Tuna White Bean Casserole is delicious and easy to make. It is loaded with salty albacore tuna, cannellini beans, a bit of gruyere cheese, and topped with crunchy, thin potato chips for the perfect crust. This tuna casserole is packed with protein and delicious flavors.
I wasn’t sure if the kiddos were gonna like this one, but guess what?! They loved it!! Asked for seconds and even ate the little bit that was leftover 2 days later. Yes, it still tasted good as leftovers.
This isn’t your typical tuna casserole, it’s a more sophisticated take on the classic recipe. It’s not that I don’t like tuna casserole, I’m just really happy with the new flavors presented in this tuna white bean casserole. It’s cooked with a rosemary sprig and a pinch of dried rosemary, but it doesn’t actually end up tasting like rosemary. Instead, the rosemary adds a layer to the delicious flavor profile.
What’s Tuna Casserole?
Traditionally, tuna casserole is made with a can of cream of mushroom soup, canned tuna (of course), noodles, and a topping of some sort.
This tuna white bean casserole recipe is a twist on the classic tuna casserole, this one has no noodles and no canned soup. Cannellini beans, also known as white kidney beans, replace the noodles for a healthier version of the original. It does have a touch of cheese and some crumbled potato chips sprinkled on top like the traditional does.
I love that this tuna dinner comes together pretty quickly, ready in a little over half an hour. It’s easy on the budget (use cheddar cheese instead of gruyere and leave out the rosemary sprig) and even though you will use multiple dishes, it is relatively easy to make.
My favorite part about this dish is the crispy, crunchy, perfectly browned potato chips that line the top of the casserole. Of course, you can always switch those out for some other substitutions such as crushed crackers or Panko breadcrumbs.
Tuna White Bean Casserole Ingredients
- Shallot: A shallot is smaller the an onion and has a milder flavor. It has coppery, papery skin. I used a shallot in this recipe, but a small onion will also work.
- Olive Oil: I used a rosemary infused olive oil, but plain extra-virgin is great.
- Red Pepper Flakes: These are the kind that get sprinkled on pizza.
- Garlic: Fresh, crushed garlic. I used 3 huge cloves. If yours are smaller, use 4-5 cloves.
- Salt: Kosher or Sea Salt.
- Rosemary: You will need a sprig of fresh rosemary as well as dried, crushed rosemary.
- White Beans: Cannellini beans or small white beans.
- Broth: I used vegetable broth.
- Milk: Use non-fat, low-fat, or whole milk.
- Tuna: Canned albacore tuna in water or chunk light tuna in water.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice and the lemon zest from half a lemon.
- Cheese: I used gruyere, but cheddar would also be good.
- Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper.
- Potato Chips: I used the super thin, crispy potato chips. It took about 5 handfuls of whole chips to make about a cup of crushed chips.
- Butter: Need one tablespoon, cut into chunks.
How to Make Tuna White Bean Casserole
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Sauté a shallot or small diced onion in olive oil over medium high heat.
- Lower heat and add in 1/8 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, and crushed garlic.
- After cooking garlic slightly, add in the two cans of white beans, vegetable broth, and sprig of rosemary.
- Simmer for about 6-8 minutes till all of the liquid evaporates. Remove rosemary sprig.
- Using a potato masher or the back of a spoon, gently smash beans to the desired consistency – leaving them as chunky or smooth as you want them.
- Add in milk, both cans of tuna, and a 1 teaspoon olive oil. Using the same potato masher or spoon, smash the tuna. Turn off heat.
- Sprinkle in grated zest, pepper, salt, 2 tablespoons of cheese and crushed dried rosemary.
- Pour into an 8×8 oven safe pan. Top with crushed potato chips, dots of butter, and 2 tablespoons of cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, then broil on high for 2 minutes for brown chips.
- Squeeze on lemon juice right before serving.
Tuna White Bean Casserole Tips
- Easily double this recipe and bake in a 9×13 baking dish. Just make sure to bake for longer, try cooking for an additional 10-15 minutes on top of the cooking time.
- I used Albacore tuna packed in water, but chunk light tuna will also work. Plant based tuna may also work although I have not tried it.
- Top with crushed Ritz crackers, Panko bread crumbs, cornflakes, or canned crispy fried onions instead of crushed potato chips.
- Make this in an oven proof skillet. Take it straight from the stove and put it into the oven for less dishes.
- Try adding green peas or other veggies to this tuna casserole recipe.
- Use a different cheese other than gruyere, like cheddar, jack, or parmesan.
Storage Instructions for Tuna Casserole
- How to Refrigerate Tuna Casserole: Let the tuna casserole cool and put in a glass container or BPA-free airtight plastic container or zipper bag. It should last about 2-3 days in the fridge.
- How to Freeze Tuna Casserole: It is best to freeze tuna casserole before you bake it and don’t add the potato chips (or topping of choice) on until you are going to bake it. Let the bean and tuna mixture cool completely before freezing. Wrap securely with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or zip bag . Make sure to label the with the recipe name and date. It should last about 3 months in the freezer.
- How to Thaw Frozen Tuna Casserole: Thaw the frozen tuna casserole in the refrigerator for 24 hours or until completely thawed.
- How to Re-Heat Tuna Casserole: Let the tuna casserole come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. At around the 20 minute mark, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Right before baking, top with potato chips, butter, and cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes till it’s heated through. Finish or toss any casserole that you have re-heated and do not re-store anything that is leftover.
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Tuna White Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 shallot or small onion finely diced
- 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 large garlic cloves crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 2 15 oz cans cannellini beans
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 5 oz cans tuna in water, drained (or use plant based tuna)
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary dried, crushed
- 4 tablespoons cheese shredded
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup potato chips crushed (about 4-5 handfuls)
- 1 tablespoon butter cut up
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
- Sauté a shallot or small diced onion in 3 teaspoons olive oil over medium high heat.
- Lower heat and add in 1/8 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, and crushed garlic.
- After lightly cooking garlic, add in the two cans of white beans, vegetable broth, and sprig of rosemary.
- Simmer for about 6-8 minutes until all of the liquid evaporates. Remove rosemary sprig.
- Using a potato masher or the back of a spoon, gently smash beans to the desired consistency – leaving them as chunky or smooth as you want them.
- Add in milk, both cans of tuna, and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Combine the ingredients. Using the same potato masher or spoon, gently smash the tuna. Turn off heat.
- Sprinkle in grated lemon zest, pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons of cheese and crushed dried rosemary.
- Pour into an 8×8 oven safe pan. Top with crushed potato chips, dots of butter, and the last 2 tablespoons of cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, then broil on high for 2 minutes to brown the potato chips.
- Squeeze on lemon juice right before serving.
Notes
- Easily double this recipe and make it in a 9×13 dish, just add 10-15 minutes of baking time.
- Add green peas to the recipe.
- Refrigerate any left overs for 2-3 days.
Nutrition
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I tried out this tuna white bean casserole and found it surprisingly tasty. The potato chips really added texture. Adding this recipe into our weekly rotation.
Don’t those potato chips elevate the dish? My kids enjoy this tuna casserole and I like that it’s a little different from the traditional one. Thank you, Cassandra.
This is a great recipe for tuna. The red pepper flakes give it a nice little kick…but I like spicy. Thanks for this, I’d never done white beans before.
We like it spicy, too. This recipe has just a subtle kick. Glad you enjoyed it, Ryan.