Tuna Noodle Casserole
A fun spin on the classic Tuna Noodle Casserole that is full of tuna, peas, mushrooms, and topped with crunchy potato chips. This dish is easy to whip up and gets rave reviews every time.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups potato chips crushed
- 2 slices white sandwich bread torn into 1-inch pieces
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- salt
- pepper
- 3 6 oz cans solid white tuna in water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 12 ounces wide egg noodles
- 10 ounces white mushrooms trimmed and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 onion chopped fine
- 1 red bell pepper chopped fine
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ cups half-and-half
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425℉.
- Mix together cheeses in a small bowl. In a food processor, pulse potato chips, bread, ¼ cup of the cheese mixture, 2 tablespoons butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until coarsely ground (about 8 pulses). Set aside.
- Place tuna in a mesh strainer and press dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl. In a small bowl, microwave oil, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper for 30 seconds. Stir oil mixture into tuna and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt. Cook until noodles are al dente. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water. Drain again and set noodles aside.
- Dry the empty Dutch oven. Add 1 tablespoon butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and mushrooms. Cook 6-8 minutes until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are browned. Transfer mushrooms into the bowl with the tuna.
- Add 1 tablespoon butter, onion, and bell pepper to Dutch oven and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until softened. Transfer onion and bell pepper to the bowl with the tuna and mushrooms.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the dutch oven and melt over medium heat. Add flour and whisk constantly for about 1 minute, until golden brown. Slowly whisk in half-and-half and chicken broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Remove Dutch oven from heat. Whisk in remaining cheese mixture until smooth. Stir in pasta, tuna mixture, peas, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Transfer mixture into a 9 inch by 13 inch pan. Top with bread-crumb mixture.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown. Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
- There's some flexibility with this recipe. If you'd like to use a different vegetable or swap out what cheese you are using, feel free to do so.
- Dry tuna thoroughly by pressing the tuna dry with paper towels ensures your casserole isn’t watery and maintains a good texture.
- Chop vegetables finely and evenly so they cook uniformly and blend well into the casserole.
- For an extra crispy topping, pulse the potato chips and bread mixture in the food processor until coarsely ground, ensuring an even, crunchy layer.
- Cooking the noodles al dente prevents them from becoming mushy when baked, maintaining a nice, firm bite.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 of 12 servings | Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 534mg | Potassium: 608mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 950IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 2mg
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