Tuna Rice Casserole is an easy cheesy lightened up casserole perfect for those who love tuna noodle casserole or tuna melts. A delicious, comforting meal that is easy to make ahead! Bonus points: this dinner recipe is gluten-free, Low-FODMAP, and easy on the digestive system.
The tuna obsession has been real this summer. For me, the convenience of whipping up a tuna sandwich is unparalleled and oh so satisfying for lunch or even dinner. Don’t even get me started on tuna melts…they are one of the most addicting substances for me.
I recently took my love for the tuna melt and turned it into a casserole. When I was a teenager, tuna noodle casserole was my JAM! I don’t eat noodles regularly (even gluten-free noodles), but I knew rice would make a great casserole that is comforting yet light and filling.
And so here it is: my most cherished casserole recipe to date. It’s simple, it’s creamy without being heavy, it’s easy to adapt in so many different ways to please your palate, and it’s pretty awesome from a macro standpoint if you ask me!
More features:
- Quick and easy to prepare
- Gluten-free
- Can easily be dairy-free
- Awesome make-ahead meal prep meal
- Saves very well!
Let’s casserole!
How to Make Tuna Rice Casserole:
Cook the rice following the instructions on the package. Set rice aside to cool while you’re prepping the rest of the recipe.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond milk, mayonnaise, butter, sea salt, eggs, stone ground mustard, and 2 cups of the mozarella cheese to a mixing bowl (you’ll use the remaining 1 cup of cheese for the topping). Whisk this mixture together until it is well-combined.
Add the drained tuna and rice and mix well to combine.
Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl to a casserole dish (I use an 9” x 9” square casserole dish).
Top the casserole with the remaining cheese (add more if desired!) and place on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and begins turning golden-brown.
Allow casserole to cool 10 minutes before serving.
What Type of Milk Should I Use?
I use unsweetened almond milk for the casserole that doesn’t include gums or emulsifyers (it’s just straight up almond milk).
Do note if you use a store-bought non-dairy milk that contain gums or emulsifiers, it may thicken the casserole.
You can absolutely use a regular cow’s milk (I’d recommend whole milk), goat milk, or unsweetened rice milk or cashew milk.
What Type of Rice Should I Use?
I’ve been using sushi rice for my casseroles.
It becomes so nice and puffy and starchy, which is perfect for a good creamy texture in a casserole.
You can use your favorite white rice, although I wouldn’t recommend basmati rice as the texture won’t be as thick, creamy, and comforting.
What Type of Cheese Should I Use?
I use raw goat milk mozzarella, as my body seems to process it very well.
There are plenty of options for adaptations when it comes to the cheese selection. You can use regular mozzarella, jack cheese, gouda (or smoked gouda), cheddar, or gruyere.
Just note if you use an aged cheese, it won’t melt quite like mozzarella.
You can also add more cheese, mix and match cheese, and/or add feta. Or bacon. Go wild!
Recipe Adaptations:
- If you don’t follow a low-FODMAP diet, add ½ yellow onion and 3 cloves of garlic. If you go this route, sauté the onion and garlic first for optimal flavor and texture.
- Replace the avocado oil mayonnaise with yogurt or avocado oil.
- Looking for a higher protein ratio? Add more tuna.
- Throw in some spinach, zucchini, bell pepper, carrots, and/or your favorite vegetables.
- Swap the almond milk for whole milk, rice milk, full-fat coconut milk, or cashew milk.
- Add fresh herbs if you have them.
- Get fancy with your cheese selection – add feta cheese to the filling, or go with smoked gouda, gruyere or straight-up cheddar cheese.
- Make it dairy-free by using vegan cheese. I would recommend using cashew-based ricotta!
Get your super cozy carb fest here!
