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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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!
I hust popped it in the oven but snuck a taste before it went in. Delish!
For the nay sayers….everyone’s taste buds enjoy little changes of which you can easily do….even for variations of this recipe in the same household.
It’s a keeper.
(pardon the typeo…just)
Another fabulous recipe by Holly! I’ve always enjoyed a basic tuna casserole but the addition of sautéed celery and onions and the delicious crunchy topping are game changers! This is now the only one for me!
Great tuna noodle casserole! Reminds me of my mom’s growing up.
Turned out excellent!!!
The best ever tuna noodle casserole! And so easy too ! Thank you for the recipe. I will save it.
Nice blend of vegie, cheese and noodles with a little crunch on top. Winner in my family!
Best recipes ever.
I added onion & garlic powder along with, minced garlic with the sauté onion/celery. Also some salt and pepper. Alittle mayo and some reach seasoning
I found this on your website specifically because I’ve always enjoyed your recipes, but this one was a bit underwhelming. When baking, this smelled just like I remember as a child, but the end product was more dry than I expected and under-seasoned. I used Campbell’s condensed soup thinking that would be the average one used, and salt/pepper was not mentioned in the recipe.
Next time I’ll be adding salt and pepper and other seasonings, additional liquid, and probably more tuna. Overall, it’s a nice base recipe.
Cooked exactly as recipe called and came out very dry. Next time will use two cans of cream of mushroom
Easy, fast, and delicious . This is my second time making.
I followed the recipe as written, and found this to be good, but not great. I thought it was on the dry side, and added milk when heating leftovers. To me, it was on the bland side, and I sprinkled on spices after serving. In the future, I would add more tuna, more milk, and add spices for more flavor.
Love your meals, always taste delicious
Great recipe! I’ve made it a handful of times and everyone loves it. I did make some changes- I always double recipe, add fresh chopped mushrooms and minced garlic to the celery/onion mixture and cook on stove, 1 can cream celery 1 can cream mushroom, 1/2 cup milk, def double cheese and cheese/crumble topping. I freeze one batch w/o baking and then bake the other for dinner the night of. EXCELLENT!
Second time making this. Didn’t have plain peas so I used a basic vegetable blend. Then out just as good, maybe a little better. Thanks for the recipe.
Easy, affordable, and VERY delicious. Thank you for the recipe, I followed it exactly.
Can you make it without the cream of mushroom soup?
Hi Crystal, You could replace it with another creamy condensed soup.
Solid recipe. I used organic cream of mushrooms soup that has plenty of salt in it already. I added some spinach along with the peas. I use 2 cans of tuna or 1 large can of salmon. I used plenty of fresh parsley. Thanks for a great recipe.