Barefoot Contessa Tuna Casserole Recipe (2024)

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Tuna casserole is a very popular dish, and it’s easy to whip up. It has a creamy texture and a delicious flavor, so you can serve it as a side dish or a main course. You can use it to serve guests as well. Tuna casserole is a delicious comfort dish. You can make it with fresh tuna or salmon, but if you want to add some extra flavor you can use tuna steak instead, as well. This is a simple dish to put together, but don’t expect it to be perfect or to look pretty.

Today I am going to share with you a barefoot contessa tuna casserole recipe that is extremely delicious. It’s a healthy recipe, with a very delicious taste. The best part about this dish is that it’s quick to make and easy to prepare. This recipe is also great for entertaining because it has a very substantial flavor. If you love tuna, you’ll love this dish. This is the best recipe for you.

The cold weather is here and I can’t wait for spring. That means it’s time for a big meal. I thought about cooking something light, but I decided to go with a tuna casserole. Everyone loves turkey and I’m sure you’re leaving with a big smile on your face. When you’re looking to make tuna casserole, you need some ingredients, so follow along and learn how to make this tasty meal.

How To Make Barefoot Contessa Tuna Casserole

Barefoot Contessa Tuna Casserole is a classic dish that is loved by many. Tuna casserole is one of those foods that seems as if it could be incredibly easy to make but ultimately is incredibly hard to pull off. I don’t even know how it’s possible to eat this dish every single day, because it is so tasty and easy to make. A bowl of tuna casserole is one of those comforting meals that you can eat whenever you feel like it; certainly not a bad thing.

This delicious casserole is perfect for lunches or dinners. Filled with fresh ingredients and topped with a creamy sauce, this casserole is a great choice for any time of the day. It’s a staple in many national cuisines, and it’s one of the easiest fish dishes to prepare, especially because you can use store-bought cans in place of the fresh tuna. Despite its simplicity, it’s a tasty dish, and it will taste even better the second time you make it, making it another step towards bettering your cooking skills. Give it a try today!

Ingredients

  • Solid light tuna, 2 cans (6 oz each)
  • Tubetti or elbow macaroni, 3/4 pound
  • Panko, 1 cup
  • Parmesan (grated), 1/2 ounce
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, 4 teaspoons
  • 1 yellow onion (finely diced)
  • All-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons
  • Chicken broth (low-sodium), 2 1/2 cups
  • Whole milk, 1 1/2 cups
  • Water (drained and flaked)
  • Frozen peas (thawed), 1 cup
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare pasta according to package directions, but cook it for two minutes less. Drain and set aside the cooked pasta.

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine panko, Parmesan, and 2 teaspoons of oil.

Step 3

In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Then add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 8 minutes, until soft.

Step 4

Coat the onion in flour and whisk it well. Slowly pour in the milk and broth while whisking. Bring the sauce to a boil while stirring continuously.

Step 5

As the sauce simmers, stir frequently until it has thickened. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 6

Toss pasta with tuna and peas, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Furthermore, you can also add seasonings like dry herbs, rosemary, etc.

Step 7

Fill a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish with the tuna mixture. Add the panko mixture on top. Be sure the dish is completely covered with panko.

Step 8

Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the crust is golden and lightly browned.

Step 9

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

In Closing

We hope you enjoyed this recipe for Barefoot Contessa tuna casserole. Tuna casserole is one of the classic American comfort foods. It is easy to make and provides a great meal for a busy weeknight. We would love to hear what you thought of it, so please leave us a review or comment below. We hope you take a moment to check out our other recipes to find something you will love.

More Amazing Barefoot Contessa Copycat Recipes

  • Barefoot Contessa Banana Bread Recipe
  • Cream of Asparagus Soup Barefoot Contessa
  • Barefoot Contessa Sirloin Tip Roast Recipe

Barefoot Contessa Tuna Casserole Recipe

Cuisine: American

Cuisine type: Dinner

Servings: 6 Servings

Preparation time: 30 Minutes

Cooking time: 30 Minutes

Total time: 1 Hour

Barefoot Contessa Tuna Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my tuna casserole so dry? ›

Tuna casserole can become dry due to overbaking or using an insufficient amount of sauce.

How do you moisten leftover tuna casserole? ›

Alternatively, Foods Guy recommends adding a splash of water or chicken stock to your casserole and covering it with plastic wrap before microwaving, which will add new moisture and lock in the steam, ensuring a perfectly moist reheated tuna casserole.

What is tuna casserole made of? ›

Just stir tuna, cooked noodles, cream of mushroom soup and a few other pantry items in a baking dish, sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs and pop it into the oven.

