Tuna Casserole Stuffed Shells

These Tuna Casserole Stuffed Shells are a different take on a classic comfort food.

I’ve started making a weekly meal plan in an effort to be more organized and to simply things when it comes to get everyone fed so I have a little more time to help the kids with homework or just enjoy hearing about their day. So far, so good. Planning everything out not only saves me time it helps me stick to my grocery list when I am at the store which means saving money by resisting those impulse buys! On my menu last week were these Tuna Casserole Stuffed Shells. I don’t know about you but tuna casserole was always something I loved eating when I was a kid. The creamy tuna mixed with noodles….it is a classic comfort food. 

I always have a few cans of Bumble Bee^® Solid White Albacore in Water in the house. I make my avocado tuna salad, and stuffed tomato tuna melt recipes with all the time. It’s great for a quick lunch and it is an easy way to add a variety of nutrients to my diet including lean protein, healthy fat, and important vitamins and minerals. It’s usually just a mom lunch though, this was the first time I used it for a family dinner and guess what? My kids loved it as much as I did! I didn’t make it quite like my mom used to. I put my own spin on it by stuffing the tuna mixture into pasta shells rather than mixing it with noodles. This way once the shells have been cooked I can easily separate them into smaller containers and freeze them for lunch or dinner later in the week.

The recipe is simple to make. Start by boiling your shells until they are al dente, then remove them from the water and let them cool. You don’t want them to stick together as they cool so arrange them on a piece of wax paper so they aren’t touching.  While the shells cool you can mix the Bumble Bee^® Solid White Albacore in Water, cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas, and milk together in a bowl.

You’ll be using a large casserole dish to bake your stuffed shells, but before you add them first spread a thin layer of the tuna mixture over the bottom of the dish to keep the shells from sticking. Then stuff your shells, making sure they are nice and full, and place them in the casserole dish.

If you have any extra tuna mixture you can spread it over the top of the shells. It will keep them moist and add a little more creaminess to the final dish. Once you’re ready bake the dish for 20 minutes, pulling it out of the oven and sprinkling it with the buttered breadcrumbs before putting back in the oven to bake for another 5 minutes (or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

3.84 from 6 votes

Print

Tuna Casserole Stuffed Shells

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

These Tuna Casserole Stuffed Shells are a different take on a classic recipe.

Course: Dinner

Servings: 6

Author: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell

Ingredients

• 1 box Pasta Shells
• 3 cans Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore in Water
• 10.5 oz Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 c Milk
• 1 c Peas frozen
• 3 Tbsps Panko Crumbs
• 2 Tbsp Butter melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
3. Add pasta shells and cook until al dente.
4. Remove pasta from water and arrange on a sheet of wax paper to cool. Make sure they are not touching so they won't stick together.
5. Mix the soup, milk, peas, and tuna in a bowl.
6. Put a thin layer of tuna mixture on the bottom of a casserole dish.
7. Fill shells with mixture and place in the casserole dish.
8. Bake the tuna mixture for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
9. Melt butter and add bread crumbs and sprinkle them over the shells.
10. Bake for 5 minutes more, or until the bread crumb mixture is golden brown.

Like I said before, once it is cooked you can let it cool and pack it up in individual servings to be heated up in the microwave. I made two batches when I cooked this for the family and used one to freeze for lunches. They have been a lifesaver this week when I’ve been running around non-stop. I was able to fix a quick hot lunch for my daughter and I, then head off to run errands before picking my son up from school.

For more ideas on how you can use Bumble Bee^® Seafoods make sure to follow them on Twitter and Pinterest!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.