Tuna Noodle Casserole
by Chungah
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Made with canned tuna, egg noodles, a dreamy cream sauce and an irresistible crispy topping using simple pantry ingredients! No canned soup!
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Why You’ll Love This Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe
- Quintessential comfort food (childhood favorite). With its rich, creamy sauce, soft egg noodles, and crunchy topping, tuna noodle casserole is simply a weeknight family favorite.
- Uses pantry staples. This is what we call easy speedy comfort food using pantry staples like canned tuna and dried pasta, perfect for busy weeknights and snow days (or really, any night of the week).
- Made from scratch. We’re talking amazingly creamy, cheesy goodness here without any of the canned soup!
- The crispy topping. This casserole includes the most irresistible crisp, crunchy, lemony Parmesan-Panko topping!
- Freezer-friendly. Tuna noodle casserole freezes beautifully, great for meal prep, convenience, quick meals or gifting to new parents.
What is a tuna noodle casserole?
Tuna noodle casserole is a favorited classic American dish considered to be budget-friendly comfort food using shelf-stable pantry ingredients such as canned tuna, egg noodles and cream of mushroom soup.
Key ingredients in tuna noodle casserole
Base
Medium or wide egg noodles (rotini, fusilli, penne or macaroni are also solid options)
Protein
Canned tuna (also sub with canned salmon, shredded chicken or tofu)
Cream sauce
Easy homemade bechamel cream sauce (no canned soup here)
Vegetables
Shallots and green peas
Topping
Crispy lemony-Panko topping (crushed Ritz crackers and potato chips are also common toppings)
How to make tuna noodle casserole
- Make the crispy, crunchy topping. Mix together the Panko, Parmesan, lemon zest and olive oil. Use traditional breadcrumbs in place of the Panko if needed.
- Cook the pasta. Boil medium or wide egg noodles (or your favorite pasta shape) until al dente, undercooking by 1-2 minutes. Overcooked pasta will lead to mushy noodles in the casserole!
- Make the cream sauce. While the pasta cooks, make a roux with butter, garlic, shallots and flour. Stir in half and half and Dijon until thickened before stirring in the cheddar cheese until smooth and velvety.
- Toss everything together. Add the cooked egg noodles, canned tuna and green peas to the cream sauce, topping with the Panko mixture. If freezing, hold off on the Panko mixture until it is time to bake.
- Bake. Bake until bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
- Serve. Serve warm, garnished with chives (or parsley).
How to Store and Freeze Tuna Noodle Casserole
Prep
To make ahead, cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap, holding off on the Panko mixture; refrigerate up to 24 hours. To bake, let the casserole sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, sprinkle with Panko mixture and bake as directed, adding a few more minutes of cook time as needed.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Reheating
Reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, adding a splash of milk or half and half as needed.
Freeze before baking
Cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, holding off on the Panko mixture. Label, date and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed, sprinkling with Panko mixture and adding a few more minutes of cook time as needed.
Freeze after baking
Let the casserole cool completely; cover tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Label, date and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
what to serve with tuna noodle casserole
Tools for this recipe
Dutch oven
Tuna Noodle Casserole: Frequently asked questions
An oven-proof skillet, such as a large cast iron skillet, is another solid option.
Yes! The egg noodles have to be cooked until al dente prior to assembling the casserole.
Egg noodles are a favorited choice for tuna noodle casserole but rotini, fusilli, penne or macaroni will also work well here.
This can happen when the pasta is overcooked prior to baking. Always cook the pasta just until al dente, slightly undercooking by a few minutes.
Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.
Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store. While both Panko and breadcrumbs can be used, Panko is much more flakier and yields a crunchier, crispier texture.
Crushed potato chips, buttery crackers (Ritz) or fried onions are all classic options.
Absolutely! Assemble (without the topping) and refrigerate up to 24 hours, adding the crunchy topping just before baking.
Yes! For the best results, we recommend assembling, freezing, then baking to help prevent any sogginess. But if you’ve already baked your casserole, no worries at all – it can still be frozen!
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 10 ounces wide egg noodles, about 4 1/2 cups
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large shallots, diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ cups half and half
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 8 ounces shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, about 2 cups
- 3 (5-ounce) cans tuna in water, drained
- 1 cup frozen green peas, rinsed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
For the panko mixture
- ⅓ cup Panko
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in half and half and Dijon until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar cheese until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in pasta, tuna and green peas until well combined; season with salt and pepper, to taste; sprinkle with Panko mixture.
- Place into oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly. about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.
for the panko mixture
- In a small bowl, combine Panko, Parmesan, lemon zest and olive oil.
Equipment
Notes
- Use egg noodles. Egg noodles are typically a top choice as they are flat and wide, becoming very tender and fluffy, easily absorbing the sauce and soaking in all the flavors.
- Cook the pasta until al dente. For the best texture, undercook the egg noodles by 1–2 minutes before baking so they don’t get mushy.
- Good quality tuna goes a long way. Use canned albacore tuna for big flakes and flavor. For a budget-friendly swap, light tuna also works in tuna noodle casserole recipes.
- Mix it up. Use leftover shredded rotisserie chicken instead of tuna, add other vegetables such as mushrooms, carrots or green beans, or swap out the Panko for crushed Ritz crackers or potato chips.
- Use Panko for an unbeatable crunch. Panko, a Japanese-style breadcrumb, provides a light, airy crunch staying incredibly crispy and crunchy throughout the baking process.
