Cheesy Tuna and Rice Casserole

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This cheesy tuna casserole is a kid-friendly, gluten-free dinner that my kids devour. Loaded with melted, stringy, pull-apart cheese, it is irresistible. It is a straight foreword recipe and is ready in about a half hour!

If you haven't noticed, many of the recipes on my site are gluten-free or are sourdough recipes. This is because my oldest is sensitive to gluten. When she was a baby, she struggled with many different food allergies and bad eczema. We tried adding and subtracting foods from her diet, changed out the detergents and soaps we were using, and many other things that parents do when their child has gut-related issues.

Eczema and food allergies are related to leaky gut, and for my daughter, gluten seems to cause flare ups. Just the other day she had a flare up from homemade einkorn cream of wheat. Typically she doesn't have problems with einkorn, but recently it seems as though she can't tolerate anything unless it is gluten free or fermented.

Gluten is challenging for many people to digest and may be due in part to how much modern wheat differs from its ancestral roots. If you are interested in why wheat can be so troublesome, check out the documentary: What's With Wheat?

At first, making gluten-free recipes from scratch can seem daunting. Especially ones that the whole family would enjoy. But it has allowed me to be creative with recipes and have a little fun in the kitchen!

This casserole is layered with cheese, cooked rice, tuna, and zucchini. I find the zucchini helps to balance out the texture and give it a little more crunch. However, if you don't like zucchini, you can totally leave it out.

Can you freeze this or make ahead?

This is a great freezer meal to make ahead and pull out later. You can also store this for a couple days in the refrigerator as well. The zucchini will soften a little when you do this. I would recommend assembling the casserole except for the cheese topping before freezing. When you are ready to bake it, let it thaw out in the refrigerator. Then, top the casserole with the cheese and bake in the oven as directed.

How to Make Cheesy Tuna and Rice Casserole

Tools

9x13 Baking Dish

Spatula

Mixing bowl and spoon

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked brown rice

2 cans of wild caught tuna

16 oz of cottage cheese

Half a tablespoon of dijon mustard

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

1 medium zucchini sliced thinly

4 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese

2 oz (or about a quarter cup) of parmesan cheese

A small bunch of fresh parsley (for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, mix together the brown rice, tuna, cottage cheese, dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

Pour the filling into a casserole dish and spread it evenly.

Next, place the sliced zucchini across the top of the filling.

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese evenly on top of the casserole.

Place the casserole in the oven for 25 minutes and then broil for a couple more minutes. You'll want the cheese to slightly brown. Make sure to watch it closely so it doesn't burn!

Sprinkle parsley on top of the casserole before serving (optional).

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a star rating and a comment below. Share what you made and tag me on Instagram @keepingitholistic! For more scratch-made recipes and natural living tips, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on YouTube and Instagram!

Some of our favorite gluten-free dinners:

Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry

Zucchini Lasagna

Broiled Tuna Steaks and Asparagus

Pineapple Teriyaki Beef Kabobs

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

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