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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What would be a good vegetable to substitute for peas?
Whatever vegetable you prefer Gina! You can try adding additional celery, mushrooms, maybe some chopped broccoli, or you can simply make it without the peas! Enjoy!
Made this for dinner tonight. Delicious. I must admit I was in a hurry and used a whole cup of milk by mistake but the casserole turned out perfect. I can’t imagine using only a third cup I believe it would have been way to dry. Thanks for a quick and easy recipe.
I want to make this for supper tonight, but I need to know if the parsley is fresh or dry. My parsley plant hasn’t grown tall enough for the amount I need. If dry, how much do I use?
Hi Linda, we used fresh parsley for this recipe. For dried herbs you will want to use about ⅓ the amount since they are much stronger.
Can I use macaroni in stead of egg noodles and if so how much
Definitely Anne! I would use the same amount of macaroni noodles as egg noodles.
He recipes sound excelent.I want to try them.
My prep time was at least an hour. Would double the milk next time so that it’s a bit more creamy.
Would like to print tuna noodle casserole
Hi Carolyn, right above the recipe there is a print recipe button that should let you print this recipe out :) Hope that helps!
We love this wonderful version of an old comfort food—thanks for sharing. I’m going to double the recipe this time and freeze one for later use. I know you said bake to 165 degrees, but my thermometer’s not working and now’s not the best time to shop for a new one. About how long does that take in the oven with a fully thawed casserole? Thanks in advance!
A thawed casserole will need about 30 minutes, it just needs to heat and not to actually cook through as all of the parts of this recipe are cooked. You can insert a butter knife in the center to see if it’s hot.
It was very good
Any egg noodle substitutes?
Any pasta should work just fine in this recipe.
Your recipes are wonderful
Hi haven’t tried it yet but did make it and ready to pop in oven ,
Do you add extra butter and cheese on top with the bread crumbs??
Thank you
Hi Steve, for the crumb topping we combine bread crumbs, cheese, butter, and parsley! Check out the recipe for quantities.
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. I used to make my tuna casserole using a white sauce, but this recipe was much easier and tastier.
This recipe for tuna casserole is the best I have ever tried. My husband requests it at least twice a month. I have to double the recipe because the first time I made it there was not enough 6 adults at least not for the savages in my family lol.
Both my kids ate this (well except the peas lol) and that’s a pretty tall order! It was delicious and I’ll for sure make it again. Reminds me of my childhood!
Are the 3cp noodles, dry? Then boiled?
That is correct Lupe. Enjoy!
Totally love this recipe! I’ve shared it several times! Very simple and delicious!
Easy and great recipe!
Prepped this and it’s in the fridge ready to heat up in a few hours for dinner. Can’t wait to try it!
Do I need to grease or butter the baking dish first?
Hi Stephanie, we didn’t need to for this recipe. Enjoy!
Luving this, thank you!