- Freeze before baking. Tuna noodle casserole is a freezer-friendly meal prep option. Assemble ahead, hold off on the topping, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, add the topping, and bake when needed until bubbling and golden brown.
Did you make this recipe?
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Yum, I made this with chicken breast, peas & carrots! (I was out of tuna). But, there’s always next time! Do you have nutritional info?
This tuna casserole recipe is absolutely delicious! I made this for our dinner last night and I will definitely be making it again & again. I used crushed Ritz crackers added red pepper flakes and green onions for the topping. I also added 1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt to the cream sauce to thicken because I only had regular milk on hand. My husband loved it all topped with sliced black olives! I used sea salt & the fresh ground pepper like you said was great, no spices to overpower flavor; but I did add a teaspoon of orange zest to the sauce and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s a great addition to anyone’s dinner/lunch menu! 5 stars! I signed up for your Newsletter.
This recipe was delicious! I did, though, use the juice of the lemon at the end of baking, right after I took the casserole out of the oven . That added a nice freshness and tang in addition to having the lemon zest in the bread crumbs.
It’s Lent, and tuna casserole is one of those things that is common for the season. This is one of the best variations on a somewhat boring casserole. The shallots work very well, and the lemon zest and panko crust make for a very nice complement. I think next time i might add a few dashes of ground cayenne pepper to give it a kick. One nice feature was that it is made in a Dutch oven vs the typical 9×13 baking dish, which makes it very convenient to prepare.
I would make this again.
Super delicious, and comforting too. I love this recipe. Top n̈otch!
I have 16 ounces of egg noodles. What adjustments should I make to the rest of the recipe?
This recipe was perfect for what I wanted. I was worried it would be a little bland, so I did tweak it some. I added diced celery (I sautéed it with the shallot/garlic). After I added the Dijon and half&half, I added my seasonings- 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp pepper, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp season all, and 1 tsp paprika. I also opted to lightly toast the breadcrumbs in the lemon zest and olive oil over low-med heat until lightly browned. After i let it cool slightly, i combined it with the parmesean cheese. I have done that with other recipes and it REALLY brings out the lemon Zest! I also don’t have a Dutch oven, so I put the temp at 375°F, cooked it in my glass 9×13 pan covered lightly with foil for 25 minutes, removed foil and baked additional 5 minutes until bubbly.
Absolutely Damn Delicious! Never have been disappointed with any of your recipes, they are fabulous!
Best Tuna Casserole I have ever made and tasted!! The Panko topping with the lemon zest tops this dish off perfectly! Have already passed this recipe on to others.
Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Fantastic! I didn’t have half and half so I used evaporated milk. It was a great substitute.
I’ve made it several times and it always comes out wonderful. Was looking for the nutrition facts by any chance do you know the nutrition facts per serving? Thank you!♥️
I love this tuna noodle casserole recipe. It’s delicious!
Did you use Asian egg noodles or it looked like wide Italian pasta. Please confirm as it’s soo confusing which to use.
I’m going to let everyone know, This tuna casserole recipe is DAMN DELICIOUS!!!!!!
I am going to say this is a me problem but the cheese sauce was a bit grainy for lack of a better word. And when I cooked it in the over the sauce clumped even more not coating the noodles at all. Totally bummed. I’ll go back to my old trusty recipe
I hadn’t made tuna noodle casserole in so long, and this was so delicious I had two servings! A great base recipe to save and branch out from. I increased the recipe by about a third and filled two 2-quart casserole dishes – one I baked now and one to freeze for later.
Adjustments I made (due to my tastes and what I had on hand): used whole wheat elbows as my pasta, replaced most of the butter with olive oil, added celery to saute step, used yellow onion instead of shallots, used whole wheat flour instead of AP, used a can of coconut milk plus vegetable broth instead of half and half, used regular mustard plus some ginger paste instead of dijon, and added some paprika. In the topping I added oregano and omitted the lemon zest. Will definitely make again and continue to try some other options!
Best Tuna Casserole I ever made. I’ve made my own sauce before, but this was super and easy.
I added a bit more mustard, ’cause I like it.
For the top I added twice as much as the recipe called for. What a wonderful top crust!
Wow! This recipe is so simple and out of this world delicious! Thank you!
I rarely make tuna casserole, but with Ash Wednesday upon us, I decided that it was time. This recipe is not difficult and comes together quickly. I did spend roughly an hour prepping (grating cheese, chopping shallots and garlic, measuring out various portions – mis en place) before I could put the Dutch oven into the oven. I used a 4.7L Staub Dutch oven, which worked although an oval shape might have been a better choice to allow the mixture to cook a bit more evenly. I used Dubliner white Irish cheddar, which at 7oz was just shy of the recipe’s 8oz. But it was enough. Also, because the package of egg noodles comes in a 12oz package, I opted to use the entire package. To make up for the excess I increased the amount of half-and-half slightly. I also used about 2x as much Parmesan-Reggiano (the recipe calls for Parmesan only), primarily because I need to use it up. Still I modified the recipe successfully in my opinion to make it all come together as intended.
The panko worked extremely well, but if you are looking to put a bit of a twist on this, Italian seasoned bread crumbs would be interesting, I think. I would like to see a bit more flavor out of the dish, which may be as simple as adding more salt and pepper.
Overall this was an excellent recipe.
Does the pasta need cooked before hand?
Can this be made in a regular pyrex casserole dish, instead of a dutch oven or a skillet?