I had a few realizations over the holidays this year with family. There were the usual suspects, of course: travel mayhem, gifting stress, and family drama. But this year there was a new player on the block: bad casseroles. I'm not sure if it was just chance or if my mom and sisters were digging through old late 1980's cookbooks, but we had some very heavy, flavorless casseroles during the Christmas holiday. One such recipe was that infamous Tuna Noodle Casserole made with canned soup. I hadn't had it in years, and the whole time I was eating it, I couldn't help but think: there's got to be a better way!
Now don't get me wrong: canned soup has a time and a place. But it's usually so high in sodium that I try to steer clear of it. But here's the truth of the matter: I kind of loved the way my mom's Tuna Noodle Casserole tasted; I just didn't love the ingredient list — at all. At home last week, I sat down and made a list of what I liked about the dish and how I thought I could emulate those traits using more natural, whole ingredients.
And guess what? It worked! I call this a "Grown-Up Version" because it doesn't have the canned soup or frozen peas. Instead, I make a quick creamy sauce using a little flour and milk. I cook down cremini mushrooms with garlic, shallots and white wine, and toss in some finely chopped kale (or spinach) for a little color and texture.
The winning ingredient? A smattering of capers to add an occasional salty bite. I find them quite wonderful paired with the creamy sauce and the chunks of tuna. While the ingredient list is certainly a little longer than your basic Tuna Noodle Casserole, the little bit of extra effort goes a long way.

A few minor notes: I think you could likely get away with using low-fat milk here, but I'm a whole milk gal through and through, so that's what I opted for. You'll notice I call for cremini mushrooms in the recipe although if you have white button mushrooms at home, they'll work just fine. Cremini mushrooms hold up their shape a bit better than their paler cousins and don't release quite as much water, so I really like them for this dish.
Also, if you buy your pasta in a bag from the grocery store (instead of the bulk bins), they'll likely come in 16-ounce sizes; I found that to be too much for this recipe (it didn't get as creamy), so I reserve a few ounces to cook at a later time. If you'd prefer not to fuss with a scale at home, just eyeball it and take out about 1/4 of the noodles from your 16-ounce bag and you should be all set to make this creamy, delightful grown-up version of a childhood classic.

Grown-Up Tuna Noodle Casserole
Serves 8Butter, to grease pan
12 ounces fusilli pasta (or shells or wide egg noodles -- whatever you like)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
1/3 cup minced shallots (about 2 large shallots)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons capers, drained
2 5-ounce cans chunk light tuna, drained
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup thinly-sliced kale or spinach
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley, to top (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 2 1/2- or 3-quart casserole dish and set aside.
Cook the pasta until al dente in a large pot of boiling water. Drain and set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until shallots are translucent and mushrooms are beginning to soften. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 additional minute. Slowly pour in the wine, lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Add the flour to the pan and stir well to ensure all the mushrooms are coated. Increase the heat to high and slowly pour in the milk, bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring to avoid sticking or clumping, until the milk begins to thicken and starts to look like more of a sauce, about 4 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, capers, tuna, sour cream, kale (or spinach), thyme, salt and pepper. Pour the creamy mushrooms sauce into the bowl and stir to coat all ingredients. Transfer the mixture to prepared casserole dish and set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and cook until fragrant and slightly toasty, 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the crispy breadcrumbs over the top of the casserole and bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Serve hot. Cover and refrigerate the leftovers for up to 3 days. The casserole also freezes beautifully.
Related: Good Food with Evan Kleiman: Casserole Crazy
(Images: Megan Gordon)
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Comments (26)
Another grown-up version that folks might like is posted here:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hearty-tuna-casserole/
This looks fantastic!
Another grown-up version in regular rotation in my kitchen is Martha Stewart's Mediterranean Tuna-Noodle Casserole: http://www.marthastewart.com/340388/mediterranean-tuna-noodle-casserole
At what point do you freeze it? Before or after it is baked?
I adore the (controversial!) version from the 1997 Joy of Cooking, which uses bechamel instead of canned soup: http://www.aphids.com/susan/sept98recipes/recipes/casserole05.html
@Tracy Treece: After! Good question.
can you make bechamel with almond milk? or rice milk? I just made the healthiest and most tasteless muffins EVER and now I'm craving tuna noodle casserole.
