Food doesn’t get much more comforting than this Tuna Noodle Casserole! Easy to make, this baked casserole is wonderfully creamy and is a great family meal that you can make ahead of time (and with pantry staples).
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Why We Love This Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe
Noodles, creamy sauce, and a crunchy topping – life doesn’t get much better! Tuna noodle casserole is a traditional comfort food and it’s a classic for a reason.
- Comforting. The rich and creamy sauce paired with a crunchy topping is nostalgic and delicious!
- Pantry Staples. Canned tuna, water chestnuts, and chicken broth make this an easy recipe to throw together when you just can’t get to the grocery store.
- Freezer Meal. This casserole freezes beautifully, making it the perfect make-ahead meal for busy weeknights.
Variations on Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole
There are tons of ways to make this classic tuna casserole your own. You can use any short pasta shape, like fusilli or bowties. Feel free to swap the Gruyere for Cheddar or Monterey Jack. In place of the cream of mushroom soup, you can use cream of celery or cream of chicken. And finally, feel free to top the casserole with crushed Ritz crackers or Panko breadcrumbs.
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover tuna noodle casserole covered in plastic wrap or foil, and place it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat the casserole in a preheated oven at 325°F for 20-30 minutes.
How to Freeze
Let the casserole cool, wrap it a couple of times in foil, and place it in the freezer. Once frozen (about 2-3 hours) transfer it to a freezer-safe bag to prevent freezer burn. You can cook the casserole from frozen at 325°F for about an hour or you can thaw it in the fridge overnight first.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy tuna casserole is a meal all by itself, but it’s great served with a hearty slice of bread or a crisp chopped salad!
More Casserole Recipes To Try
- Ham and Potato Casserole
- Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole
- Turkey Rice Casserole
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Hamburger Casserole
- Crockpot Green Bean Casserole
- …More Casserole Recipes
Notes from the Test Kitchen
- Make this casserole in a 9×13-inch oven-proof casserole dish and grease it before you add the ingredients.
- Bake the casserole in a preheated oven so that it cooks evenly.
- If the top of the casserole starts to brown too quickly you can cover it with foil.
Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe
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Ingredients
- 12 ounces dry egg noodles
- 12 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese divided
- 2 cups ruffled-style potato chips roughly crushed
- 2 slices hearty white bread torn into 1-inch pieces
- 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter divided (⅝ stick)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
- 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence divided
- 12 ounces solid white albacore tuna packed in water (1 can)
- 8 ounces sliced water chestnuts drained (1 can)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
- 14.5 ounces unsalted chicken broth (1 can)
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup (1 can)
- 1½ cups frozen peas
- Chopped fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook the noodles, to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.12 ounces dry egg noodles
- In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the metal blade, add ¼ cup shredded cheese, potato chips, bread, 2 tablespoons butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon dried herbs. Process the mixture for about 10 pulses or until the mixture becomes medium-coarse crumbs; set aside.12 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese, 2 cups ruffled-style potato chips, 2 slices hearty white bread, 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
- Drain the tuna in a fine-mesh strainer and press with a rubber spatula to extract as much water as possible. Place the tuna in a large bowl and use a fork to separate the chunks into smaller pieces.12 ounces solid white albacore tuna packed in water
- Add water chestnuts, 1 tablespoon oil, lemon juice, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of herbs. Mix lightly; set aside.8 ounces sliced water chestnuts, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- In a large skillet set over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon of butter, and the chopped onion. Cook and stir occasionally until onion is translucent and soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add the onions to the tuna mixture.1 onion
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same skillet set over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour is golden, 1-2 minutes. Slowly, while whisking constantly, add the half-and-half, chicken broth, and wine.3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 cups half-and-half, 14.5 ounces unsalted chicken broth, ½ cup dry white wine
- Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer 5-7 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Remove from the heat and add the remaining cheese and the mushroom soup; stir until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- Add the milk/cheese mixture to the tuna mixture and mix well.
- Add the drained pasta and toss until noodles are coated with the creamed mixture.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper, if needed.
- Add frozen peas and stir to incorporate.1½ cups frozen peas
- Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and top with the bread-crumb mixture.
- Bake at 375°F for 35-45 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Allow casserole to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired, and serve with toasty bread and simple salad.Chopped fresh parsley
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Make this casserole in a 9×13-inch oven-proof casserole dish and grease it before you add the ingredients.
- Bake the casserole in a preheated oven so that it cooks evenly.
- If the top of the casserole starts to brown too quickly you can cover it with foil.
Nutrition Information
When making this for a freezer meal, is it best to bake and then cook and freeze or freeze it and bake when ready to eat?
We usually freeze before baking, then bake for 60-75 minutes straight from frozen!
Loved this recipe!!! It was delicious. Just took a little long to prep. Excellent freezer meal!! You have the nutrient information but what is the serving size??
Hi Rebecca, it’s difficult to give an accurate serving size, but a serving is about 1/8th of the finished pan!
I haven’t made this yet. But what can I subsitute for the white wine?
You can use more chicken broth or just plain water!
Being in a family of 9 kids, I practically grew up on tuna noodle casserole. I can’t wait to make this version!
I hope you enjoy it!!
Hi Becky,
I’m a diehard fan of all your recipes but this one stumped me a little. Your instructions call for onion but there is none listed on the ingredients. I winged it and added a large onion. Turned out delicious!!
I’m sorry about that! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe still!!
This recipe is soooo delicious!! I will be making this for the rest of my life!! Only thing is, there is onion in it, but not listed in the ingredients aspect of it..only if you read the directions it says to saute the onion….I’m like, what onion..so I chopped one medium! Also, I used chopped water chestnuts! Loved it!!!
I’ll look into that!! I’m glad you still enjoyed it!!
I haven’t made this recipe yet but purchased all the ingredients for tonight. In reading the directions step 9 says “In a large skillet set over medium-low heat, add 1-tablespoon oil, 1-tablespoon butter and chopped onion. Cook and stir occasionally until onion is translucent and soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add the onions to the tuna mixture.” But, I don’t see onions in the ingredients and would like to know how much/many “chopped onions” you suggest I use.
Had to rate it before I could enter any comments…might be better than 3 stars?!
One large onion will be enough!
this recipe sounds amazing! I have to let you know that in the directions, step #9, you have chopped onions sautaing ( do not know how to spell, sorry) in melted butter. there are no onions listed in the ingredients. how much onions do you use in this recipe? I would really like to try this!!!
One large onion will work!
I really like to try and cook new recipes for my family ,they really love it and i enjoyed cooking and eating new recipes food .
I’m glad you all enjoyed it so much!!