Kristin Maxwell
Published on
The Best Tuna Casserole Recipe
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Tuna Casserole is pure, classic comfort food. Flaky tuna, tender noodles, and peas in a creamy, cheesy homemade sauce with a crunchy cracker crumb topping.
My easy Tuna casserole recipe is one of those dishes that you just can’t help but love. It ranks right up there with favorites like Slow Cooker Pot Roast and Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes. And the best part? I’m going to teach you how to make a tuna casserole without cream of mushroom soup!
Instead of the typical condensed canned soups, I make my own creamy sauce from scratch. It’s so easy, and just a couple of quick extra steps. Top the whole tuna noodle casserole with crushed crackers or breadcrumbs and bake until it’s warm and bubbly. Whip up some Cornbread Muffins and Sauteed Asparagus to serve with it.
Table of Contents
Tuna Casserole Ingredients
- For the Cheese Sauce – Onion, butter, all-purpose flour, garlic powder, milk, Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Be sure to use fresh grated cheese for the best texture and flavor. Any kind of milk you have on hand is fine.
- Tuna – Just regular canned chunk light tuna from your pantry, preferably packed in water instead of oil.
- Small Pasta – Because it’s baked, I prefer to stick with a thicker pasta like rotini or macaroni. Egg noodles can get a little mushy.
- Peas – Easy peasy frozen peas.
- Sour Cream – Makes the sauce even creamier, and helps to keep it nice and smooth.
- For the Topping – Crushed Ritz crackers or Panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese and minced parsley. Swap in potato chips for a fun touch.
- Salt and Pepper – Taste test your casserole after mixing and add more seasonings if needed.
How to Make a Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Boil the noodles. Boil a pot of water and cook your pasta of choice to al dente. Be careful not to overcook because it will be baked later and you don’t want the noodles to become mushy.
- Make the cheese sauce. Saute onions in butter over medium heat, then add flour and garlic powder to form the roux. Let that cook for a few minutes until it’s golden brown. Pour in some milk and bring it to a simmer (bubbling, but not a full rolling boil). Once it’s thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses. I recommend doing this in batches, starting with a handful of cheese and adding more as that melts.
- Mix the casserole together. In a large bowl, or right into the dish or skillet you made the sauce in, add the cooked noodles, tuna, peas and sour cream. Stir it all together until it’s completely combined. If your skillet is oven proof, you can just top with the bread crumbs and bake it as is. Or, pour the tuna mixture into a casserole dish that you’ve greased with cooking spray and bake it that way.
- Top with crackers and bake. In a small bowl, crush the crackers and stir in melted butter, Parm and parsley. Sprinkle all over the top of the casserole and bake it uncovered for about 20 minutes. Broil for a few minutes to brown the top.
FAQs
Can you freeze Tuna Casserole?
Yes, you can freeze the casserole either before or after baking. To make ahead and freeze, I recommend using a disposable baking dish so your baking pan isn’t stuck in the freezer. Prepare the casserole, pour it into the disposable pan, and cover tightly. Wait to add the cracker crumb topping until just before baking so it doesn’t get soggy.
To freeze an already baked casserole, let it cool completely, then cover the baking pan with foil and place it in the freezer. Once it’s fully frozen, remove the casserole from the pan and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and/or foil. Place it in a plastic freezer bag and back into the freezer it goes.
With either method, the casserole can be frozen for up to 6 months as long as it’s properly wrapped up.
Do you have to thaw it or can you cook it from frozen?
You can cook from frozen, but you’ll need to add about 45 minutes to the cook time. For the best results, thaw it first in the refrigerator overnight.
Can you make it ahead of time?
You can prepare the casserole up to 4 or 5 hours in advance – prep everything, mix it all together and pour it into a casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and pop it into the fridge until you’re ready to bake. To bake, set the casserole on the counter while the oven preheats. Remove the foil and bake as directed.
Serving Suggestions
For a prettier presentation, sprinkle some fresh minced parsley on top of the golden cracker crumbs.
For serving, you can whip up a crisp green Caesar Salad, or some Garlic Green Beans and some Easy Drop Biscuits to serve on the side.
Variations
Veggies – Not everyone likes peas, so you can replace them with another vegetable, or omit completely. Try adding Sauteed Mushrooms, steamed broccoli, or some Frozen Mixed Vegetables. Anything you add should be fully cooked first (sauteed or steamed).
Deluxe – For a fancy casserole, buy fresh tuna, bake it or pan-fry until it’s cooked to 145°F and flake it into small pieces. It will take your casserole to a whole other level!
Spicy – For a spicy casserole, add a couple teaspoons of sriracha to the sauce.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: For leftovers, tightly cover the casserole dish or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: Freeze the cooked casserole for up to 6 months. Thaw completely before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat larger portions in the oven at 350℉ until heated through, and for individual portions reheat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.
