Tuna Mac and Cheese Casserole
This tuna mac and cheese is cheesy, creamy, comforting, and has 40 grams of protein a serving!
This tuna mac and cheese recipe (or tuna noodle casserole for some of my very midwestern friends) is cheesy, creamy, comforting, and has 40 grams of protein a serving! This healthier midwestern comfort food is the perfect addition to your weeknight meal rotation, and beats box macaroni and cheese every single time.
Let's talk about the recipe.
Ingredients
- Pasta
- Light tuna
- Whole milk
- Butter
- Flour
- Spinach
- Chicken bouillon
- Mustard
- Thyme
- Sharp cheddar cheese
Cook the Pasta
Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil, and salt liberally. Add the pasta and cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350f. Add the pasta to a 9x13 casserole dish, and spread the tuna out over the pasta.
This sounds more specific than it needs to be, but you just need to cook the pasta. That's all! Boil some water, make sure it's salty, and cook the pasta until it's al dente. Tuna macaroni and cheese is an art, not a science. I would just make sure to use a glass baking dish instead of metal unless you want very crispy edges.
Make the Cheese Sauce
Melt the butter over low heat, add the flour, and stir. Toast for about a minute, or until foamy in appearance. Slowly drizzle in milk while whisking continuously and repeat this process with 1 cup of water. Stir in the spinach, bouillon, mustard, thyme, and cheese, and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and pour the sauce over the pasta and the tuna. Stir and then bake for 30 minutes.
If you've never made a roux, this part can seem a little complicated. It's a classic French technique for making sauces, but it's not as intimidating as you think. As you add milk to the butter and flour mixture over low heat, it will incorporate, homogenize, and stay nice and thick. If it breaks and thins out, it's nothing to worry about too much since we're baking this mac and cheese.
And that's that on tuna mac and cheese casserole! If you want to get very midwestern with this you could add toppings like fried onions, or butter and Ritz crackers, but it's pretty fantastic as is.
Tuna Mac and Cheese Casserole Recipe
Download the recipe here
6
20 minutes
50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1lb dry pasta
- 2 cans light tuna, drained
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 5 oz spinach
- 1 Tbsp chicken bouillon
- 1 Tbsp mustard
- 1 Tbsp thyme
- 2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
Method:
- Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil, and salt liberally. Add the pasta and cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350f.
- Add the pasta to a 9x13 casserole dish, and spread the tuna out over the pasta.
- Melt the butter over low heat, add the flour, and stir. Toast for about a minute, or until foamy in appearance. Slowly drizzle in milk while whisking continuously and repeat this process with 1 cup of water.
- Stir in the spinach, bouillon, mustard, thyme, and cheese, and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and pour the sauce over the pasta and the tuna. Stir and then bake for 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 573 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 24g | 31% |
Saturated Fat 14.1g | 70% |
Cholesterol 156mg | 52% |
Sodium 671mg | 29% |
Total Carbohydrate 49.5g | 18% |
Dietary Fiber 0.6g | 2% |
Total Sugars 3.3g | |
Protein 39g | |
Vitamin D 28mcg | 142% |
Calcium 406mg | 31% |
Iron 3mg | 19% |
Potassium 561mg | 12% |
Related Recipes
About the Author
Hi! I'm Alexandra Massengale, and I've been cooking and baking for over 12 years. My passion is making cheap, convenient, nutrient-dense food that still tastes amazing, and helping to perpetuate healthy eating habits without perpetuating diet culture. I want you to find recipes that make your body and heart happy, without putting any food off limits or making you feel guilty for loving delicious things.
By Alexandra Massengale