Tuna Noodle Casserole
This Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe is comforting, flavorful, and packed with simple, pantry-friendly ingredients. All made in 30 minutes!
A SIMPLE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY DINNER CASSEROLE
This easy and flavorful Tuna Noodle Casserole is one of the simple dinner recipes I like to whip out when I am crunched on time to feed the family. You just can’t beat it and it’s a classic favorite for a reason! It’s creamy and flavorful, and chances are, you have most of the ingredients hanging out in your pantry already!
Absolutely delicious!! Quick and easy! Been putting off making this and finally made it! Wish I made it sooner!
– Annie
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I used a combination of both cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups, but you can use two cans of just one or the other. Or you can swap them out entirely for another flavor. As mentioned in the ingredients section below, you can use no sodium or reduced sodium options or make your own versions.
Yes, and do you know how I know this? Since I have a VERY popular Chicken Noodle Casserole that was sooooo good that I worked on it and made it available as a Dinner for Two option and you guys can’t get enough of that one either!
Certainly. This recipe is an easy one to cut in half if you don’t need as much. Or you can make the normal amount of this casserole, but when you go to put it in a casserole dish, split it and put it in two 8×8-inch baking pans instead. Now that’s it’s split, you can make one now and freeze the other pan for later.
Sure and it’s a relatively easy swap. Just use gluten free pasta and gluten free breadcrumbs. And if you’ve been eating gluten free a while, you’ll know to always check your spices and cream of something soups because you may be surprised when manufacturers hide gluten in the most random ingredients.
This hearty casserole is great and filling, but sometimes it’s nice to serve it with some sides too. Think a big green, leafy salad or a side of steamed veggies. I like to grab a bag or two of frozen vegetables and steam them in the microwave for times like this. Don’t forget some Cheese Stuffed Breadsticks or some crusty Garlic Bread.
Once this casserole has cooled down some, you can keep leftovers in a container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can freeze the casserole for up to 3 months. You can also make this and freeze it. Leave it in the fridge overnight to defrost. Cook time will need to be 20-30 minutes.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- breadcrumbs– regular breadcrumbs can be used or any of these other options. Panko breadcrumbs can be used or even Italian breadcrumbs for two simple swaps. I suppose you could even crush up some crushed Ritz crackers and use those as bread crumbs if in a real pinch.
- grated parmesan cheese
- salted butter– unsalted butter can be used.
- egg noodles
- milk
- cream of mushroom soup– you can use the no sodium or low sodium cream of mushroom soup and using Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup is always a good idea.
- cream of chicken soup– you can use the no sodium low sodium version if desired and if you are out of it, feel free to make some Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup.
- cans of tuna– I prefer the kind packed in water, but if you prefer something else, you can swap it out.
- frozen peas
- shredded cheddar cheese – if you don’t enjoy cheese in your casserole – just leave it out or switch to a different cheese you prefer.
- sour cream– Mayonnaise can be substituted for the sour cream. It may sound gross but it totally works LOL. Especially for people who may not love sour cream.
- dried parsley– this is optional and I only added it to bring a pop of color other than shades of cream, haha. But it is not required, so don’t fret if you don’t have it or have enough.
- onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper
HOW TO MAKE TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE
Preheat the oven to 400° F. To a bowl add the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and butter. Mix until combined. Set aside.
Cook the egg noddles according to the directions. This will take approximately 5-7 minutes. You want to cook this to al dente. Drain the pasta and add to a 9×13-inch baking dish. To the baking dish add the milk, soups, tuna, peas, cheese, sour cream, and dried ingredients. Mix until combined. Note: If you prefer, you can mix this all up in a separate large bowl, then pour into the baking dish.
Top with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake for about 15 minutes (you should see the edges bubbling.) Turn the oven to broil on high and brown the top for about 1 minute. Don’t walk away from the oven. You just want the top to be a golden brown so keep a close eye on it.
Remove from the oven and top with the chopped parsley (optional)
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Beef Noodle Casserole
- Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
- Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Beanie Weenie Casserole
- Chicken and Dumplings Casserole
- Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole
- Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
- Malibu Chicken Casserole
- Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole
- Classic Tuna Melt
- Creamy Italian Chicken Noodle Casserole
Tuna Noodle Casserole (+Video)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs (can use regular or panko)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 Tablespoon melted salted butter
- 12 ounce bag egg noodles
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
- 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 2 (5 ounce) cans of tuna (I prefer the kind packed in water)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sour cream (or mayonnaise)
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley (optional, plus more for topping)
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- To a bowl add 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese and 1 Tablespoon melted salted butter. Mix until combined. Set aside.
- Cook 12 ounce bag egg noodles according to the package directions. This will take approximately 5-7 minutes. You want to cook this to al dente. Drain the noodles well and add to the baking dish.
- To the baking dish add 1 1/2 cups milk, 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup, 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup, 2 (5 ounce) cans of tuna, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream (or mayonnaise), 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix until combined. Note: If you prefer, you can mix this all up (including the egg noodles) in a separate large bowl, then pour into the baking dish.
- Top with the breadcrumb mixture that you set aside earlier.
- Bake for about 15 minutes (you should see the edges bubbling).
- Turn the oven to broil on high and brown the top for about 1 minute. Don’t walk away from the oven. You just want the top to be a golden brown so keep a close eye on it.
- Remove from the oven and top with some more dried parsley flakes (optional).
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I made this last night and it was very, very good. I didn’t change a thing. Great leftovers too!
This is a good recipe. Excellent flavor and not dry. Will definitely make again.
You list milk in the ingredients but do not show it in the instructions or video. Please help. In the middle of making it currently. 🙂
We all enjoyed this! One thing I’d do next time is check how many oz. in the cans of tuna; I just grabbed two smaller cans which turned out to be 3 oz. cans, so the tuna flavor was mild, but it was still really creamy and good. I’d use three cans the next time…but check the oz. first!
Thanks so much Vicki! So happy you enjoyed it! That is exactly why I give the canned ounces in the recipe card (5 ounce cans) instead of just saying “2 cans” like some recipes do. I try to be specific so folks know what to look for. Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment!
Absolutely delicious!! Quick and easy! Been putting off making this and finally made it! Wish I made it sooner!
I’m so happy you finally gave it a try – yay!! Thank you!!
Really enjoyed this! We don’t like sour cream so I just added a bit more mayonnaise per your suggestion and it worked great! Had great flavor!
trying the tuna casserole tonight! thanks for the recipe!
This brought back many memories. My mother made tuna noodle casserole once a week in the 1950’s when I was a toddler. Mom’s recipe varied from yours a bunch of celery chopped and sauteed with a whole onion, a small jar of pimentos for a burst of color, and cream of celery soup. Good Memories! Your version sounds just as good as mom’s!
Is there a different type of noodle that will work this well? I cant consume egg products?love your recipes!!!
You can purchase egg free noodles. I know the Walmart great value brand has them