. Seriously this is the ultimate Tuna casserole recipe to make!
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Ingredients
Casserole
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted, divided
- 2 lemons sliced
- 1 Red Onions finely diced
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 1/2 cups milk mix in some half n half totalling 3 1/2 cups.
- 2 cups grated cheese
- 2 tablsepoons Dijon mustard
- 3 cans tuna drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2-3 teaspoons SEASONING below. Use more or less to your taste
Seasoning blend
- 2 tablespoons orgeano dried
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- 1 Tablespoon granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley or basil
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes optional
Assembly
- 12 ounce egg noodles cooked super aldente
Topping
- 1/3 cup panko or breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest or zest of 1 whoe lemon
- 1 teaspoon chili flkes optional
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves fresh
- 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper
Notes
- Use quality canned tuna for the best tasting casserole recipe. Make sure you use the fish packed in water or lemon, not oil. The oil will make it hard for the tuna to blend in the sauce. And finally, make sure to drain it well before using.
- Frozen peas are a great choice for this recipe, better than fresh peas. Avoid canned by all means.
- Cremini mushrooms have a richer taste compared to white button mushrooms, however you can still use them.
- The choice of cheese is completely optional as long as it is a soft melting cheese.
- For a richer recipe, use all half n half. And for a lighter taste, use half stock and half milk. Either option tastes great!
- The lemon slices add a rich sweet lemon taste to the sauce, while the zest on top adds a bright fresh tangy flavor.
- We prefer panko over regular breadcrumbs, however you can still use it.
- When adding the flour, make sure you toast it for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste from your sauce.
- Allow the sauce to bubble and thicken before adding the remaining ingredients, and observe the thickness.
- To thin out your sauce, add more liquid. To thick out the sauce, keep simmering it for longer than 8 minutes.
- You ca use store bought Italian seasoning or simply mix oregano, garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper and paprika.
- Don't overcook the noodles, you need to under cook them as they will continue cooking in the oven.
- You can bake the casserole in the same pot if you'd like as long as it's oven proof.
- Keep an eye on the panko topping, it should be golden and crisp.
- Avoid serving the dish right away as it will be super hot, rather wait for 8 minutes before enjoying it.
- Ass more veggies like corn, bell peppers, broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, spinach or whichever you prefer. Don't overshadow the tuna, but feel free to be as creative as you'd like.
- Make it spicy by adding jalapeños or more chilli flakes.
- Use cajun spice for a beautiful twist. Also add more or less of your favorite spice blend like more onion powder than garlic.
- Swap cheeses around, and try different varieties.
- Add in more seafood. You can add in some canned or cooked Sardines. While they have a bad reputation, I urge you to try my grandmother's recipe!
- Change the topping and use your favorite flavored chips or crackers, make sure you crush them.
- Prepare all the recipe and assemble it in your baking dish ready to bake. Keep in mind to underbake the noodles even more, and having the sauce slightly thinner than usual.
- Now cover the dish and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- When ready to bake, make sure you remove the dish from the fridge for 1 hour before baking. Bake as usual adding an extra 15-18 minutes more baking time.
- Prepare the casserole and pour into the baking dish as above. Make sure the sauce has cooled before wrapping and freezing.
- You can freeze for upto 3 months.
- To Reheat, take the dish out of the freezer the day before. Make sure to thaw it completely. Bake as above adding an extra 20 minutes.
- The two main reasons for dryness are that the dish is over baked, or the sauce was very thick to begin with. When tossing the noodles with all the ingredients, the sauce should be thick, yet thin enough to evenly coat every noodle and have some liquid left for baking.
- The edges will be bubbly, and the tops will be golden and crisp. You can use the fork knife test and insert a knife in the casserole, and when you remove it, the knife should have a thick coating on it not a thin one.
- A variety of Salad Recipes here for you to choose from. We love a nice salad and some Garlic Bread.
- Straight from the Mediterranean is this Tuna Salad Recipe with Olive Oil Dressing and it makes the best Sandwich too!
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
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