Recipe Background
A healthier twist on classic tuna noodle casserole, featuring lower carbs, less fat, and gluten-free options.
Healthy Tuna Noodle Bake is for all the tuna noodle casserole lovers out there that want to take a little bit better care of their body this next trip around the sun! It's got everything the original has, like bouncy noodles, a creamy filling, tender tuna, and a cheesy, crunchy top, but gives you eggless, lower carb, lower fat, and gluten-free ingredient options to make it a little easier on your body to digest. Why choose the not-good-for-you option when Healthy Tuna Noodle Bake tastes just as delicious, if not better?! Hooray for yet another comfort food recipe that makes eating right both flavorful and exciting!
Ingredients
- butter-flavored cooking spray
- 6 ounces no-yolk noodles or egg noodles
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion finely minced
- 3 tablespoons flour or gluten-free flour
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 3/4 cups fat-free chicken broth
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 1 ounce sherry optional
- 10 ounces baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup frozen petite peas thawed
- 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna in water drained
- 4 ounces 50% reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons whole-wheat seasoned breadcrumbs
- fresh parsley to taste, chopped, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Lightly spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with butter-flavored cooking spray.
- In a pot of salted, boiling water, cook the noodles according to package directions until just al dente or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes.
- In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter.
- Add the onions to the butter and cook over medium heat, until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and the salt to the onion mixture and stir well, cooking over medium-low heat, about 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly whisk the chicken broth into the onion mixture until well combined.
- Increase the heat to medium and whisk the onion mixture well, about 30 seconds.
- Add the milk to the onion mixture and bring it to a boil.
- Add the sherry, the mushrooms, the peas, the salt, and the pepper to the boiling mixture and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the veggie mixture thickens, about 7-9 minutes.
- Add the tuna to the veggie mixture and stir for 1 minute.
- Transfer the veggie mixture from the heat and add the sharp cheddar and mix well until the cheese has melted.
- Add the noodles to the veggie mixture and mix well until they are evenly coated.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with the parmesan and the breadcrumbs.
- Spray more of the butter-flavored cooking spray on top of the casserole.
- Bake until the topping is golden, about 25 minutes.
- Adjust the oven to broil and broil the casserole until the crumbs are crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Be watchful so the casserole doesn't burn.
- Serve garnished with the parsley.
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