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
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
made this recipe this evening and we loved it. It’s like the one I used to make.
When I’m looking for a recipe I reach for your because they have all been easy and delicious.
Thanks for sharing. I”m just a simple county girl.
Vicky
Thank you for following along Vicky, I’m so glad you’re here!
Yummy!!
I never had tuna casserole in my life until I married my husband. He actually has an even easier recipe but I wanted to try yours. When we had a young, poor family, I made often. So quick and easy for a busy school night. My husband’s version didn’t have any vegetables……go figure. I made your version last night which was delicious. My 8 year old grandson ate every bite. I was pleasantly surprised. He even commented that it smelled good. I don’t think he realized there were onions and celery in it……of course I couldn’t hide the peas but he ate every bite. Thank you Holly.
I make this all the time.. ez and good..
Need 2 large cans of Albacore tuna, make it worth the effort, never skimp on the meat or tuna, otherwise great.
It won’t let me print!
Hi Teresa, I am not sure what happened. We tested it out and it seems to be printing again. Hopefully it works for you this time!
good stuff
Very good, very versatile, very easy. Ive used both canned chicken and tuna. Changed the cream soup flavor for each. I love egg noodles. Different veggies ok too. Just use the quantities from the recipe. Crunchy topping is amazing. A keeper!
Additional comment: I am vegetarian and used a veggie tuna substitute. This was the first time I’ve made “tuna” casserole since I became vegetarian nearly 25 years ago. It was wonderful.
Loved this. I didn’t have noodles so I substituted spinach fettuccine and added chopped fresh mushrooms. Since I like Swiss with both tuna and mushrooms, I used that, instead of cheddar.
I forgot to add the peas but it was delicious anyway. I loved the crumb topping. It’s well worth the effort.
I tripled the recipe and made it for 8 hungry men and 2 women—-and didn’t have ANY leftovers! In fact, my only complaint is that it doesn’t make 6 adult servings. I would say 4 servings….OF PURE DELICIOUSNESS. Only change I made was replacing buttered panko crumbs with crushed lays potato chips —because that is the way I remember eating it as a kid.
Thank you for a perfect trip down memory lane! I promised my husband I’d keep this recipe and make it again—which delights me because he has always claimed he hates peas, but apparently not this time!
My husband and I love this recipe!!! It is on our table at least once a month❤️ I’ve mixed a few things up in it like, adding a few mushrooms, an mixed veggies, but that’s about it. So, so good with fresh canned tuna straight from the ocean. My goodness❤️❤️❤️
I really liked this recipe. Followed it all the way except for the topping. Instead of the panko topping, I used crushed potato chips like my mom used to do when I was a kid. Yum! Thanks
Very yummy
Quick and delicious!
Added to our winter rotation.
I really liked this recipe. Followed it all the way except for the topping. Instead of the panko topping, I used crushed potato chips like my mom used to do when I was a kid. Yum! Thanks
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious. Excellent comfort food! I left out the celery just because I’m not a fan, but I didn’t miss it. I just added more onion. Delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe! =)
one of the best I’ve ever had!
I made this recipe which was fantastic the only change I made because I didn’t have frozen peas I had green beans which was fine but the next time I’m definitely going to make it with peas thank you for this wonderful recipe after I made this I bought your cookbook thanks again
So glad you enjoyed it, Catherine! Thank you for your support ❤️
Made the tuna noodle casserole. We loved it. I made two more batches and froze them for another busy night. Simple and easy to put together.
Thank you.
Tasted great! Only thing I added was a jar of. Pimentos. Tried to make tuna casserole like I had in junior high school. Not quite there yet. Turned out fine,anyway.