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!

Spooning out a serving of Tuna Casserole with a wooden spoon

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!

Tuna Casserole ingredients in a clear glass bowl before mixing together

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!

Tuna Casserole served on a white plate

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.

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
Tuna Casserole served on a white plate
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Easy Tuna Casserole

Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe is a classic for good reason. In this weeknight favorite, flaky tuna and tender egg noodles are mixed with a cheesy creamy sauce and baked under a crumb topping until golden and bubbly.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Servings 6 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 3 cups egg noodles measured dry *approx 6 ounces
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • cup frozen peas thawed
  • 5 to 6 ounces canned tuna drained, 1 can
  • 10.5 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 can
  • 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

1 cup of dry egg noodles weighs about 2 ounces.
4.94 from 2026 votes

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1.25cup | Calories: 323 | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 689mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 256mg | Iron: 2mg

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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Easy Tuna Casserole with title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. I’m a light eater, but I could have eaten the entire 2 qt. casserole by myself. I used what I had on hand so I used rotini pasta and Italian bread crumbs, other than that, I had all the other ingredients. The rotini gave the casserole “heft”. I forgot the butter in the bread crumbs, so I added it on top after baking the casserole a few minutes, but it made no significant difference in the crumb topping. It still came out crunchy. To be perfectly honest, I’ve never been much of a fan of tuna noodle casserole, but I can’t wait to make this one again. Delicious!5 stars

  2. Can’t wait to try this, but can you tell me, if I double the recipe, shouldn’t I use a 9×13 dish instead of the 8×8 dish that the doubled portion recipe calls for?

    1. Hi Christine, we bake this recipe in a 2 qt baking dish. If doubling this recipe you will want to either make two 2 quart pans or use a large enough baking dish to accommodate the recipe. A 9×13 should work but might be on the smaller side for doubling this recipe.

  3. Great recipe, made this tonight. I used 2 cans of tuna in oil, and topped with French’s Fried Onions. Saved this in my fave’s, will make again, thank you for posting this :)5 stars

  4. Made exactly as written. Unfortunately it was a little bland and dry. Will try again with one more can of both tuna and mushroom soup.

  5. I love this recipe, I have made modifications by adding extra peas and celery as well as adding in carrots. Very good especially when you are trying to get your veggies in!5 stars

  6. Did not have canned soup so I made my own cream of mushroom soup. Delicious! Liked the crunchy top. Definitely a keeper. Thanks!5 stars

  7. Needs quite a lot more mushroom soup & milk to have a sauce-like, slightly gooey mouth feel. The proportions on the liquids were not correct.

  8. This is my “go to” recipe for tuna casserole! To me it’s comfort food and this recipe is easy and delicious. I use bow tie pasta for this recipe. Thank you for sharing!5 stars

  9. I made this yesterday with some changes and it was pretty good. I added mushrooms, sherry, a little extra milk, I used white cheddar cheese, and I found Campbells cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic flavoring in it.4 stars

    1. This is 3 cups of dry (uncooked) egg noodles which is about 6 ounces. Enjoy Heather!

      1. Making it tonight. Will share with my neighbor as she likes Tuna Casserole, with Cucumber salad on the side. The European kind made with vinegar.

  10. It was good except I like mine creamier. I would add 2 cans of soup and more milk to it if I were to make it again.4 stars

  11. I thought I had commented on this before but I don’t see my review right off. I just want to make absolute sure that you know how much I love this recipe and so appreciate what you do. I have made this gosh, probably at least 10 times. Everyone always loves it. So easy to have the ingredients on hand for a quick and easy meal. I usually keep minced onion on hand because chopping onion is not my favorite thing with sensitive eyes to begin with. I usually use 1/2 a jumbo can of condensed soup ( so its closer to 13 oz. ) and I always use 2 small cans of tuna or 1 jumbo can. Sometimes I use frozen mixed veggies too. No matter how it’s made using these small tweaks, it always comes out great. Got another one in the oven right now! Thank you for all you do!!! ; )5 stars

    1. Thank you for your kind words Susan! I am so happy to hear how much you love this recipe!!

  12. I wasn’t prepared to make the casserole in such short notice I had to buy a few ingredients and put the ingredients together didn’t finish baking it had to go for roommate from work arrived at home then I finished baking process my Roommate liked it, I will try making it again need enough time to make it right this time4 stars

  13. Does the recipe call for condensed cream of mushroom soup or condensed golden mushroom soup? I’m sure either would work.

      1. Thank you! It finally cooled down enough to bake a casserole and this was worth the wait. My family loved it, young and old alike.5 stars