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Baked Tuna Casserole
Quick, hearty, and simple, this classic old-fashioned tuna casserole is filled with tender egg noodles, tuna, creamy mushroom soup and cheese that your whole family will love.
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Made with the ingredients you have in your pantry, this tuna casserole is classic comfort food at its best! Egg noodles combine with tuna and veggies in a creamy sauce for an instant family favorite.
Tuna Casserole Ingredients
You’ll need:
- 6 ounces of egg noodles, cooked
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- 2 (5-ounce) cans of tuna in water, drained
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can of cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup of whole milk
- 1½ cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided (1¼ cups and ¼ cup)
- ½ teaspoon of celery salt
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish, if desired)
- ¼ cup of dry bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons of butter, melted
PRO TIP:
Shred your cheese from the block rather than buying pre-shredded for this recipe. Pre-shredded cheese has a coating and doesn’t melt quite as well as freshly shredded cheese.
Substitutions And Additions
CHEESE: Instead of mozzarella, you could also use cheddar cheese as a cheesy alternative. You could also sprinkle a little bit of parmesan cheese on top before serving.
VEGGIES: Adding chopped fresh mushrooms would also be a delicious addition to this simple recipe.
CREAM SOUP: If you are not a fan of cream of mushroom soup, this easy tuna casserole recipe would also work with other canned soups such as cream of celery soup.
How To Make Tuna Casserole
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F and cook your egg noodles according to the package directions to al dente.
PRO TIP:
To test your pasta for al dente, take a bite of the pasta a minute or two before the package instructions indicate it should be done.
When you bite into it, and your teeth feel some resistance, but the pasta is still tender, your pasta is al dente.
STEP TWO: In a large bowl, mix together egg noodles, frozen peas, tuna, mushroom soup, milk, 1¼ cups mild cheddar cheese, celery salt, pepper, and parsley.
STEP THREE: Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour in the tuna mixture. Bake covered at 350°F for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
STEP FOUR: While the casserole is baking, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter.
STEP FIVE: After 20 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven and top it with the breadcrumb mixture and the remaining ¼ cup mild cheddar cheese.
STEP SIX: Return to the oven and bake uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the bread crumbs have started to turn golden brown and the cheese is melted on top of the casserole.
Serving Tuna Casserole
This old-school cheesy tuna casserole would be perfect on the dinner table with a big salad on the side, such as our simple Caesar salad and our garlic bread. This is best served hot out of the oven when the cheese is all gooey and bubbly.
Need more dinner ideas? We love our easy recipes for hamburger casserole and lasagna casserole.
MORE CASSEROLE RECIPES
Storing Baked Tuna Casserole
If you have any leftovers of this tasty casserole, here are some tips for storing them.
IN THE FRIDGE: This classic tuna noodle casserole recipe will last a couple of days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
REHEATING: To reheat, place the tuna casserole into an oven-safe baking dish and heat at 350°F for about 20 minutes until it’s warm through again. Then it’s ready to slice and serve.
Freezing This Recipe For Tuna Casserole
IN THE FREEZER: Make sure to cover any leftovers in aluminum foil before putting them into the freezer. Once frozen, you can easily transfer from the baking dish to a freezer-safe bag or container.
Quick, hearty dinners are a favorite for our busy family. This homemade tuna casserole recipe is perfect with its simple ingredients and big flavor.
Best Tuna Casserole Recipe FAQ
Can I make this ahead of time and put it in the oven when it’s dinner time?
This classic tuna casserole can be prepared earlier in the day and then baked right before you are ready to serve it.
What is the best kind of tuna for tuna casserole?
We recommend canned flake or chunk light tuna rather than white tuna or yellowfin tuna, as those are higher in mercury. Just read the can of tuna for the type used.
Should I use wide egg noodles in this recipe?
This classic recipe would work with any type of egg noodles you choose. Wide or medium egg noodles would both be great choices.
Why is my tuna casserole so dry?
One of the main reasons that your casserole is dry is that you may not have enough liquid in the casserole to keep it moist. You can add milk or broth to rescue a dry casserole in a pinch.
Do you put eggs in tuna casserole?
While we don’t use eggs in our tuna casserole, many delicious recipes add 2-3 chopped hard-boiled eggs to their casserole.
Best Tuna Casserole Recipe
Quick, hearty, and simple, this classic old-fashioned tuna casserole is filled with tender egg noodles, tuna, creamy mushroom soup and cheese that your whole family will love.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 6 ounces egg noodles, cooked
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 10 ounces tuna, drained (two 5-ounce cans)
- 10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1½ cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided (1¼ cups and ¼ cup)
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish, if desired)
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray your dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cooked egg noodles, frozen peas, tuna, mushroom soup, milk, 1¼ cups mild cheddar cheese, celery salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Put the tuna mixture in a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
- While the casserole is baking mix together bread crumbs and melted butter.
- After 20 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven and top with breadcrumbs and remaining ¼ cup mild cheddar cheese.
- Return to the oven and bake uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes, until bread crumbs had started to brown and the cheese is melted.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Shred your cheese from the block rather than buying pre-shredded for this recipe. Pre-shredded cheese has a coating and doesn’t melt quite as well as freshly shredded cheese.
- To test your pasta for al dente, take a bite of the pasta a minute or two before the package instructions indicate it should be done. When you bite into it, and your teeth feel some resistance, but the pasta is still tender, your pasta is al dente.
Nutrition
Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 912mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 648IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments
Liz says
I didnโt have cream of mushroom soup, but I used cream of chicken and it was still delish!
Michele says
This recipe brought back memories of my childhood. Such a lovely, creamy tuna casserole! The leftovers will be even better! Thank you for sharing this awesome Vintage Recipe!!!
Diane says
Super. Just like grandma made. My family loves it