Tuna Noodle Casserole is a CLASSIC dinner with creamy sauce and crunchy, cheesy topping your family will love. Ready in under 45 minutes!
I love serving classic comfort foods like this, and this week I’m loving Tater Tot Casserole, One Pan Chicken Brown Rice Vegetable Casserole, and Broccoli Casserole!
Sabrina’s Tuna Noodle Casserole
Tuna Noodle Casserole is an old-fashioned recipe made with canned tuna, veggies, and noodles with a crispy top and a creamy center. It’s an American classic comfort food, and most of us have some memory of our moms serving it to us in a big casserole dish as kids.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 onion , chopped
- 1 stalk celery , chopped
- 21 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup , (2 cans)
- 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 15 oz tuna , drained (3 cans total)
- 4 cups egg noodles , cooked 1 minute shy of the directions
- 32 Ritz crackers , crushed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese , grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a frying pan add the canola oil on medium heat and cook the onion and celery for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add the onion mixture to a large bowl with the mushroom soup, evaporated milk, and peas and toss well, then carefully mix in the tuna and noodles.
- Pour into a baking dish then and bake for 20 minutes.
- While baking, mix the cracker crumbs, butter, and cheese in a small bowl and sprinkle over the baking dish. Bake for 10 more minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Chefs Notes
For the tuna, I recommend using solid white albacore instead of chunk light tuna, as the pieces will hold up better in the oven while it bakes with the creamy noodles. I also use water-packed tuna because we don’t need to add extra oil to this dish. The fats i’ve included are great for brining in the creamy flavor we are looking for! It’s the perfect balance of creamy, crunchy texture.
Table of Contents
Recipe Tips & Tricks
I like to use egg noodles because they’re a classic ingredient, but you can use any small pasta noodle you have in your pantry. You can bake this tuna casserole uncovered. Add the crunchy topping at the end and then just baking until it becomes golden brown and crispy. If you start to notice anything browning too much or burning, you can cover the casserole with tinfoil until the very end, but you shouldn’t need to.
What to Pair With
Try a nice, light salad with this creamy, filling casserole. Your favorite salad will work or you can try this Classic Wedge Salad. You could even go a little different from a green leafy salad and try adding some more protein with a Three Bean Salad alongside this recipe.
How to Store
Store: Tuna noodle casserole will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator, when stored in an airtight container.
Freeze: You can also freeze tuna casserole for up to 5-6 months. Make the casserole, then freeze it uncooked. When you want to cook it, take out the day before and defrost in the refrigerator, then bake until warmed through and the topping is crispy. Leftovers can also be frozen, but the top may not get as crispy as the first time, and the noodles may soften.
Variations
- You can use canned cream of mushroom soup for this casserole, or if you want to make it from scratch you can try my Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe.
- If you don’t have Ritz crackers, you can use potato chips or breadcrumbs instead.
- Add ¼ cup of sour cream to add a tangy flavor to the sauce. You can also cook the egg noodles in chicken broth instead of water to add some extra flavor.
- If you want to make a cheesy tuna casserole, add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese when you’re mixing everything together. The crust already contains grated parmesan cheese, but you can also add extra cheddar with the crust as well.
- Try adding some other vegetables to your baked dish, like carrots, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, or peppers.
Related Recipes
More Casserole Recipes
The following photos were used in previous versions of this post:
I just love this recipe! It’s quick, east and tastes great!
Hi Sabrina…so I bought everything needed to make this casserole. I didn’t love it but I did like it. My husband wouldn’t even eat it. The first 2 bites and he was done. For me, the evaporated milk wasn’t to my liking but the rest was good. I could really taste that milk and I’ve never been fond of that milk to begin with. Could you recommend a substitute?
Presentation was wonderful!!
1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk is basically one can as you probably discovered. If you’re substituting evaporated milk in a recipe that calls for one can, you can use 1 ? cups of milk or 1 1/2 cups of half-and-half or cream. Half-and-half has a similar creamy consistency to evaporated milk, but it doesn’t have the same slightly caramelized flavor. Heavy cream has a similar consistency and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, but it has a blander flavor. Let us know if you try the recipe again using these substitute dairy options.
thank you for the recipe i will be trying it next month when i can go to store to buy some of the ingredients, i live alone so i will be cutting it in half and will be using chicken instead of tuna(for some don’t like it all of a sudden) but will be using the rest. so thank you for a recipe i can cut in half with ease.
Do you drain the tuna?
Yes you drain the tuna!
I grew up eating tuna casserole, however I didn’t ask my mom for the recipe. I googled it and chose this one.
This recipe was fantastic!!! Everyone loved it. I give it a 5??. I used solid white albacore tuna. Simply to die for.
Thank you much for this recipe, this one will be passed down.
Aw, I’m humbled by being included in the family recipe legacy! That’s why I do what I do. Thank you for sharing!! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe, it turn out great.
Greetings from Greece.
So glad you enjoyed it, Anastasia!
Hello , can I use panko(I might not spell it correctly)bread crumbs.
I’ve not tested using it but I would assume it would work, though the crackers offer a more buttery taste than panko would offer. Enjoy!
I want to make this recipe but I have 1 concern. I am Severely allergic to mushrooms can I still make the casserole just with out the cream of mushroom soup?
You could use any other “cream of whatver” soup. I would suggest cream of celery soup. It will change the flavor a bit but not enough to make a big difference. Enjoy!
Chopped green bell pepper is also a nice option, especially if celery or peas are not used. I would also recommend the use of celery salt in the initial mix (for some nice taste) and some pepper; otherwise, it is my experience that this dish will be bland, which is why many don’t like this dish. Yes, also, a necessity are the Ritz Crakcers and Cheese (although a sharp cheddar shredded cheese is a great option, using up to an entire 2-cup package even. I also layer the cheese (first), crushed Ritz (2nd) and butter slices (third), across the entire casserole and cook with this topping for the entire 30 minutes (not 20-minutes in). Also, I use elbow macaroni (1 lb box) instead of longer egg noodle strips. Bon Appetite!
In the recipe for the tuna noodle casserole, although common sense tells you when to add the noodles, it’s not listed in directions.
I’ve updated it. 🙂
Are you asking for 3 cans of tuna, a total of 10 ounces or 3 – 10 ounce cans?
It should be 3 5oz cans of tuna, so a total of 15 ozs. Sorry for the confusion.
Looks like a great weeknight recipe!
Yep, super easy! Enjoy!
I’m seriously into casseroles at the moment and you can’t go wrong with a classic tuna noodle casserole. Sounds delicious!
It’s a great go-to classic!
You can’t go wrong with a classic like Tuna Noodle Casserole! I went to find your homemade cream of mushroom soup recipe and it doesn’t seem like you linked it. Just letting you know so you can fix it!
Thanks, I’ve been trying to get it to link but I think it’s fixed now.
This looks really delicious. My family loves tuna so I’ll have to make this for dinner soon.
I hope you all enjoy it!
Thanks for your detailed instructions and tips. This recipe really is a classic.
You’re welcome, Emily!
I like your ideas. I thought the tuna casserole would have a homemade recipe instead of canned soup ?
One the same line as the soup, there’s a link to my homemade version of the canned soup to use. Hope this helps!
Just make a simple bechemel and go from there,simple and better than a can.
The recipe doesn’t say when to add the noodles.
Thanks for catching that. Just edited it to show. 🙂