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You are here: Home / Recipes / Casseroles / The Best Tuna Casserole with Noodles

The Best Tuna Casserole with Noodles

March 23, 2019

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The Best Tuna Casserole is SO easy to make! Made with a simple from scratch sauce, egg noodles, tuna, peas and a crunchy Panko-Parmesan topping, this comfort food classic is sure to become a new family favorite! Serve with homemade dinner rolls and broccoli salad for a simply delicious dinner! 

tuna-casserole-title

Tuna Casserole

I’m a little concerned I’m going to be call the casserole queen for posting a second casserole recipe this week….buuuut, I knew my casserole-loving peeps were going to go crazy for this amazing Tuna Casserole.

Classic tuna casserole is something I think most, if not all, of us remember. It is classic comfort food much like mac and cheese, fried chicken, or lasagna. Now, whether you remember it with a slight grimace or fondness, don’t fear: this tuna casserole recipe that I’m sharing today will remind you of a classic tuna casserole but blow you away with it’s awesome flavor and freshness.

easy-tuna-casserole-in baking-dish

The Best Tuna Casserole From Scratch

The sauce is made from scratch – no canned, cream soups here. And it’s easy you guys. You know I love easy. I used canned tuna but the tuna from the pouches is also great. You just want to make sure you get the water-packed tuna and drain it really well. The oil packed will be a bit too greasy for this tuna casserole recipe.

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What’s In Tuna Noodle Casserole

  • wide egg noodles
  • butter
  • celery
  • red bell pepper
  • onion
  • all purpose flour
  • salt
  • ground black pepper
  • whole milk
  • Dijon mustard
  • water packed chunk tuna
  • peas
  • cheddar cheese

For the Topping

  • panko bread crumbs
  • Parmesan cheese
  • smoked paprika
  • parsley
  • butter

tuna-casserole-recipe-with-peas-baking-dish

Cheese or No Cheese?

There is nothing better than an old fashioned tuna casserole. Serious comfort food, amiright? I like a cheesy tuna casserole so I added some cheddar cheese to the recipe. If you don’t like it cheesy, omit it entirely with no substitutions needed. No problemo.

tuna-casserole-recipe-with-noodles-baking-dish-baked

Tuna Casserole Topping

I also topped the casserole with a delicious crunchy topping made with Panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, smoked paprika (<- quickly becoming my favorite pantry staple), fresh parsley, and, of course, a little butter for flavor and browning.

Tuna Casserole Be Made In Advance or Frozen

Good news! Like most casserole recipes, this Tuna Casserole can not only be made in advance, but it can be frozen as well.

Make In Advance

  • Prepare the casserole as directed but stop just before adding the panko topping. Cover and refrigerate. Pull from the refrigerator before you preheat your oven so your casserole isn’t quite so cold. Sprinkle the topping on and bake. You’ll need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the total cooking time.

Freeze It

  • Freezing after Cooking: Let the casserole cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and then foil making sure it is sealed well. Let defrost fully and then warm up as desired.
  • Freezing before Cooking: Assemble the casserole as directed. Wrap in plastic wrap and then foil making sure it is sealed well. Let defrost fully in the refrigerator overnight and then follow directions below to bake it. Pull from the refrigerator before you preheat your oven so your casserole isn’t quite so cold. Remember to add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the cook time to compensate for it being cold.

More Must Make Casseroles

  1. Twice Baked Potato Casserole
  2. Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
  3. Overnight Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole
  4. Breakfast Casserole
  5. Tater Tot Casserole

How To Make Tuna Casserole

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4.92 from 59 votes

The BEST Tuna Casserole

The Best Tuna Casserole is SO easy to make! Made with a simple from scratch sauce, egg noodles, tuna, peas and a crunchy Panko-Parmesan topping, this comfort food classic is sure to be a new family favorite! Serve with homemade dinner rolls and broccoli salad for a simply delicious dinner! 
Course Dinner, Main
Cuisine American
Keyword casserole, tuna casserole, tuna noodle casserole
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes minutes
Total Time 40 minutes minutes
Servings 10
Calories 247kcal
Author Trish - Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

  • 3 cups wide egg noodles about 5 oz
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup celery chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 1/4 cups whole milk
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 12 oz water packed chunk tuna drained
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
  • 4 oz cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp parsley chopped
  • 1 tbsp butter melted

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish and set aside.
  • Cook noodles according to package directions, removing when al dente. Drain, and set aside.
  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery, bell pepper, and onion and cook until onion is translucent, stirring frequently.
  • Stir in flour, salt and pepper.  Slowly add milk and cook, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Stir in Dijon mustard.
  • Add tuna, peas, noodles, and cheddar cheese and fold into the sauce.
  • Pour mixture into the prepared dish.
  • Combine Panko, Parmesan cheese, smoked paprika parsley and melted butter in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top.
  • Bake casserole for 25 to 30 minutes, uncovered, or until heated through and golden brown on top. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 410mg | Potassium: 246mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 975IU | Vitamin C: 16.4mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 1.4mg

tuna-casserole-collage

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Have a great day!

