This is the best Tuna Casserole recipe! 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.
My mom made her tuna casserole with canned cream of mushroom soup, a few of cans of tuna, and noodles.
My favorite part of the casserole was the buttery bread crumb topping which I would pick off and eat first.
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Tuna Noodle Casserole
Flash forward about 25 years and I have to say my tuna casseroles have come a long way.
Forget the canned soup, I make my own sauce which is a buttery blend of onions, cream, milk, nutmeg, garlic powder, and thyme.
The sauce takes just minutes to make and it 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 the crisp buttery topping.
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Ingredients In Tuna Casserole
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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Tuna Casserole Recipe for One
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (1 cup cooked)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup onions , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon 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 cheddar cheese , shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese , grated
- 5 ounce can tuna , drained
- 1 1/2 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon 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 from an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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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.