Mrs. Leeper’s Creamy Tuna

The gluten free product review for today is Mrs. Leeper’s Creamy Tuna. In the grand tradition of boxed dinners, Mrs. Leeper’s has produced a gluten free tuna casserole made with corn pasta. It’s recognizable orange box can be easily found in most stores. The box is labeled “Mrs. Leeper’s Since 1927” which made me curious what this company started out as, since there was no such thing as gluten free boxed dinners in 1927. I moved on from my curiosity pretty quickly, though, and just made the dinner. How did it stack up? Find out below.

Ease Of Use

This gluten free tuna casserole is really no different to make than any other boxed dinner. I was pleasantly surprised to find that aside from the pasta and seasonings included in the box, all I needed to add was water, butter, tuna and milk.

There was absolutely no rocket science necessary here, I just threw everything in a pan, cooked it and ate it. As a fan of super quick and easy meals for busy nights this made me very happy. I had dinner on the table in 20 minutes, which is almost unheard of for a gluten free diet.

Appearance

Gluten free tuna casserole looks exactly the same as regular tuna casserole, whether it is a gluten free boxed dinner or not. It’s true, I’ve tested this theory. Mrs. Leeper’s Creamy Tuna is no exception to the rule. It looks like noodles completely submerged in a creamy sauce. This being one of my favorite food combinations, it looked good to me.

Taste and Texture

I was very surprised when I bit into Mrs. Leeper’s Creamy Tuna for the first time. Sitting down to do a gluten free product review is always a bit dangerous because some products carry what my husband refers to as “that gluten free funk”. Not so with Mrs. Leeper’s Creamy Tuna. It really was just yummy, creamy, noodly goodness.

No product is perfect, however, so I do have to say that I found the sauce to be a touch too salty. Not so much that I wouldn’t eat it again, just enough to notice. Also, corn pasta is a picky creature. If you overcook it, you’ll have creamy tuna mush (which is about as appetizing as it sounds).

Versatility

I almost blew past this category thinking, “how versatile can a gluten free boxed dinner be?” Well, if you’re thinking that, then you’re making the same mistake I almost did. When taken down to it’s basics, Mrs. Leeper’s Creamy Tuna is just noodles and cream sauce. That leaves a lot of room for creativity.

You can add any kind of meat, poultry, fish or cheese to completely change the flavor profile. Frozen vegetables can stretch the portions of this gluten free boxed dinner to make room for one more. You can even put a buttery crumb topping on it and bake it for something a little more fancy. My favorite: Add frozen peas and shredded carrot while cooking and top with shredded Colby Jack cheese.

Overall Value

Mrs. Leeper’s Creamy Tuna sells in most stores for about $2.79. It is enough to feed my whole family and even the gluten eating members of my household like it.

Considering the small amount of time it takes to prepare and the equally small price tag, I would say this product has a fantastic overall value.

Rating

I give this product my highest rating, which is rare since I’m kind of picky. It scored well in all five categories of my rating criteria and has become a staple in my house for those nights when I’m exhausted but still need to eat.