Overhead of finished casserole in a baking dish with a wooden spoon in it.

Tuna Casserole was a classic weeknight dinner in my house growing up. Both my parents worked full time, so weeknight meals that were easy, quick, and gobbled up by the whole family were a must. And creamy, hearty, delicious tuna noodle casserole fit the bill!

My original family recipe for this dish uses canned condensed soups to give it its creamy texture and tons of flavor. I’m a big fan of cooking from scratch whenever I can, so my version drops the canned soup and instead makes a simple, creamy sauce on the stovetop that is packed with even more flavor!

Close up of a scoop of finished casserole on a wooden spoon.

If I don’t use canned soups, what makes this tuna noodle casserole creamy?

Instead of canned cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup, this recipe has you make a simple béchamel sauce—which is a thickened cream sauce. Don’t freak! If you can melt butter and whisk milk, you can make a béchamel sauce. I promise you can do this!

Along with the creamy béchamel sauce, there is also a very special, secret ingredient that keeps this casserole super creamy and luscious—MAYO! Yup! A hefty scoop of mayo adds fat to the sauce, which helps keep it stable in the oven (no separation) and results in a silky, creamy casserole.

Overhead of tuna noodle casserole on a plate with a fork and fresh parsley.

How do you make tuna casserole from scratch?

Making tuna noodle casserole is mostly just an exercise in assembly! After you lightly prep a few items, you mix them all together into a delicious, creamy casserole.

  1. Sauté celery, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms in melted butter over medium high-heat until tender.
  2. Sprinkle with flour, and then whisk in some whole milk. Season the sauce with ground mustard, salt, and black pepper.
  3. Simmer until thick, then add in some cheddar cheese to melt.
  4. Once the sauce is done, combine that mixture in a large bowl with al dente egg noodles, mayo, canned tuna, peas, and pimento peppers.
  5. Pour the whole shebang into a baking dish coated in cooking spray. Then top it with a crunchy Parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs topping.
  6. Bake until the casserole is bubbly and the top is crunchy and golden brown.

Wholefully Protip

Make sure to shred your own cheddar cheese. Bagged, pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking agent that can make the sauce gritty or clumpy.

Close up of creamy tuna casserole from scratch.

Do you cook noodles before baking casserole?

Yes! You’ll want to boil your egg noodles until they are just shy of al dente—they should still have a little toughness to them. They will cook the rest of the way while the casserole is in the oven, and they will come out perfectly cooked, rather than mushy. If you don’t cook your noodles in advance though, you’ll end up with crunchy, undercooked noodles. And nobody wants that in a creamy casserole!

Wholefully Protip

Want to add an even bigger boost of flavor? Cook your egg noodles in chicken broth or vegetable broth.

A wooden spoon scooping tuna noodle casserole out of a baking dish.

What’s the best topping for tuna casserole?

We’ve tested a lot of different toppings for tuna casserole (regular breadcrumbs, crackers, slivered almonds, cornflakes, and even potato chips), but our favorite is a combo panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and butter. It adds a wonderful crunch without detracting from the flavor of the casserole.

Does it matter what kind of tuna you use for tuna casserole?

I’m gonna be honest here and say—not really! You’re looking for canned tuna in water, but other than that, we recommend you pick whatever your family likes. Solid white albacore, light tuna, skipjack tuna, pole caught tuna—it all does the trick! Just make sure you drain the cans very well before adding them to the casserole.

Hand holding up a wooden spoon with a scoop of tuna casserole on it.

How do you moisten dry tuna casserole?

Our recipe is designed to be deliciously rich and creamy right out of the oven—no worries about dry noodles. But it might start to go dry once it’s sat in the refrigerator and you’ve reheated it a few times. Stir in a spoonful or two of mayo to rehydrate!

Wholefully Protip

You might be tempted to use more than the 6 ounces of egg noodles we list in the recipe (it seems like so little when it’s dry), but don’t! That’s the perfect ratio of pasta to sauce to make sure you don’t get a dry casserole.

Close up of a wooden spoon scooping creamy noodles from a casserole dish.

How do you know when tuna casserole is done?

Everything in the casserole is pre-cooked, so you’re mostly just popping it in the oven to warm it through and make the topping crunchy. There are two signs to look for to confirm that your casserole is ready:

  1. The casserole should be bubbly, like how boiling water is bubbly.
  2. The topping should be golden brown.

If both of these criteria are met, you can take it out of the oven! Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before diving in, both so that you don’t burn your mouth (ouch!) and to let it thicken up a bit.

Classic tuna noodle casserole on a plate garnished with a sprig of fresh parsley beside it.

Can I make tuna casserole in advance?

You sure can! Make the filling all the way through and top it with the breadcrumb topping, but don’t bake it yet.  Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Bring up to room temperature before baking as listed.

Can you freeze tuna casserole? How do I reheat it?

You can definitely freeze tuna casserole, although it will slightly change the texture of the pasta. The egg noodles will lose a bit of their firmness in the freezer, but not enough to make the casserole unenjoyable!

To freeze: Make it all the way through, but don’t bake it yet. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer.

