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Garlic & Zest

Gourmet Cooking at Home!

Cheesy Homestyle Tuna Noodle Casserole

Cheesy Homestyle Tuna Noodle Casserole
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Do you ever get nostalgic for food?  Something that was a  mainstay favorite as a kid but but as an adult, doesn’t even register as a dining option?  I’ve been dabbling with childhood favorites recently — and — don’t laugh… but I had a hankering for Cheesy Homestyle Tuna Noodle Casserole.  Not the blue box of macaroni and cheese with a can of tuna kind of casserole, but the real deal.

 

onions and celery in a pan with wooden spoon. adding flour and spices to vegetables in a pan.
One like my Mom used to make — with real vegetables minus the can of condensed soup that Campbell’s made so popular back in the day.  One with a soft, melty interior and a crusty top.  With two (or even three) kinds of cheese.

 

adding milk to the vegetables, stirring with wooden spoon. adding cheese to béchamel.
Since the weather is getting cooler (we had a cold snap yesterday), I felt justified in making this casserole, kind of a bulking up before hibernation instinct.  

 

cheese sauce with vegetables. adding peas, pasta and tuna fish to cheese sauce.

This casserole takes about 20 minutes to assemble and only another 20-25 minutes of baking, so in under an hour you can be tucking into this bit of homestyle goodness.

 

Cheesy Homestyle Tuna Noodle Casserole in a dish. Cheesy Homestyle Tuna Noodle Casserole on a baking pan.

This casserole isn’t a big one. It’s just my husband and myself in the house, after all.  We had enough for dinner with a salad and he took the remainder for lunch the next day.  If you’ve got a bigger group, the recipe can be doubled or even tripled accordingly.

 

Cheesy Homestyle Tuna Noodle Casserole on table with spoon. Cheesy Homestyle Tuna Noodle Casserole with salad Scooping Cheesy Homestyle Tuna Noodle Casserole

 

Cheesy Homestyle Tuna Noodle Casserole

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 3
Calories: 768kcal
Like your Mom's tuna noodle casserole, minus the cornflakes.  Recipe can be doubled
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dry shell pasta or elbow macaroni
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1/2 cup provolone or smoked gouda shredded
  • 1 7 ounce can tuna fish chunk white (preferably Kirkland brand)
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spray a small casserole dish (I used a 5x8" dish with 2" sides) with vegetable spray and set aside.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water and pour in the pasta.  Cook until al dente according to package directions.  Rinse with cool water. Drain and set aside.
  • In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat.  Add the onions and celery and saute until tender crisp and slightly translucent.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.  
  • Sprinkle the flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, mustard and oregano over the vegetables and stir constantly for one minute.  Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly and bring to a boil.  Cook for one minute.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese and tuna fish, stirring until the cheese is melted. Stir in the pasta and peas, mixing until evenly distributed with the sauce and tuna.
  • Spread the tuna in the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Nutrition

Calories: 768kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1695mg | Potassium: 678mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1180IU | Vitamin C: 23.5mg | Calcium: 475mg | Iron: 3mg

More Homestyle Comfort Food Favorites:

 

Turkey and Pepper-Biscuit Pot Pie
Turkey and Pepper Biscuit Pot Pie
Homestyle Shepherd’s Pie

 

Don’t Forget To “Pin It” For Later!

 

Need an authentic Cheesy Homestyle Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe? This is it with tender shell pasta, sautéed vegetables and a creamy sauce with two cheeses.

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Fish// Pasta13 Comments

« Browned Butter Sea Salt Mashed Potatoes
Pork Tenderloin with Port and Dried Plums »

Comments

  1. A Lee says

    July 16, 2018 at 10:00 PM

    Insanely dry. Double the milk. Used elbow macaroni and did NOT fit in pan. Maybe half the noodles. Else good.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 17, 2018 at 7:28 AM

      Sorry it didn’t come out for you. Contact me and I’d be happy to help you troubleshoot the recipe.

      Reply
  2. chris says

    May 26, 2018 at 7:19 PM

    I am assuming you melt the butter with the vegs then add the flour?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 26, 2018 at 7:57 PM

      The butter and oil go into the pan together.

      Reply
  3. Wendy Ostrofsky says

    December 12, 2017 at 10:37 AM

    Hi Lisa,
    Blast from the past… hope you are well! Just wondering how much Frozen Peas to add. Casserole looks so good!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      December 12, 2017 at 10:51 AM

      Hi Wendy! Thanks for pointing out my omission. It’s one cup of frozen peas! I fixed it in the recipe.

      Reply
  4. Monica | Nourish & Fete says

    October 30, 2017 at 5:29 PM

    I love that this is comfort food that doesn’t necessarily feed an army! Recipes like this are so cozy and nostalgic, but I don’t always want to eat the same thing for days and days at a time. Really well done, as always! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      October 31, 2017 at 6:50 AM

      Thank you, Monica — I think it’s a good thing to have “just enough” comfort so we can get back on the bandwagon with the kale salads – LOL!

      Reply
  5. Cheapskate Cook says

    October 30, 2017 at 4:43 PM

    Dang it, now I want my mom’s tuna noodle casserole (of course with the canned soup, hahaha). This looks on point. She never added vegetables, but I love how you did!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      October 30, 2017 at 4:54 PM

      Makes it just slightly healthier with veg!

      Reply
  6. Beth says

    October 30, 2017 at 4:32 PM

    I used to love Tuna casserole! Your right, my Mom always made it with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup! 🙂 This cheesy version looks amazing! My husband will love this!

    Reply
  7. Luci says

    October 30, 2017 at 4:28 PM

    Yummy, I love to have tuna in my pasta dishes. I will have to make this soon.

    Reply
  8. Linda says

    October 30, 2017 at 3:21 PM

    Wow this is such a great recipe! I am so curious to try it, it looks delicious.Thanks for sharing.
    ..

    Reply

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Meet Lisa

Lisa

Calling all cooks! You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to get a delicious, healthy meal on the table! At Garlic & Zest, I’ll show you how to make hundreds of seasonal, fresh recipes and indulgent comfort foods with easy step-by-step instructions and photos to help you master the dish.

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