Dairy-free gluten-free tuna casserole

This healthy tuna casserole is gluten-free, dairy-free, and high in protein! It’s a perfect family and kid-friendly dinner for a busy weeknight. This casserole is made from pantry staples and is a great make-ahead dinner option.

I feel like we’re in a weird time warp right now. Everything has slowed way down and I feel like the kids are getting a small taste of what life was like when I was a kiddo. They play outside until it gets too hot, we take long walks and bike rides, we crash madre’s pool, watch nostalgic movies, camp in a tent on the weekends, and they FaceTime their friends for an insane amount of time. (Listening to P talk to her BFF is the cutest ever. They play Candyland or Pretty Pretty Princess and show each other pretty much every single toy they own.)

Vintage meals are back, too, thanks to our pantry haul and freezer staples we’ve had on hand. I don’t think I’ve had tuna casserole since I was maybe 10 years old (madre used to make an awesome one, I tell ya), and since we had all of the ingredients, I decided to go for it. The girls love pretty much anything that consists of cheese and pasta noodles, and this cheesy chicken and rice casseroles is one of their favorite meals. (<— I never would have expected that one.)

tuna casserole ingredients

It’s so easy to make, too! Simply sauté the mushrooms, onions and garlic, make a gluten-free roux, stir in the cheese, noodles, peas, and al dente pasta, and bake it up.

When you mix everything in the bowl, it’s easy to question your life decisions.

It looks pretty gnarly and I couldn’t help but wonder if these things all really go together.

But they totalllllyyyyy do.

healthy tuna casserole! gluten-free and dairy-free

This is a bowl of comfort food. It’s the kind of meal that feels like a warm hug.

I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a family-friendly healthy dinner option. The Pilot loved it, too, and went back for seconds.

Dairy-free gluten-free tuna casserole

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a whirl!

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Dairy-free gluten-free tuna casserole

This healthy tuna casserole is gluten-free, dairy-free, and high in protein! It’s a perfect family and kid-friendly dinner for a busy weeknight. This casserole is made from pantry staples and is a great make-ahead dinner option.

  • Author: Gina Harney fitnessista.com

Ingredients

Scale

8 oz gluten-free pasta (we used Banza) cooked almost all the way and drained

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1/2 sweet onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon vegan butter (or regular)

1 tablespoon gluten-free flour

1 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

10 oz frozen peans

2 5-oz cans of tuna

8 oz shredded vegan cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 and spray a baking dish (9×13) with nonstick spray
  2. In a large pot, sauté the mushrooms in a little olive oil with salt and pepper for 3-5 minutes, until soft.
  3. Stir in the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about one minute.
  4. Add the butter, flour, and stir well. Add the almond milk and bring up to a boil, whisking until there are no lumps. Stir in the Dijon and remove from the heat.
  5. Add in the tuna, noodles, peas, and cheddar, reserving extra cheese to sprinkle on top. Season well with salt and pepper.
  6. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until bubbly.

What’s your favorite comfort food? Any awesome recipes you’ve tried lately? I’m always looking for ways to switch up our routine!

xoxo

Gina

More of my favorite family-friendly dinner recipes:

Healthy baked chicken tenders

Homemade hamburger helper

Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup

Cheesy enchiladas

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2 Comments

  1. Janet on May 7, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    Hi Gina!

    Just wondering if you were to make this with dairy and gluten would you change anything besides the type of cheese, margarine and noodles? I know that sounds like a crazy question, but I feel like I remember this having sour cream or mayo when I had it as a kid? It looks delicious, look forward to trying it!

    • Fitnessista on May 8, 2020 at 12:16 am

      ohhhh in that case i’d use a can of chicken mushroom soup instead of making the roux and lots of real cheddar cheese 🙂

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