- The crunchy cracker topping is optional. Instead you can use Panko or regular breadcrumbs, saltines or omit it altogether. Crushed potato chip topping would be fun, too.
- If you want to save a little time and use condensed soup, you certainly can do that. Skip the butter/onion/flour/milk and replace with a 10 ounce can of the condensed cream soup of your choice and ½ cup milk. Mix everything together in a large bowl and pour into the casserole dish.
- Try replacing half of the milk with chicken broth.
- If you need a replacement for the tuna, rotisserie or even canned chicken can be used as a substitute.
- Make a double batch in a separate casserole dish and freeze one to enjoy another time.
More Casserole Recipes to Love
- Skillet Garlic Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
- French Onion Chicken Casserole
- Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
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Tuna Casserole
Tuna Casserole is pure comfort food. Flaky tuna, tender noodles and peas in a creamy homemade sauce with a crunchy cracker crumb topping.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 28 mins
Total Time 48 mins
Ingredients
Tuna Casserole
- ½ cup dice white onion
- 8 ounces small pasta like Rotini farfalle or macaroni
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 10 ounces canned tuna water packed and drained
Topping
- 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers or panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh minced parsley
Instructions
- In a large, deep, oven-safe skillet or saute pan (5-quart), melt butter, then add diced onion. Cook until onion is translucent and soft; about 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk in flour and garlic powder and cook for a couple of minutes or until flour is golden in color.
- Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir often until thickened; 3-4 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in cheeses until melted. *Tip – if the sauce isn't creamy enough for you, add a few ounces of cream cheese; stir in until melted and combined.
- Meanwhile, boil water in a medium-sized pot and cook the pasta according to package directions. Add peas during the last minute or so. Drain and set aside.
- To the skillet, stir in pasta, peas and tuna. Stir in sour cream. (If you do not have an oven safe saute pan, transfer the mixture to a greased 11×7-inch baking dish).
- Combine crushed crackers with ½ cup grated parmesan and sprinkle on top of the casserole.
- Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. For additional browning, switch to broil during the last 5 minutes.
- Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh minced parsley.
Notes
Storage: For leftovers, tightly cover the casserole dish or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: Freeze the cooked casserole for up to 6 months. Thaw completely before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat larger portions in the oven at 350℉ until heated through, and for individual portions reheat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.
Nutrition
Calories: 582kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 32gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 1221mgPotassium: 470mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 2050IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 487mgIron: 3mg
Other than crisping-up the topping, is there any reason why I couldn’t just heat this thoroughly on the stovetop? It’s just for me, so I’ll be cutting the recipe in half. I’m always looking for recipes that won’t heat up my kitchen. Thanks.
Yes, you could serve from the stovetop. You could even crisp the topping by melting butter in a small skillet and toasting some breadcrumbs.
It’s a miracle! My tuna-casserole-hating 23 year old son LOVED this recipe! He always refuses to eat it. Made as written except added some pepper and paprika to the sauce before adding in the rest of the ingredients. Will add some salt next time, too. And a pinch of cayenne. 😉 Otherwise it’s almost perfect as written. Because I’ll probably add more tuna, too–especially since my son (and husband!) had two big platefuls! Thanks! 😃❤️🙏👍
You are so welcome Terri! Thanks for stopping by to share.
Made this recipe Keto friendly by using almond flour, pork rinds in place of the crackers, and cauliflower rice for noodles. My family loved it, everyone had seconds.
This was delicious! My son and his children practically licked the casserole dish clean. A definite keeper. Perfect Friday night Lenten dish.
Thank you Julie! Glad everyone loved the recipe. Thanks for stopping by.
It sounds really good and I can’t wait to
fix it! I’ve been on line over an hour looking
for a good recipe and yours looks Delish !!!
Thanks so much.
You are so welcome Donna, thank you so much for taking the time to leave some feedback.
This is my favorite Tuna Casserole recipe ❤❤❤!!! My family couldnt stop eating it until it was gone!! Booo no leftovers for me!!!
Hi Darlene, HaHa, leftovers are sometimes the best part. So happy that you and your family loved this recipe!
May I ask this dish could serve how many people?
Easily could serve 4-6 people.
Ummm….only served 3 in my house. 2 men and a woman. With 7 oz of tuna.
Ummm…did you serve any sides with it? It’s not meant to be a complete meal and I recommend in the post to serve it with a veggie or salad. I can only state how much it served in a typical family, which is roughly 6 servings.
What size cans of tuna!!??
5 ounces!!
Hello
Can I use salmon in this casserole.
I suppose you could, but I’m not a big fan of salmon with cheese.