This tuna lasagna recipe is layered with all the essentials: noodles, tuna & cheese. Covered in a crispy coating of chips. But there’s a twist to this casserole topping. The chips are made out of cottage cheese!
Let’s play a game in the kitchen
It’s the season of celebrations.
For this month’s Recipe Redux, we’re playing a little party game to kick off the the end of 2017, Grab a Book and Cook. Selecting cookbook recipes based on their page number—any combination of the number ‘2017’—to recreate.
Sound familiar? That’s because we’ve played this game before.
Best. Game. Ever.
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Grab a book and cook (2017 edition)
This year’s recipe comes from Chrissy Teigan cookbook, Cravings. That title alone tells you it’s gonna be good right?!
We’re recreating the Cheesy Jalapeno Tuna Casserole with Potato Chip Topping (page 227) into a thin lasagna dish with a tuna melt style filling.
Serve this dish as a main, side dish, or even an appetizer when into small (~1 inch) squares as shown here.
And, the best part is you don’t have to skip the potato chip topping. The chips used in this recipe are actually made from cottage cheese. That’s right, these Cottage Cheese Crisps can replace potato chips in baked dishes too. Wait, it gets better. Since you’re crumbling the chips on top of the lasagna, their size does not matter in this recipe. Making the process of cooking the chips much easier.
Ingredients
- cottage cheese – Trader Joe’s (small curd 4% milkfat) works best for this recipe
- diced fire roasted green chiles, diced – used about a quarter of the can also from Trader Joe’s
- tuna fish – 5 ounce can, drained
- mozzarella cheese – shredded
- frozen peas
- fresh spinach leaves – packed & roughly chopped
- black pepper – coarsely ground
- milk – use 2% or your milk of choice
- cheddar cheese – shredded or crumbled
- no bake lasagna noodles
Overview on how to make this tuna lasagna recipe
- Prepare the chip topping, out of cottage cheese.
- Combine the filling
- Layer between the noodles
- Bake
Cottage cheese chips
Even though it gets added last, start by preparing the chip topping.
To do this, combine the cottage cheese and some of the chiles. Follow the instructions to make these cottage cheese chips on the stove. Or try this faster way of making microwave cheese chips.
Since the chips are crumbled on top of the dish, portioning precise amounts of cottage cheese (to turn into uniform chips) isn’t necessary. You can use large spoonfuls, just make sure to increase the cooking time.
Make the filling
Meanwhile, mix together the tuna fish, mozzarella, peas, spinach, pepper and the rest of the chiles. Pour in some milk in to wet the mixture.
Assemble & bake
Line the bottom of a 9 x 13″ baking tin with parchment paper.
Pour in a small amount of the milk. Then line the bottom with three of the lasagna noodles. Layer on half the tuna mixture, a third of the cheddar cheese, and some more of the milk. Repeat to build another layer.
Then top with the last of the noodles. Pour over the remaining milk + some water. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese. Crumble cottage cheese chips over the top.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 40 minutes (covered) and an additional 15 (uncovered).
Pin for Later
Tuna Lasagna Recipe
Tuna Lasagna Bites
Tuna Melt Lasagna topped with crumbled chips made out of cottage cheese.
Ingredients
- ½ cup cottage cheese (for best results use Trader Joe's brand, 4%)
- 2 tablespoons fire roasted diced green chiles, divided
- 1 can tuna fish (5 oz.), drained
- 4 ounces (~1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup frozen peas
- 1 cup spinach leaves, packed and roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
- 1½ cups milk (I used 2%)
- 2 ounces (~½ cup) cheddar cheese, crumbled
- 9 pieces no bake lasagna noodles
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the cottage cheese and 1 tablespoon green chiles. Follow these instructions to make cottage cheese chips. Since these chips will be crumbled for this recipe, it is not necessary to carefully measure the amount of cottage cheese mixture to cook . Large spoonfuls can be used instead. Adjust the cooking time accordingly. Makes about 4 large chips.
- Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, mix together the tuna fish, mozzarella, peas, spinach, pepper and remaining 1 tablespoon of chiles. Pour 1/2 cup of the milk in to wet the mixture.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking tin with parchment paper.
- Pour a small amount of the milk into the bottom of the baking tin. Add 3 of the lasagna noodles to the bottom of the tin. Layer with half the tuna mixture, a third of the cheddar cheese, and some more of the milk. Repeat. Add the final layer of 3 noodles. Pour over the remaining milk. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese. Crumble cottage cheese chips over the top.
- Add 1/2 cup water into the side of the pan to raise the liquid level.
- Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool before cutting into pieces.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 63Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 123mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 6g
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This post was originally published in 2017 and has been revamped and updated in July 2023.
