Not Your Mom's Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe (No Canned Soup, High Fiber, High Protein) by Elisa Schmitz
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This is not your typical tuna noodle casserole recipe. First of all, there’s no cream of mushroom soup in it. Second, it combines fresh vegetables with pantry staples to boost nutrition. Third, it’s got a seriously creamy, crispy and tangy flavor, thanks to two kinds of mustard and a whole lemon. Fourth, the topping adds a crave-able crunch factor. And finally, it’s gluten-free, high in protein and high in fiber.
Here is your shopping list for this elevated tuna casserole recipe: canned albacore tuna (read about the health benefits of tuna), canned sweet green peas, red bell pepper (check out the health benefits of red bell pepper), celery, gluten-free noodles (or whatever noodles you like), milk, fresh garlic, gluten-free flour (or all-purpose flour if you're not on a gluten-free diet), yellow mustard, Dijon mustard or honey mustard, lemons and mayonnaise. For the topping you'll need almond flour or breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and olive oil.
I intentionally didn’t pre-cook the fresh vegetables, so they wouldn’t get mushy. I prefer them crisp. But if you prefer softer veggies, you can sauté the celery and red pepper in a bit of olive oil until tender, before adding them to the casserole mixture.
This tasty tuna noodle casserole recipe is a complete high-protein dinner, but you could serve it for dinner with a side salad or separate vegetable, such as steamed broccoli, if you’d like.
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 15 ounces (3 cans) albacore tuna, drained
- 30 ounces (2 cans) sweet peas, drained
- 1 red bell pepper, diced fine
- 3 - 4 stalks celery, diced fine
- 12 ounces gluten-free noodles, cooked al dente (I used Barilla gluten-free rotini)
- 2 cups milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk; you also could use chicken broth)
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/4 cup gluten-free flour (for thickening the sauce)
- 3 teaspoons yellow mustard, or to taste
- 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard or honey mustard, or to taste
- juice of 1 large lemon
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
Topping
- 1 cup almond flour (you also could use 1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs)
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove minced garlic
Here’s how to make it:
- In a large bowl, add pepper, celery, tuna and peas. Stir to combine. Add the noodles and blend it all together.
- In another bowl, add the milk, garlic, flour, mustards, lemon juice and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Whisk to combine until the mixture is thick, creamy and mostly smooth. Taste, and add more mustard or mayo or seasoning, to taste.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the noodle mixture. Stir to combine, until pasta and vegetables are coated in the sauce.
- Pour combined mixture into a greased 13x9-inch baking pan or casserole dish.
- To make the topping, in another bowl, mix together the almond flour, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic and olive oil.
- Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake in a preheated 325-degree F oven about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.
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