Tuna Noodle Casserole

As I’ve gotten older, my palate has become more adventurous, preferring flavors that surprise and excite me. But I grew up in the Midwest in the ’80s when creamy casseroles were a dinnertime staple, so I still have a soft spot for old-fashioned, classic dishes like this Tuna Noodle Casserole. It might not be as flashy as many of my other creations, but this Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe is filling, creamy, and totally comforting! I did update the classic a bit to fit my current cooking style, though! This is a tuna noodle casserole without canned soup, made 100% from scratch.

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“Awesome recipe. I will never use canned soup again for a casserole. So easy. I used garden veggie cream cheese because that’s what I had on hand. I also doubled the topping because I like a good crunch with my casserole. The sauteed mushrooms and onions were delicious. Another winner.”

Bryna

Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole with a twist

This classic casserole dish starts with a creamy mushroom sauce combined with delicate egg noodles, peas, and tuna, then it’s topped with a buttery breadcrumb, cracker, or potato chip topping. The classic version of tuna noodle casserole uses canned condensed cream of mushroom soup for the sauce, but in the recipe below, I’ve whipped up a homemade creamy mushroom sauce instead. It does take a little more time, but it’s totally worth it, IMHO!

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Tuna Noodle Casserole

Cost $8.65 recipe / $1.44 serving

4.57 from 41 votes

Tuna Noodle Casserole is a creamy and comforting classic American dinner full of noodles, a creamy mushroom sauce, tuna, and peas. 

Author: Beth Moncel

Servings 6 servings (1.3 cups each)

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 55 minutes mins

Total 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

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Ingredients

Casserole Filling Ingredients

• ▢ 1 yellow onion (finely diced, (250g, 2 cups) $0.78)
• ▢ 8 oz. mushrooms (cleaned and sliced, $1.94)
• ▢ ½ cup frozen peas (70g, $0.20)
• ▢ 8 oz. wide egg noodles (uncooked, $0.81)
• ▢ 12 oz. chunk light tuna (drained, $2.54*)

Sauce Ingredients

• ▢ 4 Tbsp butter (divided, $0.46)
• ▢ 1 tsp salt (divided, $0.04)
• ▢ ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.04)
• ▢ 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (20g, $0.02)
• ▢ 2 cups whole milk ($0.43)
• ▢ 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth ($0.13**)
• ▢ 4 oz. cream cheese ($0.91)

Topping Ingredients

• ▢ 2 Tbsp breadcrumbs (25g, $0.04***)
• ▢ 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (grated, (20g) $0.31)

Video

Instructions 

• Gather and prepare all ingredients.
• Finely dice the onion and add it to a skillet with 1 Tbsp butter. Sauté the onion over medium heat until softened, 3-5 minutes.
• While the onion is cooking, slice the mushrooms. Add them to the skillet with the onion and ¼ tsp each of salt and pepper. Continue sautéing over medium heat until the mushrooms have softened, for about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and onions from the skillet and set aside.
• Add the flour and an additional 2 Tbsp butter to the skillet. Cook and whisk over medium heat as the butter melts. Continue whisking as the butter and flour bubbles and foams for about one minute.
• Add the milk, broth, and cream cheese to the skillet. Whisk to combine with the butter and flour mixture. Continue cooking over medium. Whisk until the cream cheese has fully melted in and the sauce begins to simmer, at which point it will thicken, about 5 minutes. Be patient during this step; it may take some time. ****
• Add the frozen peas and the cooked mushrooms and onions back to the sauce. Stir to combine and season with the remaining salt. Set the sauce aside.
• Begin to preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Once boiling, add the egg noodles and boil for about 7 minutes, or just until tender. Drain the noodles in a colander.
• While the noodles are boiling, prepare the breadcrumb topping. Melt 1 Tbsp butter, then stir in the breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
• Combine the creamy mushroom sauce, cooked and drained noodles, and drained tuna.
• Transfer the casserole mixture to a 9×9-inch (3-quart) casserole dish, then top with the breadcrumb topping.
• Bake the casserole for about 25 minutes or until heated through and golden brown on top. Serve hot and enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

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Equipment

• Medium Skillet
• Colander
• 9×9'' Casserole Dish (3-quart)

Notes

*I went with chunk light tuna packed in water for this recipe to keep it light and budget-friendly. If you have room in your budget, solid white albacore tuna will give you even better flaky chunks of tuna in the casserole.

