When I think tuna salad, I think delicious. Then I think mayo. SO MUCH MAYO.
When I think tuna noodle casserole, I think loads of cheese, mayo and condensed mushroom soup. Then I think modified food starch, MSG and soy protein concentrate. Oh ya know, ingredients I’d prefer not to eat with a spoon.
So you can imagine my glee when I found this little gem in the back of the pantry next to an unopened box of whole-wheat shells. Hmmmmm. What to do, what to do.
I’ve been trying to make a dent in all the random things I have laying around the pantry, from cans of beans and bags of lentils to boxes of pasta. When I found the can of soup and the shells, I instantly thought of making a mushroom soup based sauce and calling it a day. Then I found the two cans of tuna and it was basically like being asked by the tuna noodle gods to make tuna noodle casserole. I knew there were frozen peas in the freezer and a sad bunch of kale dying to be included in all the fun, too.
This isn’t your usual super unhealthy tuna noodle casserole loaded with mayonnaise and condensed soup. I don’t do condensed soup. Oh no. Even though this version is much healthier than the original, it really doesn’t taste like it. It’s light, rich, hearty and comforting all in one bite. Plus, it’s incredibly filling from the fiber in the pasta and peas and the protein in the tuna. I mean it’s not like that stopped me from eating a fourth of the pan in one sitting in less than five minute….but whatever. This version uses whole-wheat shells, natural mushroom soup without scary ingredients, a bit of cheese and of course, the queen of greens– kale. Toss a handful of dark leafy greens in a casserole of comfort food and BAM! Call it healthy.
I really wanted to sprinkle breadcrumbs on top but I never ever buy bread crumbs. I usually just toast a piece or two of bread and then grind it up in the food processor to make homemade bread crumbs. This time I wanted something with even more crunch, so I ended up using a whole grain Wasa cracker. It worked really well and ended up being about 1/4 cup of “breadcrumbs.” Feel free to improvise and make your own bread crumbs with cereal, crackers, bread or whatever you fancy!
You can totally eat this in your skinny jeans and have a big fat piece of dark chocolate afterwards.
Totally.
Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
Prep Time:
Yield:
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PinIngredients
- 2 cups whole-wheat pasta shells
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup kale (or spinach), chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 2 5oz cans tuna, drained
- 1 14.5oz can ready-to-serve cream of mushroom soup (not condensed)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt (to taste, depending on saltiness of soup)
- 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used a four cheese blend)
- 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp shredded cheese
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 7in x 11in baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook pasta according to package directions and then set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, kale and mushroom and sautee for about seven minutes, or until softened.
- Add in peas and tuna and stir to combine.
- Add soup, garlic powder and salt and bring to a light boil.
- Add flour, whisking constantly until throughly combined. Mixture will begin to thicken.
- Remove mixture from heat. Stir in pasta and 1/4 cup cheese.
- Pour mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and 2 tbsp cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Hey there, mediterranean tuna salad. You’ve got some serious competition.
Okay I’m not going to lie: just the thought of canned tuna icks me out BUT I am loving the sound of this recipe…and imagining it with chicken instead of the tuna! And I bet you could really pimp yo casserole out with different soup flavors ;)!
I don’t blame you at all. I mean it’s tuna in a can…totally weird. I’m surprised it doesn’t gross me out more! Yet somehow I just can’t get enough of it…
I practically jumped out of my seat at the sight of this post. I used to eat Tuna Noodle Casserole like crazy and the only reason why I stopped was for the very reasons you outlined in the beginning of the post. So glad you introduced me to a better version of mushroom soup and a healthier tuna casserole. Thanks, my dear!!
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You’re very welcome, Julia! I was happy to solve the conundrum of icky mushroom soup 🙂 Enjoy!
I just made this tonight (found it on Pintrest recently) and have been staring at multiple cans of tuna in my cabinet for weeks now. I hate peas, (which is weird, because I’ll eat anything else on the planet) and as much as they are good for me, I simply can not bear to have them in any dish. I threw in some sliced black olives instead, and used Panko on top. This is SO tasty. I’m glad I found it. Lunch for days! 🙂
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Yay! I’m so happy it turned out well for you, Tasha! It’s a great way to use up extra tuna. Good call on the panko!
We were having a gross, cold day in South Carolina (which is rare!) and I was craving some good comfort food that wasn’t full of cream, butter, and cheese. After searching through a lot of different recipes, I found this one. Made it for my hubby and he didn’t even comment on the whole wheat noodles, kale, or the fact that it didn’t have the amount of cheese he was accustomed to. We both loved it and he asked for the leftovers for lunch the next day. I think next time I’ll sneak in even more green stuff! Thank you for the wonderful recipe…it’s definitely a keeper.
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Hi Kalan! I’m SO glad you enjoyed the recipe! I love that you can easily sneak in peas and spinach 🙂 Thanks for reporting back!
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Did you happen to determine the calorie contents of each serving?
I will most definitely be coming over for this recipe! Tuna Noodle Casserole is one of those things you get a random craving for and have to fulfill it ASAP!
Right?! So delish.
Is there a way I can get an estimate nutritional table on this one? Especially the sodium content because I am on a very sodium-restrict diet. Thanks! Love the recipe!
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I don’t calculate nutrition info–sorry! You could try entering the recipe into the recipe calulcator on sparkrecipes.com.
I don’t know what kind of hippie stores you have around you, but I couldn’t find whole-wheat shells, whole-wheat bread crumbs, or organic cream of mushroom soup at the large grocery store in my very urban, diverse town. I did whole-wheat rotini and regular soup instead, which tasted just fine. But the breadcrumbs I used just sat there like lumps of sand and didn’t cook at all! Maybe I bought the wrong kind? The canister just said “Traditional Bread Crumbs.” Anyway, this is an okay recipe. Tastes decent, but not much like real tuna noodle casserole, if that’s what you’re craving.
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if you get bread crumbs ready-made, check to see that they are very dry and crisp. Feel them and see that they are like crisp toast in texture. If not, heat them until they are crisp. If they are not fine in texture, make them so they are very small pieces, almost like flour. You can use a rolling pin or a can to smash the crumbs inside a plastic bag. If the crumbs crisp and dry, they will taste great. Better yet is to make some very dry toast using a good nutty-tasting whole grain bread and use those slices to make the crumbs
what kind of tuna did you use? is it salmon or tuna flakes? planning on making this tomorrow! 🙂 thanks
Just regular flaked tuna!
Girl!! This is amazing, my casserole is in the oven as I type this. I tasted the mixture with all the ingredients together (before oven) wow it is so good like that as well. Thank you so much I will be making this as a permanent recipe that I don’t have to feel guilty about!
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Yay!! Such an oldie but a goodie!
I only have the Pacific Organic Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. Should I do anything different to compensate? Thanks!
Hi there! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog.
Is it difficult to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things
out pretty fast. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any points or suggestions?
Cheers
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