Raise your hand if you loveeeee mac and cheese.
As a kid, my Dad would always make me macaroni and cheese made with sharp or white cheddar, plus LOTS and lots of pepper. If I were lucky, he would add peas (because I loved them more than any other veggie in the world.)
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Now that I’m into full-on #adulting, I LOVE when my mac and cheese is packed with anything just a little bit unique: truffle mac and cheese, vegan mac and cheese, mac and cheese with a Ritz cracker topping, mac and cheese with brussels, BUFFALO cauliflower mac, or even a classic broccoli cheddar mac and cheese. Can mac and cheese be its own food group yet?
I thought I’d bring you another unique twist on mac and cheese that I’m absolutely in love with: Southwest tuna mac and cheese with spicy flavors and unique umami flavor. Trust me, I know that it sounds a little crazy, but I promise you it’s one of the BEST mac and cheese recipes you’ll ever make.
Ingredients in tuna mac and cheese
Not only is this tuna mac and cheese packed with flavor, but it also uses simple ingredients and pantry staples that you might already have on-hand. The extra protein makes this a delicious, healthy tuna mac and cheese dinner!
- Elbow macaroni: you can use gluten free, whole grain or regular noodles. I really love the chickpea pasta because of the extra fiber but whole grain is wonderful, too.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: I like to use a block of cheddar because it melts much easier. I do not recommend using pre-shredded cheddar for this recipe but rather shred or cube it yourself.
- Flour: I used whole wheat pastry flour to help make a perfectly thick cheese sauce for the tuna mac and cheese. You can also use all purpose or gluten free all purpose flour!
- Tuna: I AM IN LOVE with the tuna in this recipe. It adds an interesting savory umami flavor that I can’t get enough of, not to mention tons of protein. You can use yellowfin or albacore tuna in this delicious recipe.
- Taco seasoning: I decided to use a packet of organic taco seasoning to season the mac and cheese because that’s what I had in my cupboard, however, my DIY taco seasoning is perfect for this recipe!
- Black beans: these beans are another reason I love this recipe. The fiber and protein in the beans help to keep you full and add a southwest flair to the recipe.
- Milk: feel free to use any milk you’d like in this recipe (although I wouldn’t use skim). When I first made this recipe I chose to use unsweetened cashew milk because it’s incredibly creamy and adds amazing flavor to the mac and cheese.
Customize your tuna mac and cheese
This easy tuna mac and cheese is great for customizing to your taste preferences and what you have on hand! Here’s what I can recommend:
- Go gluten free: simply use your favorite gluten free pasta shape like this one, as well as gluten free all purpose flour.
- Try it dairy free: instead of cheese you could add my cashew cheese sauce for a dairy free option.
- Add some veggies: feel free to fold in veggies like peas (so nostalgic) mushrooms, chopped bell pepper, or even diced jalapeño.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Sure! Simply omit the tuna and enjoy the protein that black beans provide. Feel free to add an extra can of black beans if you’d like.
How to make tuna mac and cheese on the stovetop
- Cook the pasta. First boil the noodles until al dente, then drain them and set them aside.
- Make a slurry. While the pasta is boiling, you’ll make a slurry (or a roux) by melting butter in a pot or skillet with garlic. Whisk in the flour and onion powder & stir until a paste forms. Then slowly add in the milk, whisking away any lumps so it’s nice and smooth.
- Thicken the sauce. Increase the heat and bring your mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes stirring every so often, until the sauce thickens up similar to a gravy
- Cheese it up. Next, add in the cheese and taco seasoning and stir until completely melted.
- Mix in the mac. Finally fold in cooked noodles, black beans and drained tuna and mix until well combined.
- Broil & serve. Top with the rest of the cheese, then either mix it in or place your skillet under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden. Top with fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro and hot sauce if you’d like, and serve!
Storing tips
You can store any leftover tuna macaroni and cheese in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Simply reheat in the microwave.
I know you are going to love this filling comfort food tuna mac and cheese. It’s wonderful on a cozy evening and great for reheating too. I recommend topping it with hot sauce and cilantro!
