Creamilicious Not Tuna Casserole

Craving for some casserole? But you don’t want to use tuna? Then this recipe is perfect for you.

This hearty casserole calls for super creamy vegan noodle casserole that showcases all the yummy parts of a tuna casserole but without the stinky fish. Just use hearts of palm for tuna, but you can also use chickpeas as a substitute because it would substitute nicely.

Perfect for comfort food night. There’s a no-nut option as well.

This recipe is a healthy version of a tuna casserole. The combination of ingredients used really works for each other. It is packed with flavors that are into everyone’s taste. It’s full of flavor that whoever has a taste of it will surely come back for more of it.

This recipe will be added to your favorites to eat. It is a total comfort food for you and for your loved ones. It was then that this recipe would turn your world upside down.

The ultimate comfort food made just for you and your loved ones!

Not Tuna Casserole

Nicole Kearsley

Super creamy vegan noodle casserole showcases all the yummy parts of tuna casserole but without the stinky fish. I used hearts of palm for the tuna but chickpeas would substitute nicely. Vegan eggless ribbons are available at Walmart and taste exactly the same as egg noodles, making them worth a special trip to buy. So yum.

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Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Vegan

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 14 ounces Hearts of Palm drained
• 1 teaspoon Dulse Flakes or ground nori sheet
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Vegan Butter
• 1 piece Onion chopped
• 2 pieces Ribs Celery chopped
• 2 pieces Cloves Garlic minced
• ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 ¼ cups Mushroom Broth (Better Than Bouillon)
• ¾ cup Plain non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
• 4 ounces Mushrooms drained
• 6 ounces Egg Free Noodles (Walmart brand)
• 1 cup Frozen Peas
• 1 cup Vegan Cheddar Cheese shredded
• ½ cup Crushed Potato Chips crackers or panko crumbs

Instructions

 

• Chop hearts of palm then mix together with Dulse flakes, Old Bay seasoning and lemon juice and coarsely mash with a fork. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook egg noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside. * I added 1 Tbsp vegan butter to noodles to keep from sticking.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and vegan butter. Once melted, sauté onion, celery and garlic for 7 to 8 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Stir in flour, and continue to cook for 1 minute. Slowly Wisk in broth and milk, and continue to cook, stirring continuously, for 3 to 4 minutes, until sauce thickens. *heated broth & milk works best.
• Stir in nutritional yeast and continue to stir until dissolved. Add mushrooms and frozen peas and continue to cook until heated through, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir in noodles, hearts of palm mixture and 1/2 cup cheese. Transfer to greased 2-quart baking dish.
• Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle crushed chips/crackers/panko crumbs over casserole. Bake uncovered 20 minutes.

Notes

NO RULES: You can easily adapt this with different vegetables, swap the tuna for chickpea, or even use whole wheat noodles. There are no rules to cooking, just have fun with it!

MAKE AHEAD: Prepare everything up to the point of baking. Once you’ve combined everything with the exception of the Cheddar cheese, transfer to a freezer bag or freezer safe container. When you’re ready to serve the not tuna casserole, defrost the mixture in the refrigerator overnight, top with Cheddar cheese and and bake.

FREEZING: To do so you’ll want to flash-freeze the leftovers for a few hours in the original baking dish, then when it’s solid, remove it from the pan, place it in a freezer bag, and return it to the freezer. To cook, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat.

Keyword plant based, vegan