Do you guys remember the tuna noodle casserole that seemed to find itself on dinner tables everywhere in the 80’s and 90’s? I’m continuing my McCormick recipe partnership this year, and for this month’s post, they challenged me to create a lightened up comfort food favorite. Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole it was. :)
(In related news, it’s hard to make tuna + noodles look pretty… I did my best!)
On Tuesday night, given the cold and snowy conditions outside, it seemed the perfect time to try my hand at a healthier version of this old favorite.
To lighten up this recipe, I made a few big changes:
MY OTHER RECIPES
- Plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo
- Milk instead of heavy cream
- Chicken broth instead of canned cream of mushroom soup (this grosses me out, anyway…)
- Extra sharp cheddar instead of regular cheddar – it’s more flavorful, so you don’t need to use a ton!
- Utilized seasonings for flavor
- Added lots of volume and nutrients from a rainbow of veggies! I used peas, baby spinach, peppers, and onions, but mushrooms and celery would be good here, too.
This recipe involves a little hands on prep time, but it’s not overly complicated. There are two things you need to do before tossing it in the oven: 1) cook your pasta, and 2) sauté your veggies! First, you’ll want to sauté the onions and peppers, until the onions are translucent. Then, you add your frozen peas and fresh baby spinach, stirring until the spinach is wilted!
Then, you toss all the ingredients (including the now cooked pasta) into a bowl together and stir.
Don’t forget the seasonings to amp up the flavor of this dish! You can get creative and add some other seasonings too, if you like! I decided to keep it basic. :)
Then, pour it all into a casserole dish, pop it in the oven, and 40 minutes later, you have yourself a tasty blast from the past.
Here’s the full recipe. Go get your 90’s on! Seriously – when Matt tried this, he said: “This tastes just like the 90’s.” Sweet. That’s what I was going for. ;) We both loved it! In fact, I’m about to enjoy some of the leftovers now for lunch…
Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry whole wheat rigatoni, cooked according to package directions
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup bell peppers (any color), diced
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach, packed
- 2 and 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 8 to 12 ounces chunk light tuna, packed in water (any amount in this range is fine)
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup plain full fat Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup 2% or whole milk (or plain, unsweetened almond milk)
- 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Leave it "al dente" - just cooked/still a little chewy.
- In a large pan, saute onion and bell peppers in a little oil or cooking spray over high heat for a few minutes, until onions are translucent.
- Add baby spinach and frozen peas and reduce heat to medium. Cover, stirring occasionally, until peas are no longer frozen and spinach is fully wilted.
- In a large bowl, mix together cooked pasta, the sauteed veggie mixture, and all other ingredients.
- Pour mixture into a casserole dish.
- Bake 40 minutes. Enjoy!
Thank you to McCormick for sponsoring this post! For more ideas for better-for-you comfort food recipes, check out their website. I have my eye on this Chicken Pot Pie Soup!
Were you a tuna noodle casserole fan? What were your other favorite 90’s-tastic casseroles? I might try to recreate more of them! :)
If you missed my previous McCormick posts, check those out, too:
Oh yes…Tuna Noodle Casserole was my FAV! Saving this one :)
As a kid tuna casserole was one of my favorites things my mom made. I will be making this!
Is it possible to substitute the rigatoni for another kind of pasta like penne? Looks delicious!
Definitely! Any kind of pasta will work – any shape, and also any variety like brown rice pasta or quinoa pasta if gluten free is needed!
I’m so happy to see you promoting FULL FAT ingredients! I think the low fat craze has had some of the worse health effects on this country. Our bodies need that fat in a good balance!
Yes, agreed!
Yummy, I made something similar last week, but with quinoa
Canned fish is such a lifesaver! I’m more of a salmon and sardine fan though!!!
That looks soo good. Tuna noodle casserole is weirdly the only thing I miss now that I’m a vegetarian.
I remember having tuna noodle casserole as a kid every once in awhile. It definitely wasn’t my favorite so I haven’t had it since as an adult. I like all the veggies in this version though.
Bon Appetit featured a “grown-up” tuna noodle casserole a few years ago with leeks, gruyere, and fresh dill. It’s become one of our favorite dinners. And it’s super easy too!
P.S. I’m looking forward to trying your version too. Love all the veggies!
Sounds delicious! I love dill.
I was craving tuna noodle casserole a couple of weeks ago and my mom made it for our weekly dinner date….craving satisfied! So GOOD!!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’m glad I’m not the only one who is not too fond of creamy of mushroom (or any other canned cream) soup :)
A time-honored classic! Thanks –
I love tuna casserole – true comfort food! My mom’s recipe was: cooked white rice, thawed frozen peas, a can of cheddar cheese soup, and a big can of tuna – layered in that order in a casserole dish and microwaved. :-) As nostalgic as that is, I think your variation is a bit healthier! I also like mixing in a packet or can of tuna and some thawed peas into mac & cheese for a one-bowl meal that has plenty of protein… it’s kind of like ghetto tuna casserole. LOL
Ha, love it
Tuna and noodle casserole was one of my go-to dishes when my kids were small. I think the fact that I told them it was “Ninja Noodles” (during the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle phase) helped make it a favorite. Your updated version looks good!
I would have been all about Ninja Noodles!
I love tuna casserole – it was definitely a staple in our family home. I do have a version I make very occasionally … but I think I might have to make a batch soon – yours looks so yum!
My mom’s tuna casserole has become a comfort staple in my recipe box, even though the condensed cream of celery soup grosses me out when it glops out of the can. I think I’ll have to give yours a try sometime, though I may stick with elbow macaroni and add a little whole wheat bread crumb/paprika topping before it goes in the oven.
Looks delicious Anne! I have not had tuna in years and find myself craving it now. Is there a brand you could recommend? Thanks!
I just buy the chunk light tuna in water, whatever brand is cheapest! :)
I made this last night and it was awesome. I have always been a sucker for my mom’s tuna casserole (but the pure, not-so-healthy, actually from the 90’s one), but this totally hit the spot. I didn’t have enough spinach (end of the week, so end of the spinach box!), but i just added what I had left. Easy, too!
I’m so glad you liked it! :)
I wonder how this would taste with half tuna and half sardines?
Probably pretty good! Give it a shot and let us know. :)
Wow this was very good, I am now a Pescetarian and so am always looking for recipes with fish and I have found some great recipes for fresh fish but couldn’t find a good one for canned tuna, tried other tuna casseroles but they were bland and made the tuna taste tinny Yuck! I also like how you cut back on the fat and used milk and yogurt instead of cream/cream soups (which I never did like) then was so pleased at how great this tasted, no need for canned soups ever with great alternatives as this, I did add one celery, carrot and a few mushrooms as I love to load in veggies when I can, also mixed 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs with 2 tbsp. of melted butter and sprinkled it on top of the casserole before baking ( I know added fat but it came out so crispy and yummy :-) and besides there is no canned garbage and added extra veggies so still much healthier than the traditional recipes, definitely a keeper, thank you :-)
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!