“This Is Us” was a big comfort show for me during its six-season run, and tuna noodle casserole was a big comfort food staple of my childhood.

This vegan, gluten-free take on the casserole makes approximately 4-6 “servings.”

Ingredients
12 ounces vegan, gluten-free penne
4 cups vegan, gluten-free creamy broth or soup
0.5 cups mushrooms (optional)
12-13 ounces vegan, gluten-free tuna
12 ounces vegan cheddar, shredded

Instructions
Boil your pasta until it is cooked al dente. If you don’t have penne, any tube noodle like macaroni, rigatoni or cavatappi would also work.

While the noodles are cooking, preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a square baking dish.

Mix the creamy broth/soup, mushrooms (optional, especially if you use a vegan cream of mushroom soup) and tuna together.

Drain your cooked noodles and stir them into the sauce, then fold in half of the cheese.

Pour the saucy noodles into the baking dish.

Top the noodles with the shredded cheese.

Place the dish on top of a baking sheet to collect any sauce that might bubble over to prevent an oven fire.

Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Serve up and dig in while you cry your way through an episode or two of “This Is Us.”

The Easy Route
As I alluded to in the recipe, using a vegan cream of mushroom soup would eliminate the need for mushrooms. You can also use pre-shredded cheddar cheese like I did.

Know of a restaurant or brand that makes vegan, gluten-free tuna noodle casserole? Please share those details in the comments.

The Pairing
I chose tuna noodle casserole as the pairing for “This Is Us” because I really found myself relating to a lot of the parent-child dynamics across the generations and timelines in the show, and one of my favorite meals my mom made for us growing up was this beloved casserole.

Strangely enough, me making a vegan version of this for the first time coincided with my mom visiting us for the first time in our house, and I was able to serve her up a hearty bowl of leftover casserole when she arrived after a long journey.

This all reminded me of the circular, time-traveling storytelling that the creators of “This Is Us” do so well.

The show tells the multigenerational story of the Pearson clan, centering on siblings Randall (Sterling K. Brown), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Kevin (Justin Hartley), along with their parents, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore).

I will say, while the actor names I put in parenthesis are the primary players in the show, all of the Pearsons are played by multiple actors as the show goes back and forth in time to tell a more complete story of the family.

This is one reason why I find “This Is Us” to be so effective. Yes, we all go through our lives trying to live in the moment as best we can, but certain events trigger memories of the past (good and bad) and make us dream about what the future might be for ourselves and our loved ones.

“This Is Us” relies heavily on its large ensemble to make the transitions in time feel seamless. And the ensemble delivers.

The show heavily plays on the emotions and is most certainly in the drama category, so if you’re not in the mood to get sucked into that space, “This Is Us” probably isn’t for you.

For me (and others), though, it is a cathartic look at family dynamics and how they change over time. The show’s six seasons allow for a deep exploration of all five lead characters and also some memorable detours into compelling side characters.

If you decide to make tuna noodle casserole and/or watch “This Is Us,” let us know! Tag us in your Instagram posts & stories, threads, tweets or TikTok videos: @veg_out_recipes