More Healthy Casserole Recipes:
- Wild Rice Chicken Casserole
- Mushroom Bolognese Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Sweet Potato Sausage and Kale Breakfast Casserole
- Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag me at @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Tuna Rice Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked white rice
- 1 2/3 cups unsweetened almond milk *
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil mayonnaise **
- 2 Tbsp stone ground mustard
- 3 (6-oz) cans tuna drained
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese divided***
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package instructions. Set rice aside to cool while you’re prepping the rest of the recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond milk, eggs, mayonnaise (or butter), sea salt, stone ground mustard, and 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese to a mixing bowl (you’ll use the remaining 1 cup of cheese for the topping). Whisk this mixture together until it is well-combined. Add the drained tuna and rice and mix well to combine.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl to a casserole dish (I use an 9” x 9” square casserole dish).
- Top the casserole with the remaining cheese (add more if desired!) and place on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and begins turning golden-brown. Allow casserole to cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Love your recipes! Do you think this would work with Farro instead of rice? My boys LOVE farro, so we have a bunch at home. Just trying to use what we have.
Hi Elizabeth!
I’m so happy to hear it! Yes, you can absolutely replace the rice with farro! I hope you and your family loves it!
Thank you! This was wonderful for low fodmap diet!
How can we store this for the next day
Hi Leslie,
I simply store it in the same casserole dish I use to bake it with plastic wrap over the top 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Love this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Can this meal be frozen?
Made this for dinner tonight with a few additional ingredients. Added, cilantro, lime zest and juice, dill, dash of cayenne, Crumbled bacon and coconut 🥥 milk instead of almond. Delicious
That sounds amazing, Jennifer! Thanks for sharing your changes…so happy you like the casserole! xoxo
Wow! We were impressed! This was really good, used jack cheese, it’s what I had on hand, sautéed a little zucchini and celery in some garlic infused oil, combo of avocado and olive, and cut it in half, just my husband and I, but used the full amount of cheese, yeah!! Also added half a can of peas, thanks for a great low fodmap meal!!
I’m so happy you like it, Jeanne! Appreciate the sweet feedback! xoxo
What size can of tuna?
5-oz cans 🙂
This recipe is a keeper. Delicious and easy, especially if you have leftover rice. I made half the recipe with leftover short-grain brown rice, sautéed some sliced mushrooms with the chopped onion and garlic and stirred in a couple handfuls of roughly chopped, fresh spinach before baking. Rice was pre-seasoned so I cut the mustard a bit. Mmm, mmm good!
I’m so happy you like it, Cathy! I love the idea of adding chopped spinach…brilliant!! xo
Is this an “eggy” dish, in terms of both taste and texture? Similar to quiche? I can’t stand eggs, so can you tell that there’s an egg in it?
Hi Carolyn,
The dish doesn’t taste like eggs so you should be good to go. The eggs are there to help keep the casserole held together nicely, but if you aren’t concerned about that, you can definitely omit one or both of them and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of additional almond milk. Hope that helps!
People with heart conditions, like me, also need to know sodium content. Keto diets help a lot, but with nutritional info can you please include sodium content?
Hi K! This is great feedback and a fabulous suggestion! I’m sure many readers are in the same boat and would appreciate the sodium content too so I’ll add it to my recipes moving forward 🙂
Thanks for the great recipe! I added a little pesto to the mustard and threw in some chopped celery and mushrooms, ham and minced garlic. Tastes awesome and my husband loves it!
Ooh, I love those additions! That sounds amazing! I’ll have to try those same changes, myself! xo
What vegetables would work well in this dish flavour wise? I love vegetables in my meals. Thank you!
Hi Desiree! I personally would add broccoli, cauliflower, or bell pepper. These hearty vegetables won’t produce a lot of excess moisture so the texture should stay as intended, and the flavor should be great! Enjoy!
How much sea salt? I am not very good in the kitchen, and I didn’t see the sea salt in the ingredients but I saw it in the instructions. Thank you!
Hi Claudia! I add about 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. If this is too little, you can always add more salt when you are eating the casserole. Hope you enjoy! xox
So thankful I came across this recipe!
I used leftover coconut rice, peas, carrots, asparagus and added a bit of yellow curry. Used very little cheese only because my toddler dislikes. My 2.5 year old loved this!
All of that sounds amazing, Sarah! Thanks so much for sharing! xo