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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Do you think I could do this with rice instead of noodles for a gluten-free option? If so, any guess as to how much cooked rice I should use?
Hi Delaney, we haven’t tried this recipe with rice but you could make it gluten-free using a gf pasta substitute.
Wasn’t very flavorful but wasn’t horrible either.
This is BY FAR the best tuna casserole that I have ever had. My family loves it. We have it once a week. Please try it!!
How do you even measure dry pasta by the cup?? >.< …lol
Pour the noodles into a 4 cups measuring cup, but only up to 3 cups.
I don’t have peas I only have frozen asparagus, would that be a suitable substitute?
Using asparagus would change the taste somewhat, but I’m sure it’d be delicious!
Excellent recipe Very easy. I loved it. Thanks
You’re welcome Jenny!
is it 3 cups of noodles uncooked or cooked?
Debbie, this is 3 cups of dry (uncooked) egg noodles which is about 6 ounces. Enjoy!
They should have given the weight as a unit of measure for the cheese and pasta. As there’s too much air taking up space in the measuring cup for dry pasta and shredded cheese.
Hi Evelyn, 3 cups of dry pasta are about 6 ounces and 1 cup of shredded cheese is about 4 ounces. Hope that helps!
this is the best tuna noodle casserole ever, I do add a bit of Old Bay seasoning to the sauce, gives it a kick and boost in flavor.
Adding the Old Bay sounds Delicious! Can you tell me how much you used? Thank you
Holly is so hot who cares what it tastes like!
I did make it, spiced it up a little bit.
Fantastic!
Really Good !! Whole family,loved !!
Thanks!!
Recipes should tell you whether to bake a casserole covered or uncovered.
Do I cover this dish baking in the oven?
The tuna casserole is baked uncovered. Enjoy!
Do you fresh parsley or dried?
Hi Toni, we used fresh parsley for this recipe. For dried herbs you will want to use about ⅓ the amount since they are much stronger.
Thank you!
Delicious flavor and so easy to make. I didn’t have egg noodles on hand so substituted medium shells, didn’t have onions so sprinkled onion powder on instead and it was fantastic. Served with sides of spinach sauteed in coconut oil and garlic toast. Thank you for sharing this!
Followed recipe exactly but used broccoli instead of peas. Softened broccoli, onions, celery prior to mixing with other ingredients. I also added the tuna water from the can to the noodle water when cooking. This dish was so good!!!! Haven’t had tuna casserole in ages but certainly will be making this more now!
Tuna Noodle Casserole veteran here and a can of French’s Onion strings are the best topping ever! Trust me!
Sounds great Scott!
Do you put the condensed soup right into the pan or do you cook it first with the directions on the can?
The soup can go right into the pan, it will cook when baked in the oven!
Delicious!!! Family loved it! I’ll be making this again :)
Awesome Recipes
Very easy and quick to get on the table on a busy day. Paired with a green salad it was a great, well rounded meal. I used peas and carrots and added half Italian seasoned breads crumbs to make it a full cup with 3TB butter mixed in. Husband said it was “excellent” so we will be having this often!
Very good! I think next time I’ll add a bit more of the mushroom soup or a little of the chicken soup for added flavor. And maybe a pinch more of shredded cheese. It was a hit everyone loved it. , including me!
Are noodles cook first and measured our 3 cups?
Joan, this is 3 cups of dry egg noodles which is about 6 ounces. Enjoy!