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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Made this for dinner tonight, according to directions. Had nothing in the fridge for dinner but had tuna and noodles in the pantry. It was delicious – especially loved the crunchy topping. Truly a comfort food recipe, calling for simple, already-on-hand ingredients. Great for a weeknight meal. Hubby was very happy.
So happy to hear that Casey! We love this casserole too!
I have made this recipe a lot of times. Always share with my neighbor who unfortunately works 12hrs. We both love it so much it made every week. Did make a few changes nothing drastic (salmon, extra peas and a little extra milk) Either original or my changes it’s absolutely delicious. So glad I came upon this recipe. My next recipe is your Chicken Cordon Bleu. I know it will be another fabulous meal. Thanks for sharing
How great Thomas! So glad to hear you love this casserole! Enjoy the Chicken Cordon Bleu too!
Can I use cream of celery soup instead of mushroom soup and celery?
Yes Wendy, cream of celery soup will taste great!
Hi Holly, I want to make this tomorrow. Did you use curly parsley or flat leaf, or would either be ok? Thank you!
Either would work just fine in this recipe.
I love these recipes
Awesome. Easy recipe
Delicious!! I used canned peas because I didn’t have frozen. Still Great
Very good And extremely easy! Because of covid I had to adjust a few things because I didn’t have some things in the pantry/ fridge.
I had some frozen tilapia filets so I just baked those as per packaging, seasoned them with salt/ pepper and butter – baked them at 425 for 17 minutes, and then shredded them to add to my casserole. I think next time I’ll also add another can of tuna too.
I didn’t have celery, but I grated a medium carrot and used the frozen peas. Also, I didn’t have egg noodles but just had regular twirl pasta.
It came out really well!
I’ve never tried the panko, butter, cheese and parsley crumb topping before, but I’m going to start using it on all my casseroles from now on. It was delicious and added a different texture to the casserole.
I like how this is quite versatile and people can add whatever spices and seasoning to this dish. I’m excited to try this with mushroom, or red peppers and other vegetables next time. This is staying in my recipe rotation. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing your changes Grace! Sounds great!
My son is assisting a local charity with making casseroles for people affected by the COVID-19 shut down. We needed something that we could freeze since these will be distributed later on. We made a little extra so that we could try it, and it turned out really delicious. I’m usually not a big fan of casseroles, but I think I might have to add this to my own rotation of recipes.
So happy to hear that Amber!
I want to make this for my parent so they can heat up and eat later. I want to put it in smaller containers so they can freeze them and take out when they want to. Do I cook it first and then freeze or leave uncooked?
How nice! Tips for freezing the casserole are right above the recipe card Shelley! Both work. Enjoy!
I made this 2 hours before baking and it was creamy looking. After baking it was very watery and not creamy at all.
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, JoAnn, this recipe usually works out great for our readers.
Should the cheese be shredded?
Schwab, yes it should be!
Haven’t made it yet but sounds delicious Holly. Do I dare try doubling the recipe the first time I make it?
This recipe should work just fine if you double it. It may need a few minutes extra to heat through.
I’m not gonna lie, I was dreading this casserole. A friend gave us some fresh canned tuna, and my husband wanted a hot tuna casserole. I remember having it as a kid, and hating it. Imagine my surprise to discover I absolutely loved it. I made it exactly as the recipe stated. It’s delicious. I will make it again and again, I’m sure. I disagree with other reviewers that say it needs salt. People can always add salt after as they wish. I wouldn’t change a thing. Yum!
This is in the “rotation” at my house. I’m not the cook, but I can make this once a month and my husband loves it. It really is easy and foolproof. Thank you!
Thank you Kathy!
all it needs is the kitchen sink and its good to go, pennies only eh?
The recipe is too dry, needs some salt, maybe an extra can of tuna.
The recipe is very easy to adapt to your liking Mary. Thank you for sharing!
Can’t wait to try this. Do you think cooking/baking in a cast iron pan would work?
I think it’d work just fine (as long as it’s big enough).
I have been on the Keto diet for 6 months, however today I picked my first batch of peas and couldn’t help but try to find a receipe that was like the one my girlfriend made for me that has cheese and peas in it. I found yours and I’m really excited to make it and fudge on my keto diet.
Made this and it was delicious. I did add another can of tuna and added salt. This recipe desperately needs salt. Probably a 1/4 tsp.
I waited awhile to make a comment about this recipe. I have made it at least 10 times and the recipe is perfect the way it is written. As long as you go by the exact recipe it will turn out perfect and my family loves it.
I’m a little bit confused by “3 cups of egg noodles.” Is this before or after cooking? If it’s before cooking, I would think that different brands of egg noodles would measure out differently. I have noodles that are packaged like little round nests, for instance, and 3 cups of those would be like five noodles. How do I get the right amount?
Hi Joe, this is 3 cups of dry egg noodles which is about 6 ounces if that helps!