More cozy dinners you’ll love
- One Pan Enchilada Zucchini Turkey Meatballs and Rice
- Incredible Caramelized Onion Spinach Chicken Pasta Bake
- Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
- 30 minute Healthier Pasta Carbonara
- Goat Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast with Caramelized Onions + Mushrooms
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If you make this easy tuna mac and cheese recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe below letting me know how you like it. You can also upload a photo and tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram! xo.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Stovetop Southwest Tuna Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow noodles (or whatever noodles you'd like)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or sub regular flour or GF all purpose flour)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cashew or almond milk
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese)
- 1 (1.1 ounce) packet taco seasoning (preferably organic)*
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (5 ounce) can yellowfin or albacore tuna, drained
- 2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and reserved for the topping (or about ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese)
- To garnish:
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Hot sauce, if desired
Instructions
- First boil the noodles until al dente, according to the directions on the package. Once done cooking, drain and set aside.
- While the noodles are boiling, make a slurry: In a large oven safe skillet or pot add butter and garlic. Once butter is melted, whisk in the flour and onion powder and cook for 30 seconds until a paste forms. Slowly add in cashew milk, whisking away any lumps.
- Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes stirring every so often, until the sauce thickens up similar to a gravy
- Next add in 6 oz cheese and 1 packet of taco seasoning and stir until completely melted.
- Finally fold in cooked noodles, black beans and drained tuna and mix until well combined.
- Top with 2 ounces of shredded cheddar. At this point you can either serve the mac and cheese and just fold in the extra cheddar you just added, or remove from heat and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly golden. Serves 6. Top with cilantro and hot sauce if desired!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on October 30th, 2017, republished on April 1st, 2020, and republished on September 28th, 2022.
I would have never thought to put tuna in mac and cheese. So creative! And the southwest flavors are definitely calling my name!
It’s an awesome way to add extra protein! The flavor in here an incredible…I hope you get a chance to try!
This turned out well and I really liked the flavor! The sauce was easy to make with the cashew milk and everything melted really well. One question, I added more pasta than the 1 1/2 cups and it seemed like I still could have added more based on the amount of sauce. I just wanted to check to make sure that 1 1/2 cups is the intended measurement. Thanks!
Hi Amanda! So glad you enjoyed this. For the pasta I did only use 1 1/2 cups, but you can definitely add some more if you prefer! I would make sure your sauce is nice and thick, too (this might help with it coating the pasta).
My 3 year old is finally eating something!! Thank you! Very good 🙂
Amazing!! That makes me so happy 🙂
I made it with canned chicken instead and it was great!
Perfect!
This has quick become a family favorite! It’s easy enough for a working mom to pull together and my husband and toddlers devour it. Great for leftovers too! Thank you!
I’m so happy the whole family likes this one! Such a great go-to for a busy weeknight. Enjoy!
Made this tonight sans the black beans and added some chopped massaged Tuscan kale. What a pleaser and so easy!
Delicious!! So happy you like this one 🙂
Tried this recipe for this first time. Really enjoyed it.
I’m so glad!
Hey Monique! I’ve made this recipe twice already and it’s been requested in my household again 🙂 I do not have cashew milk in the fridge, but do have almond milk. Is this okay to substitute? Thanks!
Mallory
Hey Mallory! So happy to hear that! Yes, almond milk will work in here 🙂
One of my favorite recipes ever! It’s like my three favorite comfort foods wrapped into one- Mac and cheese, tuna noodle Casserole, and tacos!
Omg YES all of the goods in one recipe! Glad you love it 🙂
I can’t believe how delicious this dish is – perfect for post-workout dinner! THank you!!!
Aren’t the flavors amazing?? Perfect post-workout!
If I make this, but use your cashew vegan cheese sauce, would I leave out the milk as well as cheese?
yes I think that would be a great idea! basically put everything together and then just throw in the oven until warm!
I just made this recipe for lunch today. It was fantastic! Even my 1 y/o granddaughter loved it! For the cheeses, I used 4 ozs. cream cheese, plus pepper jack and mozzarella instead of cheddar, because that’s all I had. I will definitely make this again, but with cheddar next time. It’ll be even better! Thank you!
