Casseroles traditionally use salty canned soup as a base. Not this one! This low sodium tuna noodle casserole cooks up quickly with an easy homemade cream sauce. This is a low salt take on an old-school classic recipe…comfort food at its best!
The ingredients of this low sodium tuna noodle casserole are simple and fairly affordable. The biggest spend is on the tuna since “no salt added” tuna fish is slightly more costly than a traditional canned tuna fish. However, you will notice a huge difference in taste. You’ll actually be able to taste tuna! It is amazing how the flavor changes when loads of salt are removed.
I’m using a bag of frozen peas and carrots because it is easy to grab out of the freezer and the bag has zero added salt. But you can easily change things up with different vegetables. Chop up some sauteed mushrooms or add in some green beans. Have fun and make it your own!
Low Sodium Tuna Noodle Casserole
This low sodium tuna noodle casserole cooks up quickly with an easy homemade sauce that does NOT use canned soup. The result is a low salt take on an old-school classic. Comfort food at its best!
Ingredients
- 1 package (12 oz.) of No Yolk Egg Noodles
- 2 diced celery ribs (aka two stalks of celery)
- 1/2 onion diced
- 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
- 2 cups of unsalted chicken broth
- 1 cup of milk
- 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
- 3 cans of StarKist Selects No Salt Added Chunk White Albacore Tuna
- 1 bag (12 oz) of frozen peas and carrots (defrosted)
- 3 tablespoons of flour
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 sleeve of Ritz “Hint of Salt” Crackers
Instructions
- Cook noodles in unsalted water until al dente - the noodles will spend time in the oven so you want them a bit undercooked out of the pot. Once done, drain and set aside.
- While noodles are cooking, melt butter on medium-high heat in a dutch oven. Add diced celery, and onion. Saute until the onion is softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Do not let the garlic burn!
- Add 3 tablespoons of flour and continually mix for a minute or two until the flour is completely incorporated.
- In a large measuring cup mix one cup of cold milk with one tablespoon of cornstarch. Stir briskly to dissolve cornstarch. Now add the two cups of unsalted chicken broth. Stir together.
- Slowly add milk/chicken broth mixture to your dutch oven, continuously stirring. Add pepper and stir until sauce thickens.
- Add tuna, peas, carrots, and noodles. Mix well.
- Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish that was prepared with cooking spray. Even out the mixture.
- Sprinkle crackers evenly across the top of the casserole.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until topping is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling.
Notes
- This recipe is perfect when you top it with a sleeve of crushed Ritz Crackers…the “Hint of Salt” version they offer. These low sodium crackers add that traditional buttery crunchy topping but with far less salt than regular crackers.
- Don’t have Ritz “Hint of Salt” Crackers? Use panko bread crumbs! Just melt some unsalted butter in the microwave and mix your panko in with the melted butter. Then sprinkle on top of your casserole.
- I use a dutch oven for this recipe because I like the even heat and I find it easier to mix everything together at the end. But if you don’t have a dutch oven, you could use a large skillet.
- Cooked chicken breast also works well with this recipe!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For complete information please read the disclosures page (link at the bottom of this page).
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1 Amount Per Serving Calories 176Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 62mgSodium 98mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 12gNutritional information is provided as an estimate. Nutritional content may vary due to several factors such as how much of an ingredient is used vs. how much will actually be eaten, brand differences, and more. To ensure the most accurate nutritional information, the reader should make calculations based on the ingredients actually used, using their own preferred method, or consulting with a licensed nutritional expert. This Website is not intended as a source of nutritional or food safety advice, and its readers assume full responsibility for any decisions made regarding their own health and safety. Nutritional information calculated by Nutritionix
This was absolutely delicious!! Since being diagnosed with heart failure and eating a low sodium diet I’m always on the hunt for low sodium recipes. I love tuna casserole and was convinced I’d never be able to enjoy it again until I came across this recipe. I’m so glad I came across it! My whole family enjoyed it and my kids can be picky at time. Will definitely make again, thank you so much!
I’m so glad you like it Ellise! Truth be told, it is one of my favorite recipes. And you know it is a tasty meal when it gets a thumbs up from the kids! By the way, I’m sorry to hear about your heart failure diagnosis but I know you can make the lifestyle changes necessary. You got this! I wish you all the best for a healthy road ahead…and if you find any good low sodium recipes, don’t hesitate to send them my way.
Very disappointed in this low sodium tuna bake. It never bubbled up…I Cooked it longer with no success.
Disappointed in the flavor, and I even added Sherry, low sodium soy sauce, and chopped parsley.
Granted,it is healthy, but too dry for me….
Hi Rita,
I’m sorry you were disappointed. When you remove so much salt, the flavor profile can be a bit lacking for some people. Onion powder, garlic powder, and other spices might kick it up a notch. Pick your favorites! Personally, I’ve never had it come out dry. In fact, I’ve been concerned a few times that it is going to come out too watery! So I’m not sure what happened here but I do have a suggestion that might help. Campbell’s has recently come out with an unsalted cream of mushroom soup. That might be just the thing you need. They also have an unsalted cream of chicken soup.
Just coming in to say this recipe was a success!
Long story short, my dad has some health issues that are causing him to have to be on a low sodium diet. He wanted some tuna noodle casserole and I found this recipe! It was delish ( I might have snagged a couple bites) and saved a helping for my 3 year old who loved it as well!
I was able to make him a weeks worth of dinners with this recipe which helped me a lot and it is helping him as well. He also enjoyed it a lot!! Thank you for the great recipes. I will be trying more!
Lindsey,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this note. I’m excited to hear that your dad liked the tuna noodle casserole. And the cook is always entitled to snag a couple of bites! I’m also pumped to hear your 3-year-old loved it.
Mike
I’m wondering if this will freeze well?
Hi Diane,
I don’t see why not. I would recommend letting it completely cool before wrapping it tightly and freezing it. Some people don’t like frozen noodles. It is true that texture of pasta can change slightly after being frozen and reheated. I’ve never had a problem with that, but I know others have mentioned it. But I’d give it a try and I would recommend warming it back up in the oven covered with foil. (I think the microwave might be responsible for that texture change. But that’s only an educated guess on my part.)
Mike