This easy Cheesy Macaroni Tuna Casserole is made with the simplest ingredients and is perfect for any weeknight meal! This comforting and reliable classic will leave everyone wanting more of the rich and creamy taste! And to all my gluten free friends, I’ve provided you a gluten free version of this classic dish! Bon Appétit!
If you’re a fan of macaroni and cheese, then you’re going to love this recipe! But if you’re gluten free and you don’t like the taste of those powdery gluten free boxes of macaroni and cheese, then you are going to love me because in this post, I tell you how to make the BEST gluten free version of macaroni and cheese and I promise you, no one would EVER know it was gluten free!
My mom used to make this Cheesy Macaroni Tuna Casserole for me and my sister when we were kids. I loved it then and I love it now. It’s so delish and I never get bored with this recipe! It’s such a classic…let me tell you. My kids are approaching 8 and 10 years old and I’ve made them many things to eat in their lifetime, but I’ve never stopped to make them my mom’s famous Cheesy Macaroni Tuna Casserole. Well, wait no more…I made this classic macaroni dish for them last weekend and they loved it!
My son is going through this weird stage where he only wants to eat PB&Js and hamburgers. He doesn’t want to eat anything else. I was really nervous that he wouldn’t like this casserole dish because it’s not just macaroni and cheese; this macaroni dish contains other ingredients like peas, tuna, mayonnaise and onion. When I was a kid and I saw what my mom put in this casserole dish, I wanted nothing to do with it…until I tasted it. And from there, I was just fine with the ingredients.
Both of my kids love to cook but it’s not often that I let them help me make dinner because typically I’m in a hurry or I want to be super creative and they can’t help. But I decided to ask my son if he wanted to help me make this casserole. He was all over the idea and couldn’t wait to help! I mean, it was worth a shot if it meant he would actually eat this wonderful and creamy Cheesy Macaroni Tuna Casserole. My theory was if he actually sees what ingredients go into the casserole, he might actually eat it.
I cooked the macaroni and cheese on the stove and after I drained the noodles, he poured the cheese on top. I used Velveeta Shells and Cheese because that’s what my mom used and it’s AMAZING in this dish if you are not gluten free. But if you are gluten free, you will need to use a gluten free macaroni and cheese. My absolute favorite way to make this recipe is to buy gluten free shells and cook them on the stove top according to the package directions. From there, you can buy the single packets of velveeta cheese sauce and combine.
Ok, let’s talk about the best tasting gluten free macaroni and cheese you’ll ever have. This little secret is so easy! Velveeta cheese sauce is gluten free! I just LOVE the taste of Velveeta cheese! And when you mix the Velveeta cheese sauce with Barilla’s gluten free macaroni noodles, your taste buds won’t know you are eating gluten free macaroni and cheese!
Ok, back to my little guy making this casserole. Next, my son mixed together the cheese and the noodles. You should have seen the smile on his face. He was having so much fun making this casserole dish! I thought he would take the spoon and take a big bite of the macaroni and cheese but he didn’t. He was perfectly content with stirring.
Next, I had him pour the macaroni and cheese into a big bowl. From there, he added in the chopped onions, green peas, can of tuna and mayonnaise. At this point he still had a smile on his face despite putting in these ingredients he typically wouldn’t eat unless I made him. So far so good….I’m winning here…
He stirred all the ingredients together and made sure it was mixed well. Once everything was mixed, I helped him pour the ingredients into my Rockcrok. If you don’t have a Rockcrok (made by Pampered Chef), then you can use a pyrex casserole dish. Let this yummy casserole cook for 20-30 minutes and you will then have yourself an amazing dinner that everyone will enjoy!
When my son’s casserole was done, I helped him pull it out of the oven. My son asked me if he could put some fresh parsley on top of the casserole because he thought that the fresh parsley would go well with the green peas. So we chopped up some parsley and sprinkled it on top. We served the casserole with this Romaine Salad, sat down and ate a little meal together. It was great quality time with my little man! I cherish these moments so much!
As we were sitting there eating, I was really hoping he’d love the dish he made. He loved it! He asked me where I got the recipe. I told him Nee (that’s what they call my mom) used to make this for me and my sister when we were kids. He asked if I’d start making this Cheesy Macaroni Tuna Casserole for him and his sister and I said absolutely! It’s now officially a family recipe!
Happy eats on this one you guys! You’re family is going to love this one!
Cheesy Macaroni Tuna Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 box Velveeta Shells and Cheese (See note section for a gluten free version)
- 1 can tuna, in water
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 2 Tablespoons chopped onion
- 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- Follow the directions on the package of the Velveeta macaroni and cheese. Once done, drain the water and place cooked macaroni noodles in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the velveeta cheese sauce and stir well.
- Open the can of tuna and completely drain all the water from the can.
- Combine the tuna, peas, onion and mayonnaise on top of the Velveeta macaroni and cheese. Stir well until all ingredients are mixed well. Add in a dash of salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the casserole mixture into an oven safe casserole dish and cover with a lid or with aluminum foil.
- Cooked covered for 30 minutes and then remove from the oven once done. Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
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My mom used to make this for us ALL THE TIME. I haven’t even thought about tuna mac-n-cheese for years. This looks simply delightful. Typically, when we are going to use pasta in our house (which isn’t very often), I like the quinoa based pasta which is really difficult to tell from the real thing. I had no idea you could buy velveeta cheese packets either- great tip on a great recipe.
Thanks! Yes – it’s amazing that this dish can be made gluten free and still taste like the original. You should make it! I loved this as a kiddo!
What size can of tuna?
5ounce can of StarKist Tuna. After you drain the tune, it will be about 4 ounces of tuna.