So glad you both loved it! Sounds delicious with pepper jack, too 🙂
this mac and cheese is delicious
Truly obsessed with this recipe!
Cheesy and delicious! I used almond milk instead of cashew milk, and put it under the broiler for almost 2 minutes – love the golden top! One question – do you add the onion powder with the flour? I had it out, but didn’t see when to add it and ended up forgetting it. It still was delicious!
That’s correct – thanks for the catch! Glad you enjoyed!
Making this tonight! I don’t have elbow noodles on hand…planning on using medium shells or rotini…Does 2 cups of uncooked pasta work for one of those?
Delicious! And yes that should work just the same!
Absolutely delicious and easy dinner recipe!! Great way to use up pantry staples during quarantine!
Absolutely! So happy you loved it!
Anytime I see a new mac & cheese recipe I get excited! Have you tried using any gluten free noodles in this? Or what is your fav gluten free noodle option? We have been trying to find a fav by trying different types.
Looks so good I cant wait to try it?
So delicious! I love Banza chickpea pasta, but any gluten free pasta will work in this 🙂
Love this recipe, it’s become a staple in our house!
So happy to hear that!
At first I was like seriously this combination. I just made it and it was delicious!! My kids loved it too. I will make again. Thanks for another great recipe
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
No one would confuse me with Marcus Samuelson in the kitchen but I really wanted to give this a try. I did not make any modifications intentionally but realized I did not have the onion powder halfway through.. Nonetheless, I continued undaunted. It was FANTASTIC. Easy to make but the end result was so flavorful. The only thing I will do differently next time is add a little more yellowfin tuna. This is a five all the way.
I’ve already made this twice since I recently found it! Soooo good!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Just made this and love it!! The dish came together so quickly and easily. It feels so indulgent yet is the perfect balance between cozy comfort food and a nourishing meal. My husband, who isn’t a big tuna fan, is on his second bowl! Thanks for an amazing recipe.
The coziest dinner! So glad you both loved it 🙂
Just made this again! I probably make this like once a quarter 🙂 Used Banza shells, made a ton of roasted broccoli as a side, and we are still loving this meal. Easy, uses pantry staples, and so dang good.
Oh yay!! SO happy you guys are loving this one so much 🙂 Roasted broccoli sounds amazing on the side. And love Banza!
I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but this may be, hands down, my favourite recipe on AK. I really love all of her recipes, but this just hits the spot on so many levels. I love tuna, I love black beans and cheese. Plus that extra level of spice, yum yum yum!
This is a go-to lunch meal for my husband and I. Amazing flavor and fairly easy to make!
Easy to make with pantry staples, and my kids eat this one so well! Love adding the protein of the black beans and tuna–sometimes I sub canned chicken.
Absolutely! Perfect for customizing 🙂
Came out awesome!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Yay!! So happy you loved it, Steven!
This meal is so delicious—it’s probably the recipe I go back to the most as it’s so easy and satisfying. I’d never have thought to mix tuna with mac and cheese!
I was a little intimidated making the slurry for the first time, but even when I have still have little lumps they break up when adding the cheese. I always use dairy milk (I’ve used both skim and whole) and standard flour and it works really well.
Just wanted to comment to thank you for the great recipe.
I’m so happy you’re loving this recipe, Jon! Aren’t the flavors fun?? 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review!
I was skeptical about trying this, but it is delicious! In fact, my 18 year old son specifically asked to have this for dinner again tonight. It was a hit at our house!
I was a little skeptical about this but since I love tuna & mexican food, I thought I would give it a shot. I ended up adding some red bell pepper, zucchini, & fresh jalapeno. I also used 9oz. tuna to incorporate more protein. Fat free milk & regular flour worked just fine for the slurry. It was delish! Perfect for my lunch meal prep for the week. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! Happy to hear you are loving this recipe ❤️
Absolutely bomb dinner! Amazing combination of flavors and oh so cheesy. Came together in no time and was a hit for dinner. Will definitely be making this recipe again soon! Thanks Monique!
