Creamy Tuna Melt Casserole
The diner is clearly the most all-American type of restaurant in existence…and the one dish that’s the most essential diner fare is the tuna melt.
This hot sandwich, with tuna salad, sliced tomatoes, and melted cheese all piled between two pieces of buttered, toasted bread, is a classic straight out of Norman Rockwell’s America. I decided to try and bring the diner vibe to my own kitchen. And rather than just whip up a tuna melt for each of us, I decided to combine this classic sandwich with that all-American home-cooked meal, the tuna casserole.
I replaced the cream soup that usually holds the casserole together with a creamy cheese sauce spiced with garlic and browned onions, and I stirred in some chopped capers with the tuna and noodles to give it a kicky tuna-salad flavor. Then I layered all that in a pan with tomato slices, cheese, and a sprinkle of dried dill, and baked it until it achieved the golden color and oozy texture of a true tuna melt.
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Can you use other kinds of pasta besides macaroni?
- It doesn’t absolutely have to be macaroni, but I’d say you want to stick with short pasta that will mix evenly with the tuna and cheese sauce. Spirals could be good, or maybe small shells.
What about the cheese? Can you switch that up?
- Personally, I’m all about the provolone and would never make a melt without it. But I know some diners use Swiss in their tuna melts, so you could definitely make it that way. Or you could double down on the cheddar and use both sliced and grated cheddar (maybe one mild and one sharp).
This casserole looks like it needs a green veggie to go with it. What would you suggest?
- Any veggie you’d find on a diner menu, of course! Try a green salad, steamed broccoli, carrots, or my favorite, coleslaw.
Creamy Tuna Melt Casserole
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Over a medium heat, melt butter in a medium skillet. Add onions and cook until soft and browning, about 6-8 minutes.
- Next sprinkle flour over onions and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in milk. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sauce starts to bubble and slightly thicks. Stir in salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheeses until melted.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in your cooked pasta, tuna and capers. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and mix until well combined.
- Transfer mixture to baking dish. Layer provolone slices on top of casserole.
- Next top with tomato slices, and remaining cheese. Sprinkle dill on top of cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes.
Other casserole recipes we love!
- Baked Pasta and Meatball Casserole
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Easy Chicken Tetrazzini
- Instant Pot Taco Pasta
Creamy Tuna Melt Casserole
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Ingredients
- 16 oz macaroni pasta cooked to al dente (1-2 mins less than directed on package), drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup white onion diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 8 slices of provolone cheese
- 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 5-6 oz white albacore tuna in water drained and flaked
- 2 Tablespoons chopped capers
- 2-3 medium to large tomatoes sliced in to 1/4 inch slices
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Over a medium heat, melt butter in a medium skillet. Add onions and cook until soft and browning, about 6-8 minutes.
- Next sprinkle flour over onions and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in milk. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sauce starts to bubble and slightly thicks. Stir in salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheeses until melted.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in your cooked pasta, tuna and capers. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and mix until well combined. Transfer mixture to baking dish. Layer provolone slices on top of casserole. Next top with tomato slices, and remaining cheese. Sprinkle dill on top of cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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Very very good.. Can leftovers be put in freezer. Thank you.
I haven’t tried to freeze this casserole yet, but I think that would workout ok 🙂