Canned Tuna Recipes

April 06, 2011
Browse our collection of 23 canned tuna recipes to find lunch and dinner ideas for the whole family, including salads, pasta dishes, sandwiches, casseroles, and more.
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Mediterranean Tuna-Noodle Casserole

José Manuel Picayo Rivera
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Good old tuna casserole is new again with the addition of red bell peppers, artichoke hearts, and scallions. This casserole freezes very well, so make an extra to save for a busy night.

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Martha's Favorite Tuna Salad Sandwich

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Martha loves moist, oil-packed tuna mixed with celery, apple, fresh basil, light mayo, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Use to make a sandwich on good-quality sourdough bread for a delicious and nutritious lunch or dinner.

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Tuna Macaroni Salad

Mike Krautter
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A deli crowd-pleaser since the 70s, tuna macaroni salad is a versatile side dish or a perfect simple lunch. Our version amps up the flavors with jalapeño and tangy buttermilk.

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Tuna Salad Nicoise

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Tuna, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, arugula, and roasted red potatoes dressed in lemon vinaigrette make for a satisfying main-dish salad. Choose tuna packed in olive oil for the best flavor in this salad.

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Emeril's Kicked-Up Tuna Melts

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Chopped red onion, capers, lemon juice, oregano, and juicy slices of tomato add kicked-up flavor to chef Emeril Lagasse's hot, open-faced tuna sandwiches. Slices of provolone cheese over the top melt beautifully under the broiler.

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Pasta with Green Beans and Tuna

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This easy pasta dinner for one is bursting with flavor from lemon zest, fresh parsley, toasted almonds, garlic, tuna, and green beans. Chopped olives and capers also make great additions to this recipe.

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Tuna Salad Bruschetta

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For an excellent appetizer, light lunch, or afternoon snack, toss together cannellini beans, shallot, parsley, celery, and olive oil-packed tuna in a zingy lemon-Dijon dressing. Pile on toasted baguette slices.

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Tuna, Avocado, and Romaine Salad

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Buttery avocado, crisp radishes and romaine lettuce, and oil-packed tuna make a lovely chorus of textures and flavors. This salad is dressed in a light vinaigrette of olive oil, white-wine vinegar and Dijon mustard.

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Tuna Nicoise Sandwich

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The ingredients of a Nicoise salad -- oil-packed tuna, cucumber, red onion, hard-cooked eggs, and olive tapenade -- combine in a picnic-perfect sandwich. For the best flavor, make the sandwich at least an hour ahead of time.

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Tuna Cakes

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Cilantro, jalapeno, and salsa give Southwest flavor to these pan-fried tuna patties. Serve on their own as an appetizer, or wrap them in tortillas for a delicious dinner.

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Tuna Salad and Cheese Roll-Ups

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Chopped celery and Granny Smith apple add crunch to the mixture of tuna and mayonnaise. Rolled up in lavash flatbread with American cheese slices, this is a lunch that any kid will love.

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Chopped Salad with Tuna

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The perfect chopped salad contains a variety of textures, flavors, and colors -- just like this one, full of tuna, black olives, chickpeas, and lots of parsley. In place of the tuna, you can also use leftover chicken or steak.

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Mediterranean Tuna Melt

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Bring bold Mediterranean flavors to your tuna sandwich with the addition of red onion, lemon juice, green olives, capers, and chickpeas. Melt Parmesan cheese over the top for a finishing touch.

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Tuna and Farfalle Puttanesca

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Bowtie pasta gets dressed up for dinner with sauteed garlic and red onion, capers, rosemary, Kalamata olives, and tomatoes. For the best flavor, use oil-packed Italian-style tuna in this dish.

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Chicken Tonnato

GENTL & HYERS
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Chicken breasts replace the more traditional veal in this classic Italian recipe. Top the slices of roast chicken with a creamy sauce made with tuna, mayonnaise, and lemon juice.

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Lemon-Tuna-Avocado Snack

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Mix albacore tuna with lemon juice, sunflower seeds, and a touch of extra-virgin olive oil, and mound into avocado halves. This nutritious and filling snack is the perfect midday pick-me-up.

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Tuna, Artichoke, and Noodle Casserole

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Not your typical tuna casserole, this one begins with a sauce made by pureeing onion, anchovies, artichoke hearts, capers, and Parmesan with olive oil. Stir tuna, lemon zest, parsley and cooked macaroni into the sauce and bake until bubbling and browned.

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White Bean and Tuna Salad

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Tuna and cannellini beans add lean protein to this main-dish spinach salad. Green olives, red onion, and chopped parsley give the salad a flavor boost.

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Linguine with Fennel and Tuna

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Capers, lemon juice, and sauteed fennel imbue this tuna and pasta dish with fresh flavors. Ready in just 20 minutes, this recipe is great choice for when you need to get dinner on the table fast.

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Tiny Tuna Melts

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Top your favorite crackers with spoonfuls of lemony tuna salad and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar, then broil just until the cheese is melted. Kids will love these as an after-school snack.

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Penne with Tuna and Red Onion

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Combine tuna, anchovies, parsley, capers, and garlic -- traditional flavors from the south of France -- with half-and-half to create a creamy pasta sauce. Toss with penne to make a complete meal in less than 30 minutes.

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Spaghetti with Tuna, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs

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Toss cooked spaghetti with lemon zest, parsley, slivered Kalamata olives, and canned tuna for an easy but sophisticated dinner. Toasted whole-wheat breadcrumbs add delectable crunch to the dish.

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Baby Spinach Salad with Tuna

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Plain yogurt, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice make a creamy low-fat dressing for this take-along lunch salad. Pour it over the spinach, grapes, red onion, and tuna when you're ready to eat.

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