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Old Fashioned Tuna Casserole

The Best Old-Fashioned Tuna Casserole Without Canned Soup Recipe

Author: Rika
485kcal
4.8 from 72 votes
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Prep 15 minutes
Cook 18 minutes
This old-fashioned tuna casserole is amazingly delicious and comforting. It's the best tuna casserole recipe made of canned tuna but without canned soup!
Servings 6
Course casserole, Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients

Béchamel Sauce:
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional Toppings:
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons butter (melted)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon of salt into boiling water. Cook noodles for 1 minute less than the direction for al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
  3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until soft.
  4. Add flour, cook, keep stirring for 2 minutes or until it smells toasted.
  5. Whisk in the broth, milk, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook, whisking frequently until thickened (as thick as condensed soup), about 5 minutes.
    Adjust seasoning with additional salt or a small amount of chicken bouillon if needed.
  6. In a large mixing bowl, add pasta, tuna, cheese, frozen peas, and béchamel sauce. Stir to combine then transfer to a 2 to 2½ qt baking dish.
  7. Mix panko breadcrumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole.
  8. Bake until bubbly and the cheese is melted for about 18 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories485kcalCarbohydrates47gProtein25gFat22gSaturated Fat12gPolyunsaturated Fat2gMonounsaturated Fat5gTrans Fat1gCholesterol103mgSodium928mgPotassium497mgFiber5gSugar7gVitamin A1060IUVitamin C20mgCalcium244mgIron3mg

Notes

Frozen peas. If you don't like peas, you can use frozen spinach instead. 

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