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Craving comfort food that’s easy to make and proportioned just for you? Look no further than this single serving Tuna Casserole. Infused with a homemade creamy sauce, small-shaped pasta, and a crispy, buttery topping, this dish has all the elements you’d want in a comfort meal. Cooked in a small baking dish, it’s the perfect solution for satisfying that comfort food itch without any waste.
Enjoy a classic tuna casserole accompanied by aromatic roasted Brussels sprouts, a vibrant and fresh tomato salad, and buttery cornbread.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Tuna Casserole Recipe
- Ease of Preparation: All you need are simple ingredients and a small baking dish.
- No Waste: Designed for one serving, this recipe eliminates leftovers.
- Customizable: Easily swap out ingredients based on dietary needs or what you have on hand.
- Flavorful: The homemade creamy sauce packs a punch, elevating the entire dish.
- Quick: From start to finish, you’re looking at less than 45 minutes.
- Tuna Casserole For Two?: No worries, just double the ingredient amounts.
What Is A Tuna Casserole?
Tuna Casserole is a classic American dish often made with canned tuna, noodles, and canned cream of mushroom soup. In this easy single serving variation, I skip the canned soup in favor of a homemade creamy sauce that takes only minutes to prepare. You’ll experience layers of creamy, savory, and cheesy flavors topped with a crisp, buttery topping.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy tuna casserole recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Pasta: This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of dried elbow macaroni, which expands to about 1 cup when cooked. For a gluten-free alternative, consider using a gluten-free macaroni. If you’ve got leftover pasta, consider using it in a Macaroni Salad, Chili Mac, or Goulash.
- Butter: Salted butter serves multiple purposes: it cooks the onions and forms the roux for the sauce. Plus, you’ll use some melted for that crave-worthy crispy topping. Unsalted butter also works, but you might want to adjust the salt level.
- Onions: A 1/4 cup of chopped onions adds depth and aroma. Shallots or green onions are good substitutes if you prefer a milder flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour acts as a thickening agent for the sauce. For a gluten-free version, a 1:1 gluten-free flour can be used.
- Seasonings: The recipe incorporates dried thyme, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper for flavor. These can be adjusted to personal preference or swapped with similar herbs.
- Milk: Any percentage of cow’s milk will do, from skim to whole. Plant-based milk like almond or oat can be used for a dairy-free option.
- Heavy cream: This contributes to both the thickness and richness of the sauce. Half-and-half or a plant-based cream can be used as a lighter alternative. We use heavy cream in many of our single serving and small batch recipes like Fettuccine Alfredo and Chicken Divan.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice works fine. This adds a subtle tanginess that balances the creaminess.
- Cheese: Freshly shredded cheddar and freshly grated Parmesan cheese give the best melting texture and flavor. Pre-shredded cheese tends to have anti-caking agents, so it’s better to shred your own. Got extra Parmesan and cheddar? Use them both in a Squash Casserole, Bacon, Egg and Cheese Cup, and Twice Baked Eggplant.
- Canned tuna: Drain the water or oil thoroughly to avoid a watery casserole. For a twist, canned salmon or even shredded chicken can be used.
- Breadcrumbs: Store-bought or homemade breadcrumbs will create that irresistible crispy topping. Panko breadcrumbs can add an extra crunch if you prefer.
RELATED: Best Soup Recipes For One
Expert Tips
- Pasta Choices: While I use small elbow macaroni, feel free to swap it out. Small-shaped pasta like penne or fusilli works well, and you can go for regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free varieties to suit your dietary needs.
- Veggie Boost: If you enjoy a touch of green in your casserole, toss in 1/2 cup of frozen peas while the sauce simmers. It’s an easy way to add color and nutrients.
- Cheese Variations: While sharp cheddar is my go-to, consider mixing it up with smoked Gruyère, fontina, or sharp white cheddar for a unique twist on flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely, you can easily double the ingredients to make two separate casseroles. Split the mixture between two 2-cup ramekins or use a larger oven-safe dish to accommodate both servings.
For this individual tuna casserole, I recommend using either a 2-cup ramekin or a 5×5 inch oven-safe baking dish. To achieve the best results, stick to a dish that’s around the same size.