How do you add moisture to a dry casserole? ›

If you've already cooked your casserole and find out it's too dry, another easy fix is to warm some broth and then pour it over the top of your casserole. Cover the dish with aluminum foil to prevent the liquid from evaporating and wait for 10 minutes or so before serving.

How do you keep a casserole moist? ›

Covering a casserole helps the dish cook evenly, stay moist, and prevents burning. Uncovering helps with browning, crisping and allowing for steam to release.

How do you fix a casserole that is too dry? ›

Water will 'dilute' the overall flavor of the dish. But if you use stock - well, that just enhances the flavor. Give it a try. However, in a nutshell, if you want a casserole to be less dry, you need to add more liquid.

Can I eat tuna casserole that was left out overnight? ›

If you reheat food that was forgotten on the counter overnight or was left out all day, will it be safe to eat? TWO HOURS is the MAXIMUM time perishable foods should be at room temperature (ONE HOUR at temperatures 90 degrees F and higher). This INCLUDES the time they're on the table during your meal.

How do you thicken tuna casserole? ›

Make a cornstarch slurry for a fast and easy thickener.

Use one tablespoon of cornstarch per cup of liquid you would like to thicken. Stir out all the lumps. A few minutes before your casserole is done, add it a little at a time until you are happy with the thickness. Then, let the casserole finish baking.

How do you add moisture to tuna? ›

Add a little moisture to the mix

Mayonnaise is, by far, the most popular addition. But if you're averse to the white and creamy condiment or don't have it in your fridge, here are some other great options that add moisture and make tuna palatable: Oil.

Should you cook canned tuna? ›

Can you cook canned tuna? Canned tuna is actually already cooked before it's canned, so technically, you can eat it straight from the can if you want. However, you can add canned tuna to a dish that you're cooking to add some healthy protein. For instance, you can add canned tuna to a pot of mac and cheese.

Why do people put mayo in tuna? ›

According to The Kitchn, one of the main reasons to use mayo is that it can prevent fish (like tuna) from sticking to the grill, which as anyone who has ever grilled fish knows is one of the main risks with grilling fish. You need some kind of fat to coat the fish when grilling, and many people use oil.

Why doesn't canned tuna need to be cooked? ›

Once the cans are filled and sealed, they also undergo processing, which the USDA explains is the method by which commercially canned goods are heated to 250 degrees Fahrenheit to destroy harmful microorganisms. From there, the vacuum seal prevents new bacteria from forming.

What is the key to making a good casserole? ›

  1. Choose the right baking dish. If you're all about the crunchy topping, use a shallow dish. ...
  2. Undercook your pasta. ...
  3. Drain your meat. ...
  4. Beware of mushy vegetables. ...
  5. Know your cheeses. ...
  6. Master the art of casserole assembly. ...
  7. Don't skip the topping. ...
  8. Make it now, but bake it later.
Nov 1, 2021

How long should a casserole be cooked for? ›

The time a casserole takes to cook will vary from 2-2½ hours for chuck, blade and thick flank, up to 4 hours for shin, leg and neck. Pork cuts for braising and casseroling normally take 1½ hours, and lamb much the same.

What happens if you add wet ingredients to dry? ›

But for baked goods made from drier doughs, like yeast breads, biscuits, scones, quick breads, and muffins, the order was crucial. When we added the wet ingredients to the dry ones, we got pockets of flour and a messy, crusted mixing bowl. Mixing the dry ingredients into the wet was far more successful.

What can I add to tuna to make it less dry? ›

Add a little moisture to the mix

Unless your tuna comes in a pouch, chances are high that it's preserved in water and in a can. Once water is removed from a meat that's already dry on its own, the result is a sinewy and unappetizing protein surrounded by aluminum. Mayonnaise is, by far, the most popular addition.

Why is my casserole dry? ›

Probably 2 things: you're not using enough sauce, and you're baking it uncovered. Possibly the sauce you're using is too dry as well.

Why is my tuna mayo dry? ›

To prevent your tuna salad from being dry, you'll need to stir in at least one tablespoon mayo per one (5-ounce) can of tuna. After mixing in the rest of your ingredients, taste the salad. If you want it creamier, stir in another tablespoon or two of mayo. A squeeze of lemon juice also adds moisture.

Why tuna meat is dry? ›

Like all fish, however, the connective tissues in tuna are much easier to break down by cooking than those of beef. That means it is much easier to cook a tuna steak into a dry, crumbly mess than beef.

References

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