Yay! Happy to hear it came out great and that it is a hit ❤️
Meal prepped this for my lunches this week and paired it with roasted sprouts. I think I let the slurry get too thick (I was talking to kids), but other than that, it’s great! Daughter tasted it and was equally impressed. Thank you!
I’ve always like adding tuna to my mac and cheese, but this recipe is a whole other level! I loved the flavor combinations. This will definitely be a new go-to meal for me.
I found this recipe randomly and although I almost had all of the ingredients to make this from scratch, I adapted. My review is more about how awesome the flavors were together!
I used a box of Annie’s Mac and cheese, sharp cheddar, butter added to enhance the flavor. Mixed in 1/4 cup shredded Colby Jack, a can of tuna and 1/2 can of black beans. I added some of a Trader Joe’s taco seasoning packet to taste. Delicious!
I know it’s not the actual recipe, but again, the premise was incorporated and turned out great!
If I make your recipe for taco seasoning how much of it would equal the packet?
2 tbsp is about one packet
Your homemade taco seasoning is the best part so far. And I used 2tbls. Perfect!
YESS! thank you – glad it turned out great for you!
I’ve made this a couple of times and I really enjoy it. I’ve yet to nail the sauce consistency that I like (it’s been too thick thus far), but that’s a small thing. Just a general comment: I like it when recipes specify not just the number of servings but also a measurement of the serving size (1 cup, 3/4 cup, etc.). I frequently use recipes like this for meal prep, as I just cook for myself and am conscientious about portion control. Thank you!
YUM! Glad you’re loving this recipe, Brenda. You could try adding a bit more liquid to the sauce to get it to the consistency that you prefer. Hope that helps.
Correction: your recipe uses a roux, not a slurry.
A “slurry” is an uncooked, non-fat thickener added toward the end of a recipe. Cornstarch and cold water is a proper slurry.
A “roux” is a cooked thickener of fat and flour added at the beginning of a recipe, usually with a liquid (stock, broth or milk). Butter and flour is a proper roux.
That said, it’s a really creative recipe. I was out of egg noodles for tuna casserole, so went online and found this recipe was a nice change from regular mac & cheese or traditional tuna casserole.
I made a few changes for our family’s tastes: I added a can of diced tomatoes instead of tuna, as the beans provide protein. I ate as is, delicious, but since I made at lunchtime, I put in a glass pan, top with more cheese and sprinkled with Tajin spices, and garnished with colored tortilla strips for dinner later that day.
Thank you, I’ll definitely come back to ambitiouskitchen.com for other ideas.
Hi, thank you for the notes! And so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Those add-ins sound delicious 🙂
How do you make the roux? I was hoping to see a video of you making it. Once I add the flour into the butter, which you say whisk, it all just ends up inside the whisk. I do my best to shake it out, but while I’m doing that anything not in the whisk is getting overcooked in the pan and that problem continues on while trying to add in the milk. Once I get all the milk in and I’ve been fighting to keep it out of the whisk, it’s so thick, what’s in the pan is turning to glue while I’ve spent 30 minutes just whisking trying to get the lumps out. So I thought to myself “I don’t want to ruin a whole meal so I think I’ll try the butter, garlic and flour again.” Not as bad but still the same problem with everything collecting in the whisk and still spent WAY too long whisking. And in the end it was way too thick by the time I get to the step of adding the taco seasoning and cheese. Didn’t look at all like the roux in your video which was just a glimpse before you added the cheese. I hope you have some ideas or post a full video. Ugh…
Hi Lisa – Step 2 and 3 shares details of how to make the roux. The key is to make sure you pan isn’t super hot and then everything kind of happens quickly. Once your butter melts, you’ll add in your flower until it becomes a paste and then you’ll want to slowly which in the cashew milk. Again, you don’t want your heat too high or it’ll burn your flour and the roux will become super sticky. Hope this helps.
I used AP flour, organic whole milk and cheddar cheese and it turned out delicious!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Very helpful and inventive.
Hi. Could include please sodium in your recipes nutritional values. Thank you, Dottie
This was perfect as is. Kids were asking for seconds!
So happy to hear that!
Thank you for this recipe! I’m getting ready to make it and am wondering if I would be able to use almond flour and flax milk?