Creamed Tuna on Toast
In this post I am sharing the old school recipe for Creamed Tuna on Toast.
This recipe came from the great depression era where times were tough and folks didn’t have a lot of money. Stretching those dollars as far as possible to feed your family was a necessity.
Just because the recipe is cheap doesn’t mean that it isn’t tasty. In fact, many folks still enjoy this meal and consider it a comfort food.
I decided to prepare and share this recipe with y’all because one of the comments that I see every time my Creamed Chipped Beef recipe is shared is about creamed tuna. This tuna, white sauce and peas combination is also called tuna gravy by some.
Have you ever had creamed tuna on toast?
Hard Times Creamed Tuna
Do you have to eat creamed tuna on toast? No. Creamed tuna can also be served over mashed potatoes, biscuits, cooked rice or pasta.
What type of canned tuna do you use for creamed tuna? I happen to be using StarKist but any canned tuna will work fine as long as it is packed in water (not oil).
Old Fashioned Tuna Gravy
Since we’re talking about tuna, have you tried my recipes for the Best tuna salad or tuna noodle salad? They’re delicious so check them out!
In the printable recipe card below you’ll get the step by step directions for how to prepare this creamed tuna.
Creamed Tuna on Toast
Ingredients
- 4 tbs Butter 1/2 stick
- 1/3 c All Purpose Flour
- 3 c Whole Milk
- 1 tsp Salt
- Cracked Black Pepper to taste
- 8 oz Canned Tuna drained
- 1/2 c Frozen Green Peas
- Toasted Bread for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Next, add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes then add the milk.
- Season the white sauce and simmer until thickened then add the tuna and frozen peas and gently stir to combine.
- Serve over toasted bread, potatoes, rice or noodles if desired.
Nutrition
More tips for making this recipe:
Use a quality canned tuna that you enjoy eating and be sure to drain it very well before adding it to the white sauce.
The combination of flour and melted butter is known as a roux. When milk is added and it thickens it becomes a white sauce, the base for many sauce recipes.
You might also enjoy my Creamy Salmon Pasta Salad Recipe!
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See this recipe shared at Meal Plan Monday & Weekend Potluck.
About Julia
Hey Y’all! I’m Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia’s Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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My parents used to make something like this but I never tried it. It looks delicious!
It’s a tasty little meal.
I had this growing up on Fridays, Mom made it with Salmon .. It helped salmon go farther for 7 of us, was very good. I had to make the toast like a whole loaf if not more.
I’m gonna have to try it with salmon. This was a great budget stretcher meal. Thank you for stopping by to share your memory with me.
This was my mother’s go to staple. She was unusual in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a working Mom. She taught nursing at a local university, and often didn’t get home until after 5, so having something she could get on the table in 20 minutes flat was a blessing. She served it in a way I’ve not seen before or since. She served it on crunchy chow mein noodles that she heated on a sheet pan in the oven, and instead of frozen peas, she served it with Leseur brand tiny peas. She always served it with a lettuce cup, with pineapple slices or chunks, a dollop of mayo and a marichino cherry on top. Way before I could read, when I saw that silver can (that was distinctive to LeSeur brand peas…still is) I knew my favorite supper was coming. My husband didn’t like tuna, and I had two growing boys, so I switched to the large can of chicken, and doubled the White sauce, but my kids still grew up with the silver can. Now that I cook mostly for myself, I’m back to using tuna, and often use frozen peas, since i can adjust the amount, but it’s still the meal I turn to when I need something quick and comforting! Thanks for letting me meander down memory lane!
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful family memories with us! Food is such a comfort and takes us back to wonderful times.
Ahh, grew up on this stuff. Still love it. Lots of butter on the toast, and we add a splash of Worcestershire and onion powder to the white sauce.
That sounds delicious, Heather! You can never go wrong with extra butter.
Loved this as a go to easy meal when we were kids..still do. Mom used to add chopped hard boiled eggs to the sauce and we had it over crumbled saltine crackers…