This recipe is my Mama’s BEST Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe that is creamy, cheesy and packed with flavor. Tuna Casserole is the ultimate comfort food with tasty key ingredients like egg noodles, cheddar cheese and butter. Your whole family will be begging for seconds!
Why You’ll Love This Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe
We just know that you’re going to adore this easy tuna noodle casserole casserole. It’s extra creamy, super cheesy and full of flavor — what’s not to love?
- Cozy Comfort Food: Cold weather is upon us, which means something very important – it’s time for comfort food! While this recipe is an easy go-to for dinner all year round, we especially enjoy whipping it up in the colder months. There’s just something so satisfying about a big, warm helping of tuna noodle casserole this time of year!
- Kid-Friendly: Even with picky eaters in the house, this recipe is always a hit. We even refer to it sometimes as “cheesy goodness,” because that’s truly what it is! On top of it being loved by everyone, another added bonus of this recipe is how easy it is to whip up. If you’ve got hungry eyes looking at you after a long day at work, this recipe is just what you need.
- All Those Leftovers: Leftovers are scarce when we make this for dinner. Everyone always helps themselves to seconds! However, if you do have leftovers, this recipe reheats wonderfully. Leftovers can be frozen or refrigerated and be almost as delicious as it when it was freshly baked. Really, there’s no downside to making this tuna noodle casserole.
Grab a big bowl and get ready to enjoy this easy, delicious, comforting dinner!
What You’ll Need
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this tuna noodle casserole and most you probably already have in your fridge/pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Noodles: You’ll want a wide egg noodle for this tuna casserole.
- Butter
- Tuna: Canned albacore will be great.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Veggies: Shallots and sweet peas.
- Cheddar Cheese
- Toppings: We really like using Panko bread crumbs, fresh thyme, melted butter, and more cheddar!
How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole
This tasty recipe for tuna casserole comes together in just 15 minutes and then you can enjoy some hands off cook time! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions.
- Cook the Noodles: Cook your egg noodles, drain them, and place in a large bowl.
- Sauté: Cook the shallots in melted butter then add them to the egg noodles.
- Make the Topping: Combine the breadcrumbs, thyme, and melted butter in a small bowl.
- Assemble: Add the tuna, cream of mushroom soup, peas, and cheese to the egg noodles and stir together. Place the tuna noodle mixture in a casserole dish and top with the breadcrumb mixture and 1/2 a cup of cheddar.
- Cook: Loosely cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to get that golden brown crust!
Tips for Best Results
This recipe is as easy as mix, layer, and bake. But we do have a few tips to make this tuna casserole the best it can be!
- Don’t Overcook: Make sure you do not overcook your casserole! If it’s in the oven too long, it will dry out and not be as creamy as it should be. You also want to avoid overcooking so your cheddar cheese does not get burned.
- Al Dente Noodles: Do not overcook the egg noodles. You want the egg noodles to be al dente, because they will continue to cook a little in the casserole. If the noodles are overcooked, they can easily become mushy in the casserole.
- Add More Veggies: If you’d like to pack in the veggies, this tuna noodle casserole would be really tasty with some mushrooms or asparagus!
- Prep Ahead: This tuna casserole is a great make ahead recipe. You could prep it a few days ahead, following all directions until it comes to the step of placing it in the oven. Then, instead of popping it into the oven, cover the casserole tightly with saran wrap or foil and pop it into the fridge for up to 48 hours. When you’re ready to bake it, take it out of the fridge and set it on the counter and then start pre-heating the oven and bake the casserole as directed in the recipe.
What to Serve With Tuna Casserole
One of the many great things about this tuna noodle casserole recipe is that it can be a meal on its own without the need for a side dish. In our homes, we usually just serve it up on a plate or bowl all by itself. But there are plenty of other options to amp it up!
- Veggies: If we do add a side to this dish, it’s almost always broccoli! Roasted broccoli is always complimentary to this savory dinner and adds some extra vegetables to our plates. Other veggies are great, too! Whether you make green beans, cauliflower or a side salad (our strawberry spinach salad is awesome!), you’ll be happy with your end result.
- Bread: There’s something about the creaminess of this tuna casserole that cries out for bread. A crusty garlic bread is pretty awesome, but so is sweet potato cornbread, or a more traditional cornbread.
More than anything, just make sure you serve this dish nice and warm our of the oven with the creamy inside and that amazing cheesy breadcrumb topping!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
This tuna noodle casserole recipe makes a lot of food so it almost guarantees leftovers. And that’s a good thing because leftovers are really awesome. Here’s how to store and reheat them.
- Refrigerate: Keep leftover tuna casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Reheat leftovers in the oven, when possible, for the best texture. However, they are also tasty if microwaved for a couple of minutes!
- Freeze: You can freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. If you do decide to do this, make sure you defrost your casserole before reheating it again. This will give you the best reheated texture.
More Easy Casserole Recipes
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 oz wide egg noodles
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 shallots, diced
- 1 9 oz can Albacore Tuna, drained
- 2 10.5 oz cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup petite green peas
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Topping:
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non stick spray. Set aside.
- Cook egg noodles according to package until al dente. Drain noodles and place in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Melt the butter and sauté shallots for 2 to 3 minutes, until translucent. Add them to the egg noodles. Then add the tuna, cream of mushroom soup, peas and cheese. Mix thoroughly and spread evenly in prepared casserole dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, thyme and melted butter. Spread mixture evenly over the casserole. Sprinkle the 1/2 cheddar cheese over breadcrumbs.
- Loosely cover casserole dish with foil and bake 20 minutes, remove foil and bake for 10 minutes more. Serve warm!
I love cooking
This is truly one of the best tuna casseroles I’ve had! It’s packed with flavor and our family couldn’t get enough!