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.
Delicious! Used 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup.
So easy and tasty
Can I use the Italian tuna ?
It might change the flavor but I don’t see any reason it wouldn’t work Velma. Enjoy the casserole!
I didn’t have panko on hand today, so I used potato chips in it’s place, it was great!
My mom used potato chips in and on top. So so good!
I was a little nervous making this only because the first time I made it, it didn’t taste too good. But this was great, not fishy tasting and a good crunch on top. It’s a keeper!
So happy to hear that Lisa!!
This is the best tuna noodle casserole recipe I have ever had. I see one of the commenters thought it was dry. Depends on your noodle you’re using. Just add a little more soup and milk comes out perfect.
Made this baked in cast iron skillet. OMG so delicious. Definitely a keeper. Going to triple recipe and send to friends house they have a large family. Truly amazing recipe.
I`ve made Tuna Casserole for years, using almost the exact same ingredients, except I don`t bake it, but my sister does, both of us don`t use topping. I cook the noodles done in a large pan, in a seperate saucepan I heat up the drained tuna, peas and cream of mushroom soup, but I use 2 cans of soup as we like it creamier. when the noodles are done, I then drain them and in the same pan I pour the soup mixture into the noodles and mix all together. I usually serve this with some kind of salad and garlic bread. The whole family loves it like that. I got that recipe when I was a kid and we were camping with some friends and found out it was so easy to make and filling. Who knew you could get a recipe that lasted for years in the woods?
Made this tonight and it was delicious. Next time I’ll add an extra can of cream of mushroom bc I really like creamy dishes, but the dish was not dry at all. I didn’t have the celery so that’s the only thing that was different from the original. My 12 yr old daughter wants this on rotation . Good stuff! Thank you for the recipe.
This is a good, Reliable recipe and holds up well to at least the minor changes I made.
Used a 9*13″ glass dish, doubling the soup and milk amounts, using 5 cups (when dry) of whole wheat spiral pasta, and 3 pouches of tuna.
For my crumb topping i tore up 5 slices of grocery store whole wheat bread, tossed with 2 T melted butter and some garlic powder. Baked uncovered and topped with cheese for 15 min, then topped with bread and baked another 10-15 min
I’ve always liked tuna casserole but am married to someone who really doesn’t. After 30 years together I finally made tuna casserole using this recipe. All day long he said he really doesn’t like it, doesn’t like warm tuna at all. I made it, served it and he actually went up for seconds!! Thank you for an awesome recipe that works for both of us!
Delicious recipe; I’ve made this many times now. I double the tuna, use extra sharp or sharp cheddar, and often add a little green pepper and grated carrot for color. A flavored broth for boiling the noodles, gives them extra flavor. I cook it until the Panko crumbs are dark and very crunchy. Deeee-licious! A tasty casserole for using up turkey, chicken or good beef, as well as tuna.
I cook by eye, “Wing it” as they say. Having never made this before it was nice to have a recipe to follow. Knowing I always have these ingredients on hand I got started.Oops! I only had 4 ounces of dry egg noodles.It filled a 9 by 9 Pyrex and it turned out excellent! I only added fresh ground black pepper and some celery salt. Oh by the way, the pan of lasagna that cooked next to the Tuna casserole turned out great also. Thanks
This is delicious! Really easy to make. My husband and I really enjoyed it and I’ll be making it again. Other reviews said it was bland but I didn’t think so at all. I left out the onion and celery and it was fantastic.
This is by far the best tuna cassarole I have ever had. We loved it!!
Excellent recipe Holly! Made it exactly like the recipe and hubby loved it! Thinking next time I may double the sauce and add extra veggies too but great just as it is. Thanks!!
Outstanding!
Really dry and lacked flavor
Cut back on your noodles or add a little more soup and milk. Some noodles soak up more liquid than others. Change your brand of tuna. I prefer White Albacore Tuna. Excellent flavor
Very easy and tasty. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because. I thought the onion was a little heavy. I’ll definitely make it again but with less onion and maybe add some minced garlic. Thanks for sharing.
I followed this recipe, but added about 1/2 cup of sour cream and it turned out so good! The sour cream added some savoury tang I was craving, but I’m sure without it it would have been just as good.
Very dry.I had to heat up cream and pour over it.
Sorry to hear that you found the casserole dry Kathie. Thank you for trying it!
Add more soup and milk or cut back on your noodles. Some noodles soak up more liquid than others. Please try again.