Tuna Casserole
This tuna casserole comes straight from my grandpa's recipe box, skipping the canned cream of mushroom soup most versions rely on. A simple homemade white sauce, fresh vegetables, and a crunchy potato chip topping make it taste just as comforting, minus the can. It's ready in 45 minutes and proof that the original tuna casserole never needed a shortcut to taste this good.
Servings 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Macaroni uncooked
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- ½ Cup Onion chopped
- ½ Cup Celery thinly sliced
- ½ Cup Red or Green Pepper chopped
- 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Pepper
- 1½ Cups Milk
- 1 Can Tuna Packed in Water drained
- ½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese divided
- Potato Chips crushed, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Grease an 8'x8" baking dish and set aside.
- Cook macaroni according to package directions.
- Drain macaroni and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onions and cook and stir for 3 minutes.
- Add the celery and the red or green peppers and cook and stir for another 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour, salt, and pepper over the vegetables and cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Stir in the milk; cook and stir until thickened.
- Remove from the heat.
- Add the macaroni, tuna, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir until the macaroni is well coated.
- Pour the tuna mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- If desired, sprinkle crushed potato chips on top.
Notes
Helpful Tips
- Cook the macaroni just shy of al dente. It finishes cooking in the oven, so slightly underdone pasta keeps the casserole from turning mushy.
- Whisk the white sauce constantly. Since this recipe skips canned cream of mushroom soup, a smooth homemade sauce depends on steady whisking while the milk thickens.
- Cut vegetables ahead of time. Prepping onion, celery, and pepper in advance cuts your active cooking time significantly.
- Don't skip draining the tuna. Excess liquid can make the casserole watery instead of creamy.
- Add potato chips right before baking, not after. This keeps them crunchy instead of soggy once the casserole is out of the oven.
- Double the recipe for bigger families. This version is sized for four; families with older kids or more than four people should double it and use a 9"x13" dish.
- Cover with foil if it's browning too fast. Since there's no canned soup to add moisture, keep an eye on the top and tent with foil if needed to prevent drying out.