Tuna Casserole is right up there with meatloaf and scalloped potatoes when it comes to comfort food. It’s been a family favorite for generations!
Flaky tuna is tossed with egg noodles, peas, celery, and mushroom soup. We top this with a buttery breadcrumb topping and bake it until it’s bubbly. Serve this easy recipe with some quick Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits and a side salad for the perfect meal!
We love belly warming casserole recipes. From Cheesy Chicken Casserole to Beef Taco Casserole, there is something so comforting about a bubbly warm meal from the oven.
It’s no surprise that this tuna noodle casserole has held its place at the top of so many family favorite recipes. It is easy to make, but it’s affordable, tasty, and versatile. Nearly any leftovers or any kind of veggies can be tossed right in! Be creative with this tuna fish casserole recipe!
It can go from prep to presentation in no time at all! Need a quick potluck entrée for work or a neighborhood event? This is hands down the best tuna noodle casserole recipe out there!
How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole
The best part of this tuna casserole recipe is that it takes minimal effort to put together and once it’s in the oven, toss a simple caesar salad to round out the entire meal. Simply combine the ingredients while the noodles are cooking and mix everything together. Sprinkle on the crumb topping and pop into the oven!
Be sure to cook the noodles ‘al dente’ since they will continue to cook in the oven and you want to avoid mushy noodles! I make this tuna casserole with egg noodles, but you can use any kind of pasta you’d like. We use simple vegetables including onion, celery, and peas. This recipe is great with any veggies including leftover Green Beans, roasted carrots or steamed broccoli.
This tuna casserole recipe can be made ahead of time as well so it’s great to prep now and bake later. The creamy, cheesy, mushroom sauce that will satisfy even the pickiest of palates!
How to Freeze Tuna Casserole
It is super easy to freeze a casserole, before or after it’s cooked! It is important to fully thaw a frozen casserole before putting it in the oven to avoid overcooking some areas and undercooking others, especially if the casserole was uncooked to begin with. Just leave it overnight in the fridge to allow it to thaw safely and then bake until it reaches 165°F.
If the casserole is fully baked, let it cool completely before wrapping it and freezing it. Another great tip is to line assemble the casserole in a foil lined pan and freeze after it’s been fully wrapped and sealed. Save that casserole pan for another use! Properly wrapped and sealed casseroles can be frozen for up to 6 months without damaging flavor or texture.
Easy Tuna Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups egg noodles measured dry *approx 6 ounces
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- ⅔ cup frozen peas thawed
- 5 to 6 ounces canned tuna drained
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine topping ingredients and set aside.
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Boil noodles al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
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Cook onion and celery in butter until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
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In a large bowl combine noodles, onion mixture, peas, soup, milk, cheese, tuna and parsley. Mix well.
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Spread into a 2qt casserole dish and top with crumb topping.
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Bake 18-20 minutes or until bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Dinner
Cuisine American
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Very tasty! Will make again
Best tuna noodle casserole! I use mixed vegetables if I don’t have peas. And both are great! And I always double the recipe! ( just for the 2 of us!)
I really enjoy your recipes, but the only issue is the sodium levels. I am on dialysis, so sodium is a HUGE problem. Are there any recipes low in sodium or alternatives that I could enjoy
thank you
Hi Barbara, we don’t have any recipes that are specifically considered low sodium. But some may be easy to swap in low sodium ingredients or are just naturally low sodium. Sorry I can’t be of more help.
I really enjoyed this recipe but it was just a little dry for me. Next time I’ll use two cans of cream of mushroom and 2/3 cup milk. I also switched out the panko bread crumbs for crushed ritz cracker. All in all a keeper.
Like your recipes
Thank you
This is definitely a 5 star recipe I doubled the recipe and my husband absolutely loves this!
if I use macaroni should I use 6oz.
We use 6 ounces of egg noodles so that should work.
I pretty much made this from my memory and used this recipe as a refeŕence…my dish came out perfect!
I substituted the egg noodles for penned but they were just as tasty and they added more substance to the dish!
I have a question:
The recipe calls for 1 TBSP parsley in two places. is that dried or fresh chopped parsley?
Thank you
We use fresh chopped parsley in this recipe, Joe.
Me who never liked tuna casserole actually likes this one. Like others I don’t like the peas so eliminate them and cook broccoli on the side. Very delicious though
I am glad you enjoyed it, Kathy! Thanks for trying our recipe.
Getting ready to make this, what I’m reading, is a wonderful Tuna Casserole recipe, for our 50’s themed dinner. Your recipe just says Tuna. What’s the best type of canned tuna for this recipe please? There are several types as you know. Thank you
We love using light flaked tuna for this recipe, but you can use any canned tuna you prefer.
Looks delicious but there’s no mention of Tuna on the ingredient list or in the directions.
It’s there. If you use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top, it should bring you to the right place.
daughter sent me this saying how good it was,was preparing to cook this when my son informed me he had had tuna sandwichs 3 times this week,so I decided to try it using shredded chicken breast,my son and i almost finished off the whole casserole,it was excellent,will give a. week or so and try the tuna,but I’m telling you,the chicken was pretty dang good
That sounds delicious, James! Thanks for sharing.
Simple, and delicious..
I’ve been known to be a picky cook, and this turned out perfect.
“Simply combine the ingredients while the noodles are cooking and mix everything together. Sprinkle on the crumb topping and pop into the oven!”
Except it’s not that. It’s saute the onions and celery while the noodles are cooking, and then combine. That’s what I get for trusting the blog portion and looking at the picture while half paying attention to my wife’s work story and doing this recipe. You really should change it to a 3 step process, not a 2 step. Boil, saute, and combine.
Hi Marty, the blog portion is just an overview to prepare you for the recipe. You will want to scroll down to the actual recipe for more detailed instructions.
This is a good and simple recipe, I have a large family so I doubled the recipe and added more milk until desired consistency.
Big hit tonight. Could use more sauce. I think I’ll add more milk next time. 20 minutes in the oven was perfect.
Why does it say 3 cups egg noodles, approx 6 ounces? Isn’t 3 cups 24 ounces?
6 ounces in this case is a weight where 24 ounces is a volume. Each cup of egg noodles weighs approximately 2 oz as they are quite light.
As you can imagine, 3 cups of egg noodles and 3 cups of water don’t weigh the same amount!
Excellent! I thought it wasn’t going to be creamy enough, so I added a little more milk before putting it in the oven. It turned out perfect!!
You solid basic recipe. Obviously canned soup isn’t necessarily ideal for everyone, but if you want an easy simple recipe that still tastes really good, this is it. I hate to be on my of those reviewers, but I did make minor changes; I added 2 tablespoons of sour cream for moisture, salt and pepper, and smoked paprika to the topping. Very good recipe! Thanks!
I’m going to try this right now….however…i only have celery powder….everything else I already have
I hope you enjoyed it, Marie!