Name: Tuna Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 5-ounce can solid albacore tuna ((Note 1)); 6 cups small broccoli florets ((Note 2)); 1.75 cups shredded cheddar cheese ((Note 3)); 1 cup frozen green peas; 1 cup ranch dressing ((store-bought or homemade dressing)); 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese ((Note 4))

Summary:

This is a simple 6-ingredient recipe for a low carb tuna casserole with broccoli, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing. It has a creamy and cheesy texture, with a distinct but not overpowering tuna taste.

Tuna Casserole

4.7 from 19 votes

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Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

▢ 5-ounce can solid albacore tuna (Note 1)
▢ 6 cups small broccoli florets (Note 2)
▢ 1.75 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Note 3)
▢ 1 cup frozen green peas
▢ 1 cup ranch dressing (store-bought or homemade dressing)
▢ 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (Note 4)

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare: Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut any broccoli florets larger than 2 inches into smaller pieces, and add all broccoli to large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until tender, about 5 minutes, then drain and steam out on paper towels. Drain can of tuna, then pat surface dry with paper towels. Flake tuna with fork until there are no large chunks.
Assemble Casserole: Directly in 8×8 inch baking dish (Note 5), add broccoli, tuna, peas, ranch dressing, and half of cheddar cheese, carefully stirring together until well-mixed. Evenly top with remaining cheddar cheese, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Bake & Cool: Bake at 375 F until heated through and starting to brown on top, about 25 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes until bubbling subsides before cutting. Serve (Note 6).

NUTRITION

Makes 4 Servings

Amount Per Serving:

Calories 510 (75% from fat)
Total Fat 42g	65%
Saturated Fat 13g	64%
Cholesterol 59mg	20%
Sodium 1240mg	52%
Net Carb 6g
Total Carb 9.5g	3%
Dietary Fiber 3.5g	15%
Sugars 4.5g
Protein 23g

Vitamin A 61% · Vitamin C 136% · Calcium 41% · Iron 7%

PHOTOS

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Tuna. I use water-packed solid albacore tuna, typically packaged in a standard 5-ounce can. Don’t like tuna? You can use other canned meat like salmon. Remove any bones, and follow the recipe instructions by draining and flaking the meat before adding it to the casserole.

(2) Broccoli Florets. About 12 ounces raw weight. You can cut florets from a head of broccoli, or you can buy a bag of pre-cut florets located in the refrigerated produce section of many U.S. grocery stores. I recommend cutting the florets into smaller pieces (no larger than 2 inches) so that they cook quickly and are more likely to be evenly distributed in the casserole. I use fresh florets, but frozen should be fine — you may need to cook them longer in the microwave and thoroughly drain to remove moisture.

(3) Cheddar Cheese. About 6 ounces weight. I like the bright yellow color that cheddar brings to this casserole, but you can substitute with any kind of shredded soft cheese that melts easily, like shredded mozzarella, pepper jack, or provolone.

(4) Parmesan Cheese. This is finely grated parmesan that has a sandy or almost powdery texture (not shredded), available in pre-grated bags in the refrigerated section of U.S. grocery stores. This can be substituted with similar cheeses like pecorino romano or asiago.

(5) Baking Dish. I use a glass 8×8-inch baking dish and do not grease or line. If you use a metal pan, your baking time may be different from mine since glass transfers heat differently than metal.

(6) Serving / Leftovers. This recipe yields one 8×8 inch casserole, which is divided into four servings. Each serving is a dinner-sized portion, and can be topped with sour cream or avocado. Enjoy it alongside other low carb dishes like cauliflower mac-and-cheese, roasted vegetables, or mashed turnips. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They reheat well in the microwave and in the oven.

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Luie

Made this a couple of times since I love tuna casseroles but needed an alternative to rice and noodles. I have added more veggies when I have extra, and sometimes use different cheeses. Oh, and I’ve made small portions of it in the microwave and it’s very yummy.

Christine

I added celery, onions and frozen peas and carrots and 4 small cans of tuna. . For cheeses I used mozzarella and cheddar with bottled ranch dressing. Soooo very delicious! Definitely a remake. Thank you for your recipe.

Jo-Anne Macleod

Are Peas Keto friendly though?

Julia

All ingredients, including peas, are included in the nutrition estimate. With 6g net carbs per serving, I would definitely consider it to be keto friendly.

Heather Carter

If you’re worried about it, or want to reduce the carbs a bit more, substitute frozen shelled edamame for the peas! I did that because I had them on hand, and it was perfect!

Ann

Peas are not permitted on my stricter Keto program. I will probably substitute celery or mushrooms for the peas. I only eat a maximum of 20 gross not net carbs per day.

Including the peas, each serving of this recipe is 6 g net carbs. Would that not fit into your 20 g max limit?

Mark

This was outstanding.

E J R

This recipe made the best tasting cauliflower tuna casserole. I used fresh cauliflower, added diced onion and celery and followed the recipe instructions as given. Tastes better second day. Thanks Julia we will have this again!

LisaM

Well it’s not exactly tuna casserole satisfying but it’s so simple to make and hits the spot as a low carb meal option. I’m making it again, right now so it’s a keeper!

Jen

I didn’t have mayo for Tuna sandwiches and didn’t have noodles for Tuna casserole so I gave this a go. I loved it! I added more veggies to mine, Cauliflower, onions and shredded carrots and used a can of cream of chicken soup along with ranch dressing and served with a side of my fresh baked Sourdough bread (since we’re not actually doing keto) it was so good. Even my 3 year old loved it and asked for 2nds!

LB Snow

Simple, quick, and tasty. My favorite combination! Only change was added chopped mushrooms just to use them up.

Tracy

Made it tonight, was super delightful. Will make again for sure!

Kathy

Enjoyed the taste. No way this is four servings though. My husband and I ate it all. Adding some whole grain noodles next time. Going more plant-based rather than Keto.

patience

quinoa or brown rice would be more “plant based”. I also think this this would be great with riced broccoli and cauliflower for us keto peeps.

Linda

Made this tonight. It was delicious! Better than I expected for a tuna casserole.

Kaitlynn

Made it a few times now and each time I do something slightly different. It’s fantastic as written and fantastic doctored up with whatever you have on hand. I have started doubling or even tripling the recipe so we have plenty of leftovers!

Sarah

This was wonderful and easy. It’s definitely going into my regular rotation. I doubled the tuna and used cauliflower instead of broccoli but left everything else the same. Thanks for this!

Teresa

Very good recipe! I didn’t use peas but did add diced onions and carrots (1.5 cups), and was short on ranch dressing so used 1.5 cups ranch + .5cup mayo.

Sue Rawson

So simple and so good. I made the fantastic homemade ranch dressing. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Added some hot sauce on top. Yum.

Tammy

Husband loved this. Super easy and delish.

Louise

This is so delicious, easy to make- love it. And I am not a fan of broccoli! Will make this again for sure! Thank you for sharing your recipes. 🙂 I love getting them each week in my email.

Peter Beckles

Liked this for its simplicity.

Dawn

Delicious and simple!

Bernice Townsend

This was awful, I didn’t have tuna so I used salmon.what a waste of salmon broccoli and cheese.

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