For further details on the types of cooking and baking dishes optimal for single-serving recipes, feel free to check our FAQ page.
Yes, canned salmon works well too.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this mini tuna casserole recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
RELATED: 15 Easy Single Serving Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried this old-fashioned tuna noodle casserole recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Tuna Casserole For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked elbow macaroni (1 cup cooked)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 5 ounce can tuna , drained
- 1 ½ 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.
Notes
- Pasta Choices: While I use small elbow macaroni, feel free to swap it out. Small-shaped pasta like penne or fusilli works well, and you can go for regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free varieties to suit your dietary needs.
- Veggie Boost: If you enjoy a touch of green in your casserole, toss in 1/2 cup of frozen peas while the sauce simmers. It’s an easy way to add color and nutrients.
- Cheese Variations: While sharp cheddar is my go-to, consider mixing it up with smoked Gruyère, fontina, or sharp white cheddar for a unique twist on flavor.
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.
Made this exactly as written, best tuna caserole i have ever tasted, my mom would have loved this recipe. I served it with bread and butter just like mom. Thanks Joanie!
I was so psyched to try this. I use many recipes here. Saw the calorie count and had to beg off. Trying to figure a way to get it down to about the 500 range. Thinking about cutting back on the cream and butter. The other option is to go slightly large and divide the portion in half. BTW I have your cookbook and use it at least twice a week!
Hi Lonnie, I’m so glad you are enjoying our cookbook. Tuna casserole is typically not a low-calorie dish. The calories in this casserole mostly come from the heavy cream, cheeses, and bread crumbs (and also pasta). Instead of using cream, use milk or half and half instead. The sauce will not be thick if milk is used instead of cream but it will still be tasty. Consider using less cheese and leave off or use less of the bread crumbs and this will bring the calorie count down.
I love this website and use it often. The other night I made this tuna casserole and I have to tell you – I have made it often with cream of mushroom soup… but this time I followed your directions and it.was.perfect!!! Thank you so much for downsizing these recipes!!!
Made this tonight and it was delicious. I used 2%milk and half and half, but I think it would be fine without the half and half. Next time, I’ll add the peas, but I didn’t have any. It’s really enough for two meals, especially if I use the peas. I love tuna casserole, but not for days on end, so this is perfect. I’ll have the remainder for lunch tomorrow.
Delicious! No need for canned soup when you can make the easy and flavorful sauce in this recipe (the nutmeg is a nice addition). I added green peas, and used panko crumbs which made a crunchy topping.
I love this recipe! It makes two reasonable size portions if served with veggies or a salad.
After a few years of eating left over tuna casserole for days on end, this recipe is perfect, yummy, and so easy to make!!
Thanks Joanie!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
This casserole is in my oven right now. I can’t wait to dig in. Thank you Joanie for making it easy for me to enjoy one of my favorites.
Good and easy comfort meal. I must admit (because I almost always tweak recipes) I replaced the cream with cream cheese, otherwise followed exactly it came out great. Salad on the side made a complete meal.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the tuna casserole, Jeanne. Thank you for your feedback.
This was delicious! I made it exactly as printed. It will make two meals for me. I forgot the peas until too late. I will add those next time! Thanks again, Joanie!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the tuna casserole, Donna. Thank you so much for your feedback.
I said this before, but this sauce would be fantastic on anything. I made the recipe again today. I made a few minor modifications just to simplify, but with the same ingredients/flavors. It still came out delicious.
Good. 😊 Made a couple of minor changes.A couple of tablespoons of diced red pepper, no nutmeg (though generally I like it fine), crushed potato chips rather than panko as I wanted to use them up & Gruyere cheese both in and on.
Also maybe 1/4 cup frozen peas. Made the onion & red pepper and then sauce in the micro. Then added noodles (I used) gruyere cheese, and tuna.
Was fine/good and more than enough for one. Ne t time I would put a few sliced green olives under the cheese on the potato chips and perhaps add a tablespoon of diced celery with the onion/ red pepper mixture.
All in all great! Thanks