Has anyone substituted a non dairy milk in "cream sauce" type recipes?
i have a completely different version, i don't have an actual recipe written out but it is so forgiving that amounts can easily be adjusted to taste:
you will need:
1lb ricotta (your choice whole/skim/etc)
1lb cooked pasta (your choice)
5-8 flat anchovy filets
3-5 cloves of garlic put through a garlic press
2-3 cups steamed & chopped broccoli/cauliflower
2-4 tbs chopped italian parsley
1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated (or more to taste)
olive oil
lrge can imported italian tuna in oil, drained
black pepper
preheat oven to 350
saute garlic, parsley and anchovy filets until anchovies dissolve
add tuna and saute for another 10 minutes, break up any chunks
add vegetables and saute for another 5 minutes coating them in the oil mixture, season with pepper
blend the vegetables, pasta, & ricotta in a casserole dish along with 1/4 cup Parmesan
bake until piping hot
notes:
i use very little salt when i cook, the anchovies should be enough, but that's your choice
i sometimes add chopped red bell peppers or chopped hot pepper to the garlic/oil mixture, my husband loves hot sauce on this.
i have also used mushrooms as a vegetable adding them a little before i put the tuna in
you can top the casserole with breadcrumbs, sliced tomatoes or more parmesan.
really the key to this dish is getting a flavorful mix of vegetables,
the ratio of pasta to vegetables can be adjusted according to taste.
Thank God somebody changed up this recipe - it really did need a makeover!!
Maria Tadic
http://beanafoodie.com/blog
Being European this is not a dish we grow up with, I've always wondered and actually never tried. This will be a first and, I have to say, it looks quite tasty. I mean: a can of soup into pasta, really? ;-)
@sistervashti I have not had good luck with almond milk. I might try this again with coconut milk. Good luck!
@sistervashti i have made bechamel sauce with almond milk before. i was concerned that it would taste too sweet or off but it ended up working out.
vegan mac & 'cheese'
Oh the memories! Before I could properly say "noodle", I used to call this tuna nuna. Loved it growing up, and would love to try this recipe. However, I stopped eating fish years ago because of overfishing- so any tuna substitute ideas? I suppose I could just omit the fish, but that would be too boring!
I use unsweetened almond milk to make béchamel when making butternut lasagna for a vegan friend's bridal shower. It turns out just fine.
I use unsweetened almond milk to make homemade mushroom soup, so I'm sure it will work here.
Re the tuna substitute - what about crabmeat - it is tasty and inexpensive (in the canned variety) and also lower calorie!
I'm thinking of trying this for tonight! A great winter dinner, but with goat cheese rather than regular dairy as I'm allergic.
also how about some olives?? I'm not usually in possession of capers, so I'm thinking this will give me the hit of salt without a trip to the store.
What would be a good substitute for mushrooms in this recipe? I'm not a fan, unfortunately.
I just don't get the facination with kale in recipes like this.
I think the idea to add capers is brilliant. It would add a brightness that would be just right. Looking forward to trying this, and I'm enjoying all the comments as well.
This is funny because recently I've been craving, ahem, Tuna Helper. My dad was not a cook, so when I lived with him, this was his specialty. I was searching online for a homemade version which I haven't found.
Thanks for posting this. I'll make this and use it as a basis to curb my craving!
This indeed looks delicious but I feel I have to stick up for the humble original! I'm old enough to remember that a big part of what spurred the popularity of tuna casserole where I grew up was that it gave the hard-working catholic mothers with their 6+ kid families an easy and economical fish dish to cook on Fridays. And I may sound like a geezer, but canned cream of mushroom soup was a better quality back in the 60s than it is now. Now when I make my mom's version, I substitute a homemade white sauce. Her recipe is to saute chopped celery onion and mushrooms in a generous amount of butter, add noodles, tuna, white sauce and grated parmesan or cheddar, and top with crushed potato chips (which adds both saltiness and crunch). It's truly a humble dish but one I still crave every once in awhile.
I second the recommendation for Martha's Mediterranean version of the dish; its quite tasty. But I like the idea of the briny capers and kale in this latest version. I'll have to give this one a try as well.
Love the old standby myself, and do make it on occasion, though through a suggestion from my middle sister, use cream of chicken soup instead. it's much tastier, and you can still do mushrooms, just buy Cremini and saute instead.
I will have to print this up and give it a shot one nite. I have another recipe, this time from the Smitten Kitchen to try with white beans that looks good.
Per Tracy Treece's question,
I always make the dish, and when I'm through having that first go 'round, I'll divvy up into containers, weigh, label and stuff in the freezer for a night when all I want to do is thaw, heat, serve.
Then it's a matter of if I don't think to pull it out the night before and put in the fridge, I can just stick it in the microwave and use weight defrost to get it going in a hurry, then put in a heavy bottomed pot and heat until thawed and hot, then serve.
Wonderful Recipe! Followed it pretty will but did substitute buttermilk for sour cream. The flavor of the capers and the mushrooms is awesome!
I've made a grown up Tuna Casserole for years using Imagine Soups Portobello Mushroom, sliced portobellos, shallots and good quality canned tuna. We've added red peppers for a bit of sweetness. I like the idea of using capers, or anchovies for a sharper flavor. We like to sauté the mushrooms until they're golden for extra taste, too. And of course, every pasta dish tastes better with toasted and seasoned bread crumbs.
I made this last night (no cremini, used buttons; no kale, used spinach; no parsley, skipped it). Very good...creamy with a nice bite from the capers. The kids were on the fence about it but cleaned their plates...