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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This was very good,i truly enjoyed this recioe,its probably the best tuna casserole ive had,and super easy to put together.
Instead of the panko topping i used those small ritz cheddar sandwich crackers crushed up with some olive oil…it turmed out wonderful.
What is the nutrition info for this recipe?
Can u use honey Dijon?
Looks wonderful. Is it put in the oven with or without a lid?
Thanks.
Not sure it will freeze.. Delicious!!!!!
Looks great and I cannot wait to try it. Will this freeze well? Thank you!
This would freeze well
This was hands down, without a doubt the best tuna noodle recipe I’ve ever had. I’m 66 years old and grew up eating tuna noodle casseroles and have made them numerous times over the years for my family. This was so good!
That was the best tuna noodle casserole I ever made, don’t tell my mom, way better! The only changes are fat-free half and half, sweet onion, white & black pepper, cayenne, and fresh lemon juice (I love lemon). Thank you for sharing this!! YUM
Can I use fresh caught tuna? If so, how should I prepare the tuna first?
you should probably look up a video on how to do that! 🙂
If using fresh id cook to well done in a frying pan,cool,flake and add to recipe
Was looking for something easy and quick but still fit to eat. Found it! like it, better yet my wife really likes it. She wants to see this in a regular rotation: code for “frequently”. Thanks.
So good! You have great recipes, I’ve never tried one I don’t like!
I thought I didn’t like tuna casserole, but decided to try this because I had a few cans of tuna sitting in my pantry. This tuna noodle casserole pleasantly surprised me – the lemon brighten the dish and it’s creamy without being heavy. Loved it.
Your recipes are heaven. i’ll have to try this one
This isn’t your mother’s tuna casserole. It’s way, WAY better! I made this one exactly as written with the exception of using a teaspoon of lemon zest instead of a tablespoon thanks to some earlier comments. I think I’ll go the full tablespoon next time, and there *will* be a next time. This is what I call a ‘forever recipe’ because it will be in my family that long. We all loved it!
Thanks very much, Chungah & team.
We had this last night and it was SO good!! It’ll definitely be on the menu again soon. Thanks for sharing it!
Wow… delliciouzz…
I’m excited to make this recipe but could it be made the day before and then baked or baked and reheat?
You can make day ahead and bake next day – I’d bake a bit longer and maybe covered for first half of cooking since it’ll be cold from fridge.
Great recipe! Loved the panko/cheese topping as it gave the casserole incredible texture (and the lemon is a great addition — cuts the fishy taste of the tuna a bit).
Very good recipe. My family loves it. I even make in the summer time. Like I’m going to tonight. Who says casseroles are just for the fall/winter. Not in my how they’re not. Thank for the wonderful recipe.
This this was so good! My picky kids loved it. I used chopped up rotisserie chicken instead of tuna, and served the peas on the side to please those who don’t like them, and it turned out great! Also left out the lemon zest because I didn’t have any. My cheese sauce broke though…not sure why? Even so I’ll definitely be making this again!
I’ve noticed my cheese sauce will not be smooth and creamy if I used used the bagged/pre-shredded cheeses. Not sure if that might be the prob for you….just a thought.
This was pretty good, but overall not quite as tasty as I thought it would be. Perhaps I need to add a little more salt & pepper. I also did not enjoy the lemon zest topping. The lemon overwhelmed it. I would prefer a more savory option to mix in the panko topping. Maybe I’ll give it another go!
My Great-Grandma used to use a ritz/butter topping! Highly recommend!
Or Kettle chips crunched up!