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By Trish - Mom On Timeout March 23, 2019 Casseroles, Entree, Favorites, Recipes

Previous article:
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Next article:
The Best Watergate Salad »

Comments

  1. Mawmaw6 says

    February 11, 2020 at 3:33 PM

    Added mushrooms,and extra cheese,family loved

    Reply
  2. Alicia says

    January 4, 2020 at 4:17 PM

    Delicious!!! Husband loved it.

    Reply
  3. Angelina says

    November 10, 2019 at 11:28 AM

    This sounds delicious, and I think this recipe would also work well with chicken. For us, I’d add in some garlic & sliced mushrooms. I can’t wait to make this, since we LOVE Tuna Noodle Casserole. Thanks for this terrific recipe 🙂

    Reply
  4. Stephannie says

    October 17, 2019 at 5:29 PM

    My hack on this was I cut the milk back to 2 cups and added one can of cream of mushroom soup, I also did not add in the cheddar but went a bit heavier on the grated Parmesan for the crumble top. Oh my this is hands down best tuna casserole I’ve ever made! I roasted some carrots with honey, cinnamon and butter for a side and it was a huge dinner hit!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      October 18, 2019 at 10:00 AM

      Thanks so much Stephanie!

      Reply
  5. Janice says

    October 14, 2019 at 2:32 PM

    Make this dish as directed. If it’s too much for 1 or 2, take enough out for dinner and maybe some for lunch the next day. Take the rest and put it in the freezer in freezer storage containers for later.

    Reply
  6. Heather Hawkinson says

    October 3, 2019 at 11:37 AM

    Oh my gosh! Absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe completely, and it was a huge hit at our house—no leftovers at all! Thanks for such a great recipe! Next time I am going to try it with canned white meat chicken instead of tuna.

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      October 18, 2019 at 10:48 AM

      Woot! Thanks Heather!!

      Reply
  7. Karen Marie says

    September 5, 2019 at 5:49 AM

    It’s 6am, but I am in the mood for a tuna casserole. LOL Recipe looks yummy, and I have all the ingredients available. Yippee!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      September 8, 2019 at 8:28 AM

      Hahaha! Breakfast of champions! Enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Lisa says

    August 19, 2019 at 3:43 AM

    Omg sooo good and easy! Love love love!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      August 22, 2019 at 4:53 PM

      Thank you so much Lisa!

      Reply
  9. Judy says

    August 1, 2019 at 4:37 PM

    Best tuna noodle casserole I’ve ever had. I added mushrooms, too! Thank you thank you thank you for this amazing recipe.

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      August 3, 2019 at 8:14 AM

      Mushrooms! That IS a great addition! So glad you enjoyed the casserole!

      Reply
  10. Mimimi says

    July 10, 2019 at 6:07 AM

    Can you make this dish the day before.

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      July 11, 2019 at 8:26 AM

      Yes! I have instructions in the post 🙂

      Reply
  11. Yeet says

    May 3, 2019 at 11:14 AM

    Casserole Queen!!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      May 5, 2019 at 5:37 PM

      Hahaha! Thank you!

      Reply
  12. Cindy says

    April 3, 2019 at 5:44 PM

    My family ate this up!! It was delicious!!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      May 8, 2019 at 5:43 PM

      Thank you so much Cindy!

      Reply
  13. Phyllis Mason says

    March 30, 2019 at 6:56 AM

    It would be nice to get some recipes for for two
    this sounds wonderful but too large for two seniors

    Reply
    • ann Stenerson says

      July 6, 2019 at 4:43 PM

      Yes I also would like to see recipes for 2 Tuna casserole looks good but I am alone so for 2 would be great thanks

      Reply
  14. Cathy says

    March 25, 2019 at 4:27 PM

    You were tuna casserole looks yummy

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      March 26, 2019 at 9:45 AM

      Thanks Cathy!

      Reply
  15. Janiene wiseman says

    March 24, 2019 at 1:49 AM

    1 tin of creamed corn 3 boiled eggs sliced yummy

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      March 26, 2019 at 9:45 AM

      A great addition for sure!

      Reply
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Hi, I’m Trish!

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