Cheesy Tuna Casserole with a Twist
Tuna casserole is one of this dishes you love or hate. Before you decide though, check it out. This one might be just a little bit different that the ones you’ve had in the past.
Whenever I told my husband that I was making it for dinner, we would go out instead—guaranteed! While he apparently wasn’t fond of it, it was always one of my favorites, especially when it has all these ingredients in it! Perhaps it’s wrong to admit this, but I don’t want the sweet taste of peas in mine, much as I love them. It seems like nearly everyone likes their own best, but I’ve decided to share mine in hopes I can convince you to try it!
One of the best things about a casserole is that you can add or remove any ingredient you don’t want. Except for the tuna. Sometimes I will put in more onion and olives. Occasionally I will chop up mushrooms in it. This time, since I’ve been experimenting with cauliflower and spinach in everything, I added both to the casserole. It blends in so well as in most dishes.
The reason I prefer to add the tuna last is to keep it somewhat chunky. You don’t want it in huge pieces, but if you add it in the beginning, it breaks up too much so you don’t get yummy tuna bites.
Use your favorite cheese. I like it best with cheddar, usually the low fat variety. You can use more of less of that too. Served with a little salad, you have a filling, easy to prepare dinner. This version of the tuna casserole has enough vegetables in it that you can even skip the salad. It looks pretty served on a bed of raw spinach if you would like.
As you can see, this makes a lot. If you have leftovers, freeze it serving sized containers. I will do that anytime I make it so I can grab a container for a quick, hot lunch. It warms up well in the microwave.
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- 2 14 oz cans tuna, drained
- 1 pound macaroni pasta, cooked according to package directions, al dente
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup (you can use 1 with more milk if preferred)
- 1 cup of milk (or more as needed)
- 1 cup cup chopped celery
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 cup cauliflower, chopped in small bite size pieces
- 1 cup roughly sliced spinach leaves (stems trimmed)
- ½ cup sliced olives
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, diced or grated
- ½ cup grated cheddar
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Pan spray a 9x13 baking pan.
- Cook pasta, very al dente, according to package directions.
- Assemble ingredients, and chop vegetables.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk or stir soup and milk until well mixed.
- Add onion, celery, and olives.
- Add cauliflower and spinach.
- Gently stir in the ½ cup diced cheese.
- Add cooked pasta.
- Pour into baking pan, then add the tuna.
- Fold in tuna just enough to blend.
- Sprinkle with ½ cup grated cheese.
- Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is browning and the casserole is bubbling.
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