Tuna casserole is one of my favorite comfort foods, and I love to do a Tex-Mex twist on an American classic. This Tex Mex Tuna Noodle Casserole is bursting with flavor, packed with veggies, and can be made in a skillet so you use fewer dishes. Using Reames Frozen Egg Noodles takes it over the top! To be honest, before making this casserole, I never knew that fresh frozen egg noodles existed. Once I discovered that I could get a homemade taste without any hassle, my world turned upside down. I used Reames Frozen Egg Noodles from the freezer section of my grocery store, and I may never go back to dry egg noodles from the aisle again. Reames Frozen Egg Noodles are completely different than your average egg noodle. They’re thick and the texture is the perfect level of chewy. Since they’re so hearty, they’re filling as well so you can have them as your main meal. These qualities plus the seriously homemade taste have me hooked! There’s just something special about a good casserole in the cold months. It’s no surprise that the midwest is famous for their casseroles, or “hot dishes,” since it gets so cold there. Another one of my favorite recipes to use Reames Frozen Egg Noodles in is this Homemade Chicken and Noodles recipe. I just love this Tex Mex Tuna Noodle Casserole for so many reasons. First, it’s made in a skillet. What does that mean? Well, it means FEWER DISHES! You sauté all the veggies and mix up the casserole directly in a cast iron skillet, then bake it in the skillet in the oven to finish it off. You can use another oven-safe skillet as an alternative, like stainless steel, and if you don’t have an oven-safe skillet of any sort, no worries. You can do this the traditional way and transfer the casserole to a buttered baking dish to cook it. It’s also easy to make this casserole in advance. To do this, I do recommend transferring it to a baking dish, since you’ll need to refrigerate it and the skillet will be too hot to put in your fridge. You can even freeze it assembled, ready to bake, or freeze the leftovers for an easy second meal. Most tuna casserole recipes you find on the internet use a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup as the base. I prefer my casseroles to be more homemade. This Tex Mex Tuna Noodle Casserole uses a base of chicken broth and sour cream, creating a creamy, comforting consistency that sticks with the Tex Mex theme, without the need for canned soups. And the use of taco seasoning helps flavor the whole thing, without the need to add any extra salt and pepper to taste. Which means you don’t even need to think about it! I used a homemade taco seasoning that’s super cheap and easy to throw together and store in your pantry for all kinds of uses, but you can use store-bought if you like. The other fun twist on this recipe: I used crushed tortilla chips instead of bread crumbs for the topping. They added a toasty corn-flavored crunch that was perfect. If you don’t have any tortilla chips handy, you can definitely use bread crumbs, or even omit them entirely and just top with cheese. If you like this Tex Mex Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe, you’ll love these classic tuna noodle casserole from scratch, Tex Mex Tuna Melts, this Easy Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch, and this Easy Classic Shrimp and Grits. Enjoy!
