Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch

Incredibly creamy and cheesy tuna and noodle casserole made from scratch, this easy pasta bake will make your children happy.

An easy noodle casserole is something you often chose to cook when you have children. Casserole dishes, either with pasta, rice or potatoes are filling, easy to make, cheap most of the times and probably due to the carbs and cheese they contain, you can never go wrong with a casserole when it comes to children.

I think I have rarely managed to make a casserole they didn’t LOVE. Even those casseroles containing cauliflower or broccoli are more or less fine for my children, as long as they have enough cheese in them…

EASY TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

It is the same with this tuna pasta bake. Tuna is not an ingredient of choice when it comes to my children, but packed into this creamy and cheesy noodle casserole, the tuna loses its “impudence”, becomes a desirable ingredient that brings flavor and creaminess into the dish.

So, I can totally recommend this tuna noodle casserole from scratch, if you, like me, have children that are not that much into fish, this tuna pasta bake might be a good start.

But don’t think that this noodle casserole is just something for the children, you will probably end up eating more than you should yourself as well. And scratch the bottom of the casserole dish to make sure you get every last bit of those delicious noodles or corn kernels surrounded by that creamy cheese sauce.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TUNA PASTA BAKE

This easy tuna noodle casserole uses very common and very cheap ingredients like tuna, noodles and corn, all things you might probably have in your pantry already. Staple ingredients, so to say, you might not even have to go shopping in order to cook the tuna pasta bake.

And the best thing about it is that this easy tuna noodle casserole is made from scratch. Only cheap and healthy cupboard ingredients, no soup from cans or whatever it is people are using when making a tuna noodle casserole.

Noodles:

I used macaroni, because I had about half a packet in my cupboard. But any kind of shorter noodles like fusili or penne would be fine.

Vegetables:

A red bell pepper, 2 garlic cloves and 2 or 3 small tomatoes are the only fresh ingredients you will need for this tuna pasta bake.

Otherwise, just a can of corn, about 250 g/ 8.8 oz corn kernels once you have drained the can. A little more or less than that would be fine, corn cans come in different size according to where you live in the world, so don’t stress if you have a little more or less corn than I did.

You can also replace the canned corn with frozen corn.

Tuna:

The same about the tuna. I used a rather large can and I had 150 g/ 5.3 oz tuna once I drained the can. If I only have the smaller tuna cans, then I use two of them and then I will have about 220 g/ 7.7 oz drained tuna. Do use what is available.

Spices:

I used dried oregano, but a dried Italian or French herb mixture would be fine.

And you can never go wrong with a bit of chili, use as much as you like to make this easy tuna noodle casserole as spicy as you want.

Cheese:

I used Gouda cheese because Gouda is the most common type of cheese around here, I always have it in my fridge. But you could definitely replace it with cheddar or another kind of cheese you like to use when making a cheesy casserole.

Breadcrumbs:

I recommend panko breadcrumbs, they make the top of the tuna pasta bake crunchier. However, if you don’t have them, replace them with regular breadcrumbs. And here is how to make homemade breadcrumbs, if you are interested.

The ingredients for making the white sauce for the easy tuna noodle casserole are just butter, flour and milk. With a sprinkle of nutmeg and some salt and pepper.

HOW TO MAKE TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE FROM SCRATCH

Step 1: Cook the noodles according to the packet’s instructions. Drain well.

Step 2: Cook the chopped red bell pepper, garlic cloves and drained corn in a little oil. When the vegetables are softer and the corn starts to look a little bit charred, add the drained and flaked tuna and the spices. Stir well and let get hot for about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

Step 3: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the flour on top, stir and let it become slightly golden, about 1 minute. Slowly, start adding the milk while whisking continuously to avoid the formation of clumps. Bring to a boil and let the sauce simmer for about 3-5 minutes or until thickened.

Step 4: Add the grated cheese needed for the sauce and stir well until it is melted. Season the white sauce generously with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Assemble the tuna noodle casserole made from scratch.

Butter a medium casserole dish, either oval, round, square or rectangular is fine. Mine was about 18×23 cm/7×9 inches.

Give the noodles back to the pot you used to cook them. Add the vegetable and tuna mixture, mix carefully and pour the white sauce on top. Mix again. Give the noodle mixture to the prepared casserole dish.

Thinly slice the tomatoes, you will need 2 or 3 depending on their size. Arrange them on top of the easy tuna noodle casserole.

In a small bowl mix together the breadcrumbs and the rest cheese. Sprinkle the tuna pasta bake with the mixture. Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes or until the top of the tuna pasta casserole is golden.

Leave to rest for about 5 minutes, then serve with a green salad.

Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch

Adina Share this on WhatsAppIncredibly creamy and cheesy tuna and noodle casserole made from scratch, this easy pasta bake will make your children happy. An easy… Main Dish Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch European Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 mins Cooking Time: 25 mins 25 mins

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• Tuna noodle casserole:
• 200 g/ 7 oz macaroni (or penne, fusili, farfalle etc)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 can corn, about 250 g/ 8.8 oz once drained (frozen and defrosted corn kernels can be used instead)
• 1 can tuna, about 150 g/ 5.3 oz tuna once drained
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano (or an Italian or French dried herb mixture)
• ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, more or less to taste
• fine sea salt and black pepper
• White sauce:
• 50 g/ 1.8 oz/ about 2 ½ tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 400 ml/ 13.5 fl.oz/ 1 ¼ cups milk
• 50 g/ 1.8 oz/ ½ cup grated Gouda (cheddar or another cheese you like)
• nutmeg
• fine sea salt and black pepper
• Topping:
• 2-3 small tomatoes, depending on size
• 4 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
• 50 g/ 1.8 oz/ ½ cup grated Gouda (cheddar or another cheese you like)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a medium casserole dish, either oval, round, square or rectangular is fine. Mine was about 18x23 cm/7x9 inches.

Tuna noodle casserole:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt generously and cook the noodles according to the packet's instructions. Drain well.

In the meantime, cut the red bell pepper into thin small stripes and chop the garlic cloves. Drain the can of corn.

Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook the red bell pepper, garlic and corn for about 5 minutes or until the peppers are softer and the corn starts to look a little bit charred. Add the drained and flaked tuna and the spices. Stir well and let get hot for about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

White sauce:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the flour on top, stir and let it become slightly golden, about 1 minute. Slowly, start adding the milk while whisking continuously to avoid the formation of clumps. Bring to a boil and let the sauce simmer for about 3-5 minutes or until thickened.

Add half of the grated cheese and stir well until it is melted. Season generously with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Assemble:

Give the noodles back to the pot you used to cook them. Add the vegetable and tuna mixture, mix carefully and pour the white sauce on top. Mix again. Give the noodle mixture to the prepared casserole dish.

Slice the tomatoes thinly. Arrange them on top of the tuna noodle casserole.

In a small bowl mix together the breadcrumbs and the grated cheese needed for the topping. Sprinkle the tuna pasta bake with the mixture.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the top of the tuna pasta casserole is golden.

Leave to rest for about 5 minutes, then serve with a green salad.

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