Want to keep your casserole dish out of the freezer? No problem. Line the entire casserole dish with a double layer of aluminum foil, with long arms of foil hanging out the sides. Fill the aluminum foil-lined baking dish with the casserole, and then pop it in the freezer. Once the casserole is frozen solid, pop out the casserole using the aluminum foil, wrap it up, and then wrap it again in plastic wrap. When it’s time to bake, unwrap the plastic wrap, and drop the foil “brick” into the baking dish!

Overhead of a plate of tuna casserole beneath the full casserole dish.
To bake tuna noodle casserole from frozen, you can either thaw it overnight in the fridge and then bake as listed in the recipe, or you can bake from frozen. To bake from frozen, tent the top of the casserole in foil, then bake for about 90 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for an additional 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Wholefully Protip

Do not bake from frozen if you are using a glass casserole dish. The temperature shock from the frozen casserole to the hot oven can cause the glass to shatter.

Single serving of finished casserole on a plate with a fork and parsley sprig garnish.

 
Overhead of finished casserole in a baking dish with a wooden spoon in it.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Our Tuna Casserole is classic, creamy comfort food that is easy to make and perfect for when you need a little love from the kitchen.

Ingredients

For the Casserole

  • 6 ounces egg noodles
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 4 stalks celery, diced
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 1 medium green pepper, diced
  • 4 ounces finely diced mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 5-ounce cans water-packed chunk tuna, drained
  • 1 cup frozen peas, optional
  • 4 ounces drained, chopped jarred pimento peppers, optional

For the Topping

  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a two quart casserole dish, and set aside.
  2. Cook the egg noodles according to package directions, except reducing the cooking time slightly. Drain the noodles when they are just shy of al dente. Set aside.
  3. Heat the butter in a large skillet with high sides or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until melted. Add in the celery, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes.
  4. Stir in the flour, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to reduce the raw flour flavor. Then slowly add in the milk, stirring constantly during addition. Bring to a simmer, and cook until thick and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
  5. Remove sauce from heat, and add in the ground mustard, salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Taste sauce for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if desired.
  6. Add in the cooked noodles, mayo, tuna, frozen peas, and pimento peppers, if using.
  7. Pour mixture into the prepared casserole dish, and set aside.
  8. In a small bowl, combine all the topping ingredients until well-mixed. Sprinkle over top of the casserole. 
  9. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Make sure to shred your own cheese for the best results. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in an anti-caking agent, which can make the sauce gritty or or clumpy.
  • We’ve made this with chickpea pasta before (in particular, Banza Rotini) with good results. Chickpea pasta is a lot more fragile, so just barely cook the pasta before adding to the casserole (2-3 minutes), and be aware that reheating leftovers might result in the pasta falling apart—which looks bad, but still tastes delicious!
  • In place of panko topping, sometimes we sprinkle on toasted slivered almonds for a wonderful crunch!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 463Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 677mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 18g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

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8 Comments

  1. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made it tonight and I was nursing when the oven timer went off so my husband pulled it out and his exact words were “Did you make this differently than you usually do? It looks…. appetizing.” Ha! It was a hit with my kids too.

  2. I was due on Thursday, and Friday was a Blue Moon — second full moon of the month, which doesn’t happen often. Hence the saying “once in a blue moon.” I so wanted a blue moon baby, but she came Saturday 🙂 maybe your little lady will follow suit and be here today!!

  3. You and your freezer meals for post-baby—so smart! I know a few other bloggers, and another real life friend of mine, who did the same thing and they’re so glad they did. My mother used to make the same tuna casserole with the crumb topping and using the canned soups, and I absolutely loved it when I was a kid. I haven’t had the casserole in ages but now I want to try and make it again. Any chance the homemade soups are here on your site already? I’ll have to look. I have made homemade green bean casserole for Thanksgiving many times using homemade cream of mushroom soup and people just love it and rave about how better it tastes (imagine that!) with fresh green beans and homemade creamed mushroom soup.

    The best thing about this post, for me, was how you froze the dish, folded it up, and then labeled it and what dish it fits nicely back into. Never would have thought to write down about which dish it pops back into! So great! 🙂

    Here’s to a few more days for you of free time, but I agree with your husband, I think it would be cool if your kiddo came on the last full moon on a Friday the 13th that we’ll see until like 2049 I think the news said. 😮

    1. And if I had read the recipe all the way through I would have seen the link you provided for the cream of celery soup! HA!

  4. i was just thinking of you and the little one..shes taking her own sweet time. sending you all the good vibes 🙂

  5. You are amazing – making your own soups! I hope I do that someday! I didn’t used to like tuna (crazy) but now I eat it all the time and this recipe sounds SO yummy. Best wishes on the little one – I think it would be so cool for her to come today!

  6. Holy heck, taking it OUT of the container to store is genius!!!! I always have containers tied up doing storage duty in the freezer….well no more. Brilliant. (somehow, muffins always come out of the containers, but soups, stews & casseroles stay in the containers. Not clear why.)

  7. I haven’t had tuna casserole in years, but I used to really enjoy it. I think macaroni and cheese is probably my favorite comfort food. 🙂 I hope you don’t have to wait much longer!!