These Tuna Casserole Stuffed Peppers are the ultimate comfort food! The perfect balance of indulgent and veggie-packed. Easily gluten-free.
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These Tuna Casserole Stuffed Peppers are the perfectly cozy early fall recipe to get you excited for the season. They’re warming and a bit indulgent while still packing in plenty of veggies. These peppers are a bit of a project, but hopefully a fun project. The flavor payoff is totally worth it, trust me.
Tuna Casserole Stuffed Pepper Key Ingredients
Bell Peppers: Try to pick well-rounded peppers that are good for stuffing.
Wide Egg Noodles: To capture the true spirit of a tuna noodle casserole. You could definitely sub gluten-free pasta if needed, though.
More Veggies: We’ve got onions, baby Bella mushrooms, celery, garlic, and peas. They’re all gonna sauté in some olive oil until softened and slightly browned.
Tuna: I usually use water-packed yellowfin, but any kind works!
Whole Milk and Cornstarch: You’ll whisk these two together before adding to the veggies to create an unfussy slurry. You could substitute a non-dairy creamer if you’d like (or canned full fat coconut milk, though I’m not generally a fan of putting coconut where it doesn’t belong). I would just be sure to use a richer milk to make sure the sauce thickens.
Parmesan and White Cheddar Cheese: You’ll fold a bit of parmesan into the cream sauce and use the rest of the cheese to make a delectable breadcrumb topping.
Butter and Breadcrumbs: To really make that crispy pepper topping to-die-for. Use gluten-free Panko if needed!
Meal Prep Tips
You can definitely simplify this recipe by making certain elements ahead of time!
- Make egg noodles ahead of time and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Chop all veggies ahead of time and refrigerate in an airtight container for a couple days. Honestly, you could even go ahead and sauté the veggies before storing them if you wanted to.
- Grate your cheese (if not buying pre-shredded) and store in the fridge for up to a week or so.
That being said, I do recommend that you roast the peppers, make the cream sauce, and assemble the breadcrumb topping just before you plan to eat. That will provide optimum freshness and flavor.
If you make these Tuna Casserole Stuffed Peppers, I hope you find them cozy and comforting! Feel free to leave a rating, review, question, or concern. I’m always happy to chat or answer any questions! You can also find me on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok.
More Cozy Dinners
- Vegetarian Barbecue Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Chicken Marsala Shepherd’s Pie
- The Easiest Vegetarian Tortellini Soup
- Buffalo Cauliflower Baked Pasta
- Incredible Vegetarian French Onion Pizza
- Spinach Artichoke Baked Pasta
Tuna Noodle Casserole Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- large cutting board
- Chef's Knife
- Baking Sheet
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- pinches of sea salt and pepper
For the Filling
- 2 cups cooked wide egg noodles (sub gluten-free pasta if needed)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms diced
- 2 ribs celery finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ tsp sea salt plus more for egg noodles
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 5-oz cans tuna drained
- 1½ cups whole milk (or dairy-free creamer)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
For the Breadcrumb Topping
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Wash and cut bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Use clean hands to rub a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper all over the bell peppers. Place them cut side up on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until bottoms of peppers are slightly charred.
- Meanwhile, make egg noodles according to to package directions (be sure to use well-salted water!).
- While the peppers are baking and the egg noodles are boiling, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add onion, mushrooms, celery, peas, garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until veggies have softened and brightened in color.
- Lower heat to medium. Add milk and cornstarch to a bowl or glass measuring cup and whisk until well-combined. Add this mixture to the frying pan and simmer 1-2 more minutes, or until things thicken up a bit.
- Finally, fold in ¼ cup of parmesan cheese until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the cooked egg noodles and tuna, breaking up the tuna as needed with a wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
- Remove peppers from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes to cool before carefully emptying each pepper of any excess water. Leave oven on to put peppers back in shortly.
- While peppers are cooling slightly, quickly toss breadcrumbs with melted butter, then add remaining ¼ cup parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese and give everything a mix until distributed.
- Stuff peppers with the egg noodle and veggie mixture and top with cheesy breadcrumb topping. Put back in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!
Notes
Photography by Hope Agresti
