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.
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
- 1 (5 ounce each) can tuna drained
- 1 (10.5 ounce each) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine topping ingredients and set aside.
- Boil noodles al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Cook onion and celery in butter until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- In a large bowl combine noodles, onion mixture, peas, soup, milk, cheese, tuna and parsley. Mix well.
- Spread into a 2qt casserole dish and top with crumb topping.
- 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
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Wow this was the most tasteless dish I have ever made. Not sure why but there is no flavor at all. I followed the recipe exactly like it said. Cooked it even longer then it said too. Added salt to make it edible and still not good.
I’m so sorry to hear that, Jody! This recipe is usually a reader favorite. You can add some extra spices or try making homemade cream of mushroom soup to increase the flavor!
I accidentally put frozen peas in just now. Is it gonna take longer?
Hi Kristin, it shouldn’t take too much longer. Maybe a few extra minutes to fully cook and heat through.
very bland… I have tried every spice I have to season it better…..still hate it… I’m too poor for this. I will eat as much as I can of it…. because it’s food… but I hate it…
Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that Alishia. This recipe is usually a reader favorite.
Was looking forward to eating this delicious casserole for dinner preheated the oven and my casserole dish imploded in the oven! Never ever happened before is this temperature correct. very disappointed no dinner for us.
Sorry to hear that your dish broke! That’s so sad Liz. The recipe is correct as written.
I’m reading the comments and am shocked by how many Karens have taken the “I’d like to speak to the manager” tone! The author was so gracious in her replies, which makes her a bigger person than me! This is a FREE recipe – not a cookbook that you paid for. If it didn’t work out or it wasn’t to your taste, make some tweaks and try again. I also have a pretty good feeling some of it was user error.
I, like a few other people, added salt, pepper and garlic powder to the sauteed veggies (as well as some chili flake and smoked paprika), a little extra milk, and it turned out beautifully.
Thank you for sharing this FREE recipe for an inexpensive and nostalgic meal :)
Does this recipe work with 2 cans of tuna and fewer noodles?
I think that would work!
This is the best tuna casserole I have had and I am pretty picky. Thank you for this great, delicious, and easy recipe!
This dish was FANTASTIC!!! I have tried a few tuna casserole recipes they couldn’t hold a candle to this one..
We finished it in 2 days and there was only two of us..
Definitely worth making and we’ll be making this once a month. Only thing I would change is adding more cheddar cheese on the top..
My husband loves your tuna casserole recipe! It is easy to make and a delicious meal. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for a good recipe. My husband loved it so that’s all that matters! I did use a touch of garlic powder and salt and pepper. It was all very tasty. Definitely reminded me of my Mom’s Tuna, Casserole. Midwestern and Michigander style all the way.
Thank you! This recipe is exactly what I needed. I made it gluten free (celiac over here) with jovial egg noodles, pacific com soup & Aleia’s breadcrumbs.
That is awesome Leigh! Glad it turned out with those substitutions, thanks for sharing!
This was really good. I didn’t cook the celery long enough though, so it had a weird crunch. Next time, I’ll definitely start the celery long before adding the onion. I might also add another can of tuna for more of a tuna flavor. I like the idea another reviewer suggested of adding mushrooms, and maybe a little milk to make it creamier; but the recipe as it is (with the exception of cooking the onion and celery the same amount of time) is great. I will add it to my recipe binder.
Awesome recipe. I used 6 oz (weight) uncooked large elbow macaroni in place of the egg noodles & crushed seasoned croutons in place of the panko. I omitted the celery since I didn’t have any. I also added more milk. I cooked it in a cast iron skillet for 15 minutes & it turned out really creamy.
That sounds so delicious, Molly! Thanks for sharing.
Second time I’ve made this recipe…my whole family loves it! I do add cracked pepper, salt and garlic powder to the main mix. I also add sliced mushrooms, sautéing with the celery and onions. Also, for a gluten free version, I use Jovial GF egg tagliatelle pasta and Pacific GF cream of mushroom soup. Super easy recipe, very scrumptious!
Oooh, those sound like perfect substitutions for a gluten-free diet. Thanks for sharing Aly!
This casserole was much to dry, I was embarrassed to serve it to my guests. 1 undiluted can of mushroom soup and only 1/3 cup of milk is not nearly enough liquid. I won’t be making this again, a huge date of ingredients.
Oh no, I am sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you Margaret! Other readers have had success with this ratio of liquid, I am not sure what happened!
Thank you, Holly, for this recipe. It’s exactly the base I was looking for. Being an older woman who has cooked since she was 5-years old, some of these comments within the reviews are quite humorous. I am working on my empathy for inexperienced cooks and give them credit for stepping out of their comfort zone.
As I do with any recipe, it seems, I make adjustments to satisfy our family. Since some do not like onions or celery in their tuna casserole, I deleted those items and upped the amount of peas, since they are a favorite here. Since the consistency seemed a little dry to my liking, I added more milk before baking. Finally, because I didn’t have bread crumbs, I just crushed some chips and mixed the cheese with those to use as the crust.
It turned out perfect, and I know had I followed your directions it would have probably been good, just not to my family’s preferences. With time, a good cook is able to adapt a solid recipe to their liking; and that’s what you have, a very adaptable and accommodating recipe for all tastes.
Thank you for sharing!
We love that you adapted this recipe for your family Tamara, that is exactly how I cook too Also crushed chips and cheese for the topping?! Yummy!!!
This is a wonderful recipe except that it could use a bit more liquid as it was dry at the bottom. Definitely my new tuna casserole, with a bit more milk. Thanks for the recipe.
I don’t have frozen peas. Can I use canned instead? Thank you. I’ve tried several of your recipes and love them all
Hi Jerri, canned peas should work well in this recipe. Enjoy!
6 servings? I could eat this myself in one sitting. If you divide all of these ingredients by 6 there is no way there is 19g of protein per serving. There are only 20g of protein in the entire can of tuna.
Hi Joe, we always recommend using a nutrition calculator like MyFitnessPal for more accurate nutrition information but you are getting the protein from the tuna, cheese, and even the egg noodles. Hope that helps!
This is the best casserole recipe! So easy and so good! If you are planning on making this recipe, read it three times make sure you have all your ingredients ready, specially the milk. Don’t add more ingredients that the recipe calls for, you will not be disappointed.
It was VERY dry, like eating cardboard. I even used a premium tuna packed in oil. I didn’t have any celery so I substituted with peas. Perhaps the water from the celery would have made it moister? But, no way would it have been creamier. The topping was good but there could’ve been a bit more. I will NOT be making this again.
Sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work out for you Evelyn.