This easy tuna noodle casserole is creamy comfort food made with egg noodles, flaky tuna, sweet peas, and a homemade cream sauce, all baked under a crispy golden topping. It takes about 20 minutes of hands-on work and uses pantry staples you likely already have.
How I Improved the Classic Casserole
Tuna noodle casserole is my favorite go-to comfort food, and I’ve been making it for years. Lately, though, I’ve been skipping the can of condensed soup for my homemade cream of anything soup mix, so I can control the salt and flavor. And I like it a LOT better — it tastes better than using cans. Grab a can if you’d rather, of course, and I’ll show you both.
In fact, I’m making a double batch today, one for dinner tonight and one for the freezer, so we have a cozy meal ready this fall when our big holiday event (Merry Maker Mingle) keeps life busy.
Let’s dig in!
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The Ingredients You’ll Need
Nothing fancy, and most of it keeps in the pantry or freezer. Here’s what each part does and where you can swap.
- Wide egg noodles (12 oz). Their ruffles catch the sauce. We’ll cook them just shy of done so they don’t turn mushy in the oven.
- Canned tuna (two 5 oz cans), drained. I use water-packed so it isn’t oily. Flake it so you don’t get dense clumps.
- The creamy sauce. Whisk up my cream of anything soup mix, or open two 10.5-oz cans of cream of mushroom or chicken soup. Both give that silky base.
- Frozen peas (1 cup). Straight from the freezer. Corn or chopped broccoli work too.
- Onion and celery. Softened in butter, they give the casserole a savory backbone so it tastes like more than noodles and soup.
- Sharp cheddar. Melted into the sauce for richness, and it helps everything hold together.
- A crispy topping. Crushed potato chips, Ritz, or buttered panko. That crunch against the creamy noodles is the best part.
How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole
We’re really making this in two stages: the creamy base on the stovetop, then everything folded together and baked. I promise it’s easier than you think.
Step 1: Cook the noodles just short of done
Boil the noodles a minute or two less than the package says, then drain and set them aside. They keep cooking in the oven, so pulling them early is the difference between tender and mushy. Be careful not to boil them all the way to soft first… they’ll fall apart later.
Step 2: Make the creamy sauce in the same pot
No need to dirty a separate saucepan. In the same pot you just cooked the noodles in, melt the butter and soften the onion and celery, 4 to 5 minutes.
If you’re using my soup mix, whisk it into the milk, pour it in, and stir over medium heat until it thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. For canned soup, stir it in with a splash of milk and warm through. Off the heat, stir in the cheddar until smooth. Be careful not to boil it hard after the cheese goes in, or it can turn grainy.
Step 3: Fold together, top, and bake
Add the noodles, tuna, and peas back into the pot and fold gently, then taste for salt and pepper (tuna and soup both carry salt, so season last).
Spread it in a buttered 9×13 dish, scatter on the topping, and bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Rest 5 minutes before serving. It’ll be SO GOOD.
Can I Make It Ahead?
Yes. Assemble it without the topping, cover, and refrigerate up to a day. Add the topping and bake, giving it an extra 10 minutes since it’s cold. If the sauce looks thick, stir in a splash of milk first.
How to Store and Reheat
Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat with a spoonful of milk to loosen the sauce, since it thickens as it sits.
Freezing Ahead
This casserole freezes beautifully unbaked, which is even better than freezing it after. The trick is to undercook the noodles a little more, draining them 2 to 3 minutes early, since they soften again as it thaws and bakes. Assemble everything without the crispy topping, cover tightly, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, add the fresh topping, and bake, giving it an extra 10 to 15 minutes since it starts cold. You can also bake it straight from frozen… cover with foil and give it 60 to 75 minutes, uncovering for the last 15 to crisp the top. Don’t worry if the sauce looks a little grainy right after thawing, a gentle stir and the oven bring it back together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my casserole dry?
Usually the noodles overcooked and drank up the sauce, or it baked a touch long. Pull the noodles early, check at 25 minutes, and add some broth or milk to the sauce if you like it extra creamy.
Can I make this without cheese?
Yes, it holds together fine without it. You may just want to season the sauce a little more.
Can I make this with less salt?
The simplest way to reduce salt is with the soup base. Just use a low-sodium bouillon (or a little less) in your cream of anything soup mix, or a low-sodium cream soup, and you’re most of the way there. From there, reach for no-salt-added or low-sodium tuna, use unsalted butter, and lean on panko for the topping. Then trust that “season last” step and taste before you add any extra salt, because between the tuna, the mix, and the cheese, it’s usually plenty. This is exactly why I love making the soup base from scratch… you get to decide how much salt goes in, not the can.
Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the casserole
- 12 oz egg noodles (wide)
- 2 (5 oz) cans tuna (packed in water, drained and flaked)
- 1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup celery sliced (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried), optional
- 2/3 cup cream of anything soup mix (or 2 10.5 oz cans condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup)
- 2 1/2 cups milk (reduce to 1/2 cup of milk if you're using cans of soup)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, crushed potato chips, or Ritz crackers
- 2 tablespoons melted butter for the topping (skip if using potato chips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the egg noodles 1 to 2 minutes short of package directions, then drain and set aside. They finish cooking in the oven.
- In the same pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until softened.
- Make the sauce: whisk the soup mix into the milk, add to the pan, and stir until it thickens and begins to simmer, 3 to 4 minutes. (Or stir in the canned soup with 1/2 cup milk and warm through.) Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Return the noodles to the pot and add the tuna, peas, and parsley if using. Fold gently, then taste and adjust seasoning.
- Transfer to the prepared dish and spread evenly. Toss the topping with the melted butter (if using) and scatter over the top.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly at the edges and golden on top. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
That’s all there is to it. If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out for your family.
Happy cooking!
Love,
Jennifer
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Meet Jennifer
Jennifer cooks and experiments in the kitchen at Maker Farm, where she focuses on simple pantry cooking, homemade staples, and practical recipes that make everyday meals easier. Over the years she has tested many ways to make cooking simpler and more dependable, and shares the methods that work best in her own kitchen, occasionally showing them on her Heart to Home at Maker Farm vlog.