Dairy-Free Tuna Brown Rice Casserole with Cashew Cream Sauce
This take on tuna casserole is every bit as delicious as the original. It's brown rice baked in a creamy cashew sauce with canned tuna, peas, and crunchy croutons on top. It's easy comfort food at its best, and it's ready in under an hour!
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in cold water for 4-24 hours
- 1 ½ cups brown rice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 clove garlic, grated on a Microplane or very finely minced
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 2 cans tuna, use both the tuna and the liquid in the cans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups cubed bread
Instructions
- Bring the brown rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is soft, about 40 minutes.1 ½ cups brown rice
- While the rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the casserole. Drain the cashews and place them in your food processor or blender with 2 ¼ cups of cold water, sea salt, and garlic. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Stir in the frozen peas and tuna.2 cups raw cashews, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 clove garlic, 2 cups frozen peas, 2 cans tuna
- Place the bread crumbs in a medium-sized bowl and toss them with olive oil.2 cups cubed bread, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Once the rice is cooked, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and assemble the casserole. Begin by covering the bottom of a 9x11 inch casserole dish with a thin layer of the cashew cream sauce. Top with half the rice then half the remaining sauce. Repeat once more. Top with the bread cubes.
- Bake, uncovered, in your oven for 30-40 minutes, or until it is hot and bubbling and the croutons are toasted. Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
The cashew cream sauce is a lot runnier than a traditional cheese sauce before it is baked. Don't worry, it will thicken as the tuna casserole bakes.
A high-speed blender is ideal for achieving a smooth texture in your cashew sauce. If you're using a regular blender, I recommend soaking the cashews for as long as possible (up to 24 hours).
Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 884kcal, Carbohydrates: 104g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 19g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 1006mg, Potassium: 1015mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 604IU, Vitamin C: 30mg, Calcium: 134mg, Iron: 9mg