**I use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth, which has a full, robust flavor.

***A simple buttery breadcrumb topping creates just the right amount of texture on top of the casserole as it bakes. Some people like to use crushed Ritz crackers or even potato chips in place of the breadcrumbs.

****Be patient while thickening the sauce, as it can take some time. Heat is what activates the roux (the flour and butter mix). If your sauce is thin, keep simmering until it thickens enough to just coat the back of a spoon.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1.3cupsCalories: 435kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 23gFat: 20gSodium: 883mgFiber: 3g

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How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole Step-by-Step Photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

Sauté the onion: Start by finely dicing one yellow onion. Add it to a skillet with one tablespoon of butter and sauté over medium until the onions are soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms: While the onions are sautéing, slice 8oz. of mushrooms. Add the mushrooms, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper to the skillet with the onions and continue to sauté until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sautéed vegetables to a clean bowl.

Make the creamy sauce: Add two more tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour to the skillet. Continue to cook over medium, whisking the butter and flour together as the butter melts. Continue to cook and whisk for about one minute after the butter and flour mixture begins to bubble and foam. The butter and flour mixture helps thicken the sauce.

Add 2 cups of milk, 1 cup of vegetable broth, and 4 oz. cream cheese to the skillet. Continue to cook and whisk these ingredients together over medium heat until the cream cheese has fully melted and the sauce begins to simmer, about 5 minutes.

At this point the sauce will begin to thicken. The sauce is ready once it just coats the back of a spoon, as shown here (but isn’t super thick like gravy). Be patient during this step; it may take some time.

Add the cooked onions and mushrooms and ½ cup frozen peas to the creamy sauce. Stir to combine and season with the remaining salt. Set the sauce aside for now.

Boil the noodles: Begin to preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add 8 oz. wide egg noodles. Boil for about 7 minutes, or just until tender. Drain the noodles in a colander.

Make the breadcrumb topping: While the pasta is boiling, mix together the Parmesan breadcrumb topping. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a small bowl, then stir in 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan.

Assemble the casserole: Finally, combine the creamy mushrooms sauce, cooked and drained egg noodles, and one 12 oz. can of tuna (drained). If you wanted to add cheddar, this is the point where I’d stir it into the mix.

Transfer the casserole mixture to a 9×9-inch (3-quart) casserole dish and top with the Parmesan breadcrumb topping.

Bake in the oven: Bake for about 25 minutes in the preheated 350ºF oven, or until heated through and the top turns golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy the creamy goodness!

What to Serve with Tuna Noodle Casserole

This casserole can be a bit on the heavy side, especially if you prefer to make the cheesy version, so I like to pair it with a light and simple side salad. I also love a hot veggie side, so I’ll often roast some broccoli in the oven until it’s crisp around the edges or make our air-fried zucchini recipe (which is also topped with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, which ties in nicely with the casserole’s crunchy topping). To stretch the servings further, you could also serve up something filling like homemade dinner rolls on the side.

Storage & Reheating

Tuna noodle casserole can be stored in the refrigerator for about four days, although it will get drier the longer it is in the refrigerator. You can also freeze tuna noodle casserole for longer storage (just note the noodles will be much softer once thawed). Once it’s fully chilled in the refrigerator, simply transfer to the freezer where it will keep for about three months. I suggest dividing the casserole into single servings before freezing so you can reheat one portion at a time. To reheat, let the frozen tuna noodle casserole thaw in the refrigerator over night, then microwave until hot.

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