Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole

This healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole doesn't taste "healthy". It has extra veggies, a high-quality tuna, and a creamy sauce for a fantastic, easy meal.

If you're as old as I am, chances are you had a lot of tuna noodle casseroles as a kid. Cooked noodles, a can of tuna, some canned soup and maybe some onion or mushrooms. That was considered a well-rounded meal back then and it sure tasted good to me and my sisters.

I still love a good tuna noodle casserole but I wanted to create a recipe worthy of my tastes today. If I could do that and keep the calories down, too? Even better.

Ingredients

We've added extra vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, broccoli and peas which gives the biggest boost from a 70s-style casserole to a more modern, healthy version. You've still got a creamy sauce and a great texture from the panko breadcrumbs, which means it's still comforting and delicious!

• a bag egg noodles
• extra-virgin olive oil
• onion
• mushrooms
• carrots
• all-purpose flour
• chicken stock or broth
• prepared horseradish
• Worcestershire sauce
• broccoli
• frozen peas
• high-quality tuna in olive oil
• reduced-fat milk
• shredded cheddar cheese
• panko breadcrumbs
• cooking spray

How do you make a healthy tuna noodle casserole?

You'll want to begin with a high-quality tuna; one that tastes fresh and flavorful. If the star of my casserole is tuna, it had better be top-notch (I prefer Genova tuna, but here's a taste test of 13 canned tuna brands). Using a cheaper tuna is fine, but be sure it has large chunks of flaky tuna and isn't just a mush inside the can. This is a tuna noodle casserole with egg noodles and you want the pasta and tuna to be tender bites without being a mushy mess.

Sauté your veggies, add your sauce ingredients and simmer. Mix in more veggies and tuna, then layer it with the noodles in a baking dish. Add your crunchy topping and bake until the topping is golden brown and the casserole is bubbly hot. It's easy to make and the extra veggies mean you can feel great about enjoying it!

Is it a coincidence that I'm getting super hungry right now? 🙂

Watch the Video:

Can you freeze tuna casserole?

You can! Just make sure you seal it tightly before freezing to keep as much air out as possible. When you're ready to enjoy it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and bake as usual.

What side dishes to serve with tuna casserole?

In my opinion, you don't really need a side dish with this particular tuna noodle casserole since it already has loads of pasta, vegetables, and tuna. If you still want to serve something alongside it, I'd suggest either a salad or a fresh vegetable side such as fresh sliced tomatoes (you could add a dollop of ricotta cheese and fresh basil, too).

Of course, adding a healthy-ish dessert like chocolate covered strawberries instead of a side would be another option. Fresh fruit at the end of your meal would round this out nicely and keep it healthy, too. Or reward yourself with something indulgent like pumpkin cheesecake!

Continue to Content

Skinny Tuna Noodle Casserole

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Upping the veggies, swapping reduced-fat milk for cream and using a high-quality tuna makes this tuna casserole something you'll want to make every week!

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Ingredients

• 1 12-oz bag egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 16 oz sliced mushrooms
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 14.5-oz can chicken stock or broth
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups very small broccoli florets, if they're too large they won't be tender
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 3 5-oz cans high-quality tuna in olive oil, drained
• 2 cups reduced-fat milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1-2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and, when shimmering, add onions, mushrooms and carrots to skillet. Cook until onions are opaque and liquid from mushrooms has been released and evaporated.
3. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes.
4. Whisk in chicken stock until smooth. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Stir in horseradish and Worcestershire sauce.
5. Add broccoli, frozen peas and Genova tuna; stir well. Add milk and season to taste. Stir in shredded cheese.
6. Place cooked egg noodles in the bottom of a greased 13x9 baking dish. Pour tuna mixture over the top of noodles, taking care to cover noodles completely. Sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs then spray with cooking spray to moisten.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown and casserole is bubbling hot at the edges.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 329Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 441mgCarbohydrates: 38gNet Carbohydrates: 50gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 17g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is a chef, recipe developer, and five-time cookbook author. A former personal chef and cooking instructor, she loves creating easy, delicious recipes to share!

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