The easy Tuna Mornay is a favorite family recipe and an essential meal plan for the entire family. This classic tuna dish is exactly like the one Mum used to cook. This classic tuna casserole without pasta is quick and easy.
Try one of the many variations using rice, pasta, or other ingredients to spice things up!
Mum’s Tuna Mornay Recipe
My mum used to make this tuna mornay regularly as a family favorite. This is a great winter comfort food. It’s cheesy, delicious, and full of cheese.
This tuna mornay is now a staple in our family meals.
This recipe is a basic one and doesn’t include pasta.
Below, I’ve shared some simple variations of the recipe using additional ingredients.
It’s usually served with toast for a simple mid-week dinner.
How to make Tuna Mornay
You probably already have the ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator.
You can turn those boring tins into a delicious meal for a large crowd.
Please take a look at this classic tuna mornay recipe and its ingredients!
Ingredients
- Butter Margarine can be substituted for butter. The mornay is made with a half cup.
- Milk – To make a healthier recipe for tuna mornay, use low-fat (and cheese). It will still taste great.
- Grated Cheese- You may use any standard cheese for your recipe. Use half of the cheese in your sauce and sprinkle the rest on top. When I was growing up, my mum used to use the Kraft blocks in the non-chilled section. These days, they are difficult to find, so we use mozzarella or tasty cheese. If you want, sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top.
- Plain All Purpose Flour — A half-cup of flour is added to the mornay for thickening.
- Mustard- We use Keen’s mustard powder in our morning recipe. You can use a different brand of mustard powder or pre-made mustard, like French or
- Tuna in Springwater- I prefer to cook with tuna in Springwater.
- To season your Mornay Sauce, use salt and pepper.
- Breadcrumbs — The breadcrumbs, which I sprinkle on top of the tuna mornay and bake until golden brown in the oven, are my favorite part. This gives the tuna mignon the perfect texture.
- Extra Butter – Dotting the butter on top of the tuna casserole before adding it to the oven will help the cheese and breadcrumbs brown without burning.
Making Tuna Mornay
Melt half a cup of butter on medium heat in a saucepan. Add half a cup of flour slowly while stirring until combined.
After boiling the butter and flour mixture for one minute, slowly stir in four cups of milk. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
Add the salt, pepper, and mustard. STEP THIRTY – Add half of the grated cheese and two large cans of tuna. Mix well and break apart the larger tuna chunks as you stir.
Pour your tuna mornay into a casserole dish or baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar on top. Layer with breadcrumbs, and then dot with butter.
Place the dish in a moderate oven (180 degrees Celsius fan-forced) and bake it for 10 minutes, or until the top has turned golden and the melted cheese is completely melting. Enjoy!
Variations
There are many tuna-mornay variations. While this recipe is without pasta, you can add it if you like.
This is the basic recipe that my mother uses and what we make most often. It’s served alone with toast as a side.
This is a great activity for kids.
Here are some more tuna mornay recipes to try:
Salmon Mornay
You can replace the tuna with Salmon if you like. My husband is a salmon lover, but I am not.
Follow the recipe above, but use tinned Salmon instead of tuna. For a seafood or chicken mornay, you could add other types of seafood.
Tuna Mornay Pasta Bake
One of the more common variations is Tuna Mornay with Pasta. Follow the instructions for cooking pasta on the stove.
You can then combine the cooked, drained pasta with your mornay in step three. You can also put the pasta at the bottom of the casserole dish and then pour the mornay on top.
Serve the pasta straight onto the plate, and then place the mornay on top.
If you are cooking for a large group or family, this is an excellent way to stretch your recipe.
Tuna Mornay with Rice
Cook your rice as you normally would and serve it either with the tuna or on top.
Adding Vegetables To Tuna Mornay
The addition of vegetables to mornay can be a great way for parents or anyone else to increase their vegetable intake. Corn is an excellent option to add to your tuna mornay before baking.
Ingredients
- Half cup butter
- Milk 4 cups
- Two cups of grated cheese
- Half a cup of plain flour
- Mustard – 1-2 teaspoons
- Two large cans of tuna
- Salt & pepper
- Breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup
- Extra butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Melt butter over a medium heat. Add flour slowly until combined.
- Stir slowly in the milk after bringing butter and flour to a boil. Continue stirring the sauce until it boils and becomes thick. Remove from heat.
- Add the tuna, salt, pepper, mustard, and half of the grated cheese. Stir well and break up larger pieces of tuna as you mix.
- Pour into a casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, then layer with breadcrumbs. Dot with butter.
- Place in the oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the top has turned golden and the cheese is melted. Enjoy!