Gluten-Free Tuna Casserole Recipe

Gluten-Free Tuna Casserole Recipe made from scratch. This gluten-free pasta dish is made with fresh ingredients and takes just minutes to whip up…gluten-free noodles baked with tuna in a freshly made creamy mushrooms sauce, cheese, peas, celery and fresh herbs. The crispy topping is a mix of potato chips and cheddar cheese. This tuna casserole is loved even by the pickiest eaters.

What’s not to love about this tuna casserole?

Any dish made with noodles is always popular. Add creamy mushroom sauce, cheese, veggies, chunks of tuna and the crispiest cheesy topping, and you have a winner. So much goodness in one pasta dish!

Let’s jump straight into the details…

Who doesn’t love casseroles? They are super easy to put together, and you can easily feed a family with big appetites. 

Start with the creamy mushroom sauce…

This tuna casserole is all about the freshly made mushroom sauce. The creamy sauce is super easy. First, sauté the veggies in butter. The veggies in this gluten-free pasta dish are onions, garlic, celery, mushrooms and peas. Once the veggies start to soften, add thyme, broth and peas. Cook very briefly; this will infuse the sauce with flavour.

Next, to make the sauce thick and creamy, mix the cream with tapioca flour, also called starch and add it to the sauce. Cook everything just until the sauce starts to thicken. At this point, season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble…

While the sauce is cooking, cook the gluten-free pasta according to package directions keeping the pasta al dente. I like to slightly undercook the pasta because the pasta will continue cooking while the casserole is baking.

The sauce is ready, and the pasta is cooked. All you have to do is mix the pasta with the sauce, add the tuna, some cheese, and fresh parsley. Then, transfer the creamy pasta mixture into a casserole dish.

The crispy cheese topping…

I wanted something different besides gluten-free bread crumbs for the topping. I used crushed potato chips and a sprinkle of cheese. The topping sets this tuna casserole dish apart from most. The potato chips make to topping extra crispy with oozing melted cheese all over. YUM!

Substitutions….

This gluten-free tuna casserole is super versatile. You can replace the tuna with cooked chicken or chunks of ham. If you don’t like peas, add carrots or artichokes. And you can make the topping with gluten-free bread crumbs combined with butter and herbs.

Why are casseroles so popular?

The obvious reason, they are super easy to put together. Typically you will need a sauce, some veggies, noodles, meat and cheese. Mix everything and bake. Sounds easy? It is.  

This gluten-free casserole can be made vegetarian. To keep it vegetarian, I like to add artichoke hearts and chopped spinach to replace the tuna. So so good!

You can make casseroles in advance. For example, prepare this gluten-free tuna casserole the night before. Once you mix the noodles with the sauce, tuna and cheese, place it in the fridge until you are ready to pop it in the oven. You should add the topping just before baking to keep it crispy.

And lastly, casseroles are usually budget-friendly, and you can feed a crowd with minimal effort. I often add a light salad such as the healthy Avocado and Black Beans Salad to add freshness and healthiness.

Are you looking for easy gluten-free dinner recipes? Check out our collection of gluten-free casserole dishes for easy gluten-free weeknight meals.