This satisfying casserole is made with tuna and Cheddar and topped with crinkle chips for extra crunch.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10.6 ounces (300 grams) medium shell pasta
- 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup (32 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (500 milliliters) chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup (250 milliliters) whole milk
- 1 cup (250 milliliters) frozen peas
- 3/4 cup (60 grams) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 tablespoons parsley
- 2 cans (6 ounces/170 grams each) flaked tuna, drained
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups (about 500 milliliters) crushed plain crinkle cut chips
- 1/2 cup (58 grams) grated Cheddar
- Pinch smoked paprika, optional
Instructions
- For the casserole: Heat your oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease an 8 1/2- to 11-cup (2- to 2 1/2-liter) casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place a large pot of water over high heat, season well with salt and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions just until al dente (see Cook’s Note).
- Place a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add in 1 tablespoon of the butter along with the celery and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook until tender and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter as well as the garlic and continue to cook to melt the butter and lightly cook the garlic, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Sprinkle over the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for about 1 minute to toast the flour. Turn the heat down to medium-low and, while whisking, slowly begin adding in the broth about 1/2 cup at a time. If any lumps form, bring to a simmer and continue whisking. Stir in the milk and peas and simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley. Mix the creamy sauce with the tuna and cooked noodles and stir well to evenly combine. Season with salt and pepper and transfer into the prepared casserole dish.
- For the topping: Scatter the crushed chips over top followed by the grated Cheddar and a pinch of smoked paprika if using. Place the casserole dish onto a sheet pan in case of any boil over and bake until golden brown, slightly crisp and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Allow the casserole to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 499 |
| Total Fat | 20 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 27 g |
| Cholesterol | 61 mg |
| Sodium | 785 mg |
Reviews
Delicious! The best tuna noodle casserole I’ve ever had, and the amount of creamy and crunch is perfect!
I saw this episode and wanted to make it and it was very good and pretty easy. I needed to use up some fresh tuna in my freezer, so I BBQd it and shredded it. Only other changes I made was I didn’t have whole milk, so I used 1/2 & 1/2. I added some red pepper flakes. I also had a frozen peas & carrot mixture. I used a 9 x 13 baking dish and added way more cheddar. My lemon was huge, so it was lemony, but I love it lemon forward! I will make it again.
Looking for something simple for dinner and this was the best. Great for a stormy night and I had everything already in my pantry, exactly what I was looking for!
Thanks Mary!
Thanks Mary!
I love Mary and most of her recipes but this was one was just Good but not Great. I used less lemon as many suggested but it was still quite lemon forward. That flavor plus the cheddar cheese just seemed out of place for me. I’ll stick to my usual recipe which is pretty much like hers minus the lemon, cheddar and the chips – i still like buttery Panko as a topping.
I made this recipe this evening. I followed the directions completely. My family and I absolutely loved it. My 15 year old son gave it 4 1/2 stars. I will definitely make this again!
This was great using shredded chicken because the grandchildren don’t eat tuna! Nice and cheesy! Love her recipes, very easy to make!
Loved this recipe! Made it as written and will definitely be making this again!
This recipe was good but I felt that the lemon was overpowering. I would probably omit or reduce the amount t next time. The recipe says 1 1/2 to 2 cups (500 ml) of crushed crinkle cut potato chips – I use my food scale to measure everything and 500 ml is way too much – I believe the recipe is referring to ml on a measuring cup. 100-150 ml (or grams) seems more appropriate. Also, I would sprinkle half the cheddar under the chips and the other 1/2 on top next time.
My first time eating tuna casserole and it was just okay
Lemon is the secret to tuna noodle!!!