This wonderful tuna casserole is made with a rich and creamy homemade sauce, noodles, and just 1 can of tuna. It's the ultimate single serving comfort food!
When I was growing up, tuna casserole was a meal my mom made often. It was simple, inexpensive, and it was a meal she could put together quickly.
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Tuna Noodle Casserole
My mother's version of tuna casserole was made with canned tuna, canned cream of mushroom soup and noodles.
My version of tuna casserole is just as easy but I don't use canned soup. Instead I make a creamy sauce which is a buttery blend of onions, cream, milk, nutmeg, garlic powder and thyme.
The sauce takes just minutes to make and tastes incredible. So worth the extra few minutes of stirring on the stove. It's creamy, savory, and cheesy.
This mini tuna casserole has all the flavors I've always loved in a tuna casserole, including a crisp buttery topping.
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Ingredients
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- elbow macaroni
- butter
- chopped onions
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- black pepper
- nutmeg
- dried thyme
- garlic powder
- milk
- heavy cream
- lemon juice
- cheddar cheese
- parmesan cheese
- canned tuna
- bread crumbs
See ways to use leftover ingredients below.
How To Make Tuna Casserole For One
- Make the sauce.
- Pour the sauce into a large bowl and stir in a can of drained tuna and 1 cup of cooked noodles.
- Spoon the tuna and noodle mixture into a small baking dish such as a ramekin, top it with bread crumbs and melted butter, then bake it for 20 minutes.
What To Serve With Tuna Casserole
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients left over from this tuna casserole recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Onions: French Onion Soup, Guacamole, Chicken Fajitas, Goulash
- Nutmeg: Alfredo Sauce, Apple Galette, Donut Holes, Eggnog
- Thyme: Irish Stew, Seafood Gumbo, Meatloaf, Chicken Tenders
- Cream: Vanilla Ice Cream, Icebox Cake, Strawberry Shortcake
- Lemon juice: Lemon Bars, Lemon Curd, Lemon Scones, Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Cheddar cheese: Macaroni and Cheese, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Beer Bread
- Parmesan cheese: Parmesan Crisps, Eggplant Parmesan, Garlic Smashed Potatoes
- Breadcrumbs: Giant Italian Meatball, Turkey Meatballs, Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
I use a 2-cup ramekin or a 5-inch oven safe baking dish for this tuna casserole recipe. For best results, use a baking dish of a similar size.
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
Examples of the dishes I use at One Dish Kitchen can be found on our Store page.
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (1 cup cooked)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1/4 cup chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 5 ounce can tuna , drained
- 1 1/2 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon salted butter , melted
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Spray the inside of an oven safe ramekin or small baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan set to medium heat. Add the onions and stir until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, thyme, and garlic powder to the pot and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the milk, cream, and lemon juice and simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in cheeses.
- Put the tuna in a large bowl, stir in the sauce and the cooked pasta. Mix well.
- Pour into the prepared ramekin.
- In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and the melted butter. Sprinkle over top of tuna casserole.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until topping is golden.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I usually use egg noodles but the elbows were a nice twist. I also enjoyed the flavor of the sauce. i added mushrooms towards the end in with the tuna, sauce, and pasta. I really liked this recipe. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the tuna casserole, Suzanne. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Instead of noodles, I use 1 cup of cooked brown rice. It works well and adds a slightly chewy texture to the casserole. Delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for your feedback.
Tried this recipe didn’t change a thing. This is winner winner tuna di ner. I love all your recipes I have tried. I can get two meals out of each recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the tuna casserole. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Made this yesterday for hubby. He finished it off today. He said it was really good. I had to modify it some but, hey, couldn’t be all that bad since it’s all gone right?! One of the modifications was cooking it all in a small cast iron skillet. From start to finish. I was surprised that it fit in my Nu Wave oven but happy it did😃. I am sooo happy to find you & your recipes. Hopefully there will be fewer leftovers now. 💛
I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed the tuna casserole. Thank you so much for your feedback.
I follow you on Pinterest and was wondering if you could use frozen tuna in this recipe. I’ve made several of your recipes & enjoy them being single doesn’t need to be boring ty.
Gloria, Although I haven’t used frozen I don’t see why there would be any problem with using it. Just be sure to thaw and drain out any water that remains.
I think I’ll try this tonight after my zoom meeting. I’ll probably use egg noodles though…not a big fan of elbow Mac.
I am going to make this today. Sounds yummy.