Lighten up your next meal with Jumbo Stuffed Shells With Tuna Salad. These are perfect served cold with a side salad for lunch or made warm and crispy by popping into the oven with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and parmesan for a more substantial dinner. Easily made gluten-free by using a gluten-free shell. Always a favourite with the kids and a great meal planning option if you like to have things made up and ready to go for a busy week ahead.
Jumbo Stuffed Shells With Tuna Salad
We are HUGE tuna salad fans in this house.
I swear my kids would eat tuna sandwiches every day if I let them!
Instead, I like to change things up, and tuna salad stuffed jumbo shells are the perfect way to do just that.
They:
- are easily made ahead of time, so make a great meal-planning option;
- can be made GF if you choose a gluten-free shell and breadcrumbs;
- are always a favorite with kids;
- can be eaten cold as a lunch with a side salad;
- can be sprinkled with breadcrumbs and parmesan and baked for 10 minutes and served warm and crispy for a more substantial and comforting dinner;
- come together super quickly, making them the perfect option for a weeknight meal;
- can be prepped ahead of time and left in the fridge ready to pop into the oven when it comes time to eat, making them a great meal prepping option if you have a busy week coming up, or a meal you can pass on to friends or family.
Winning!
How To Make and Serve Up These Tuna Salad Stuffed Shells
These are super easy to make.
Simply cook the pasta, stuff the cooked pasta shells with the prepared tuna salad, and serve as-is for a light lunch.
Or you can always take it one step further (my favourite way to prepare them), and pop the stuffed shells into a baking dish, sprinkle on some breadcrumbs and parmesan, bake for 10 minutes and serve with a side salad for a more substantial lunch or dinner.
Want to change things up?
Try these ideas:
- pour over some marinara before baking to make it more of a pasta-bake type meal;
- pour over a nice creamy bechamel before baking for a twist on tuna casserole.
Love tuna and want to try another recipe? Try this easy tuna pasta salad next.
Troubleshooting:
My pasta shell ripped.
That's fine.
If you like everything to look pretty then munch on that ripped one and just stuff another one.
If you don't care about how it looks then just stuff it anyway.
It will still taste just as good.
I have lots of leftover tuna salad.
Save it and use it for a sandwich or a wrap the next day.
I have people coming over and like to be prepared. Can this be made in advance?
Yes, absolutely.
Stuff the shells with the tuna salad and keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
If you are serving it warm as dinner, just top with the breadcrumbs and parmesan and pop into the pre-heated oven when you are nearing the time your guests would like to eat.
What type of tuna should I look for?
I always look for sustainably caught tuna.
The seal of approval is going to be different depending on where you live, but have a good look at the can and it should give you the information you require.
My favourite brand when I can find it is Wild Planet.
Basically you should be looking for something that is:
- pole and line caught
- comes with no added fillers
- comes from a company looking to support sustainable fishing practices.
Love stuffed shells and want to try something different? Try these stuffed shells with ground beef next.
Need More Pasta Recipes?
Once you have polished off your tuna stuffed shells you should go on ahead and check these out:
- Spinach, Mushroom and Ricotta Cheese Manicotti Skillet
- Lightened Up Sundried Tomato and Salmon Alfredo Pasta Bake
- Lightened Up Creamy Pasta Salad
- Vegan Tomato Cream Sauce with Pasta
Happy Eating
xx
Recipe
Tuna Salad Stuffed Jumbo Shells
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Ingredients
- 20 large gluten free pasta shells
- 2 142g cans of sustainably sourced tuna (in water)
- 2 celery stalks diced
- ½ cup real mayonnaise
- ¼ cup pickle relish
- ⅛ cup dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon dried parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
- Boil pasta per the box’s directions. Be sure not to overcook them as they will rip or be difficult to work with.
- Once cooked, drain the shells in a colander.
- Combine all your ingredients except the bread crumbs and fresh parsley, in a large bowl and mix well.
- Gently fill each shell with a couple small spoonfuls of the tuna mixture. You don’t want them overflowing, as they will make a mess and not sit up correctly if you do.
- As you fill the shells, line them up in a casserole dish.
- Once shells are full, sprinkle with bread crumbs, fresh parsley and parmesan if desired and serve! If you prefer to make them a little crispy or to eat them warm, bake for around ten minutes at 350 degrees.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Greta says
Loved this tuna salad. So unique and flavorful. Thanks for the recipe.
Dana says
Such an ingenious way to change up tuna salad! We love tuna, but sometimes get bored with a plain old sandwich. Will definitely add these stuffed shells to the rotation!
Sharina says
Tuna salad is my favorite and these Jumbo stuffed shells were sooo good! My new favorite with lots of parmesan cheese on top!
Sandra Shaffer says
This came out great! I doubled the recipe to share with a neighbor. Super easy when it can be made in advance. Will make again. Thanks.
Cam says
Super enjoyed making this and tasted so delicious!