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This easy tuna noodle casserole recipe combines tender egg noodles with creamy sauce, flaky tuna, green peas, and melty mozzarella cheese. Baked under a golden, buttery cracker topping, it’s classic comfort food for a chilly day.
This isn’t your grandmother’s tuna noodle casserole. That is, unless hers was rich, creamy, cheesy, and totally DELICIOUS! Today’s tuna casserole recipe is one of those comfort-food dinners from my childhood that I find myself craving in the colder months. A bit like hamburger stroganoff, this recipe uses a can of condensed soup tossed with tender egg noodles and canned tuna instead of ground beef. Everything gets baked like a pasta casserole beneath a blanket of crunchy crackers and melted mozzarella cheese.
Reasons You Should Make This Tuna Casserole Tonight
- Ready in under an hour. This casserole comes together quickly on a weeknight. Prepare the sauce while you cook the noodles, then add everything together and bake.
- Creamy, cheesy goodness. Layers of tender noodles, tuna, and creamy sauce bake together underneath a crunchy cracker topping. It’s rich, savory, and comforting.
- Delicious leftovers. This casserole stores and reheats well, and leftovers taste even better the next day.
Gather Your Ingredients
This old-school tuna casserole is quick to pull together with common pantry ingredients. Here are the important ones, and you’ll find the printable recipe details in the recipe card below the post.
- Egg Noodles – Any kind, including wide, extra-wide, or medium egg noodles. Asian noodles, or Italian pasta like fettuccine, tagliatelle, or pappardelle, will also work.
- Cream of Chicken Soup – Pick up a can of low-sodium cream of chicken soup from the store. If you have a favorite homemade recipe, go ahead and use it!
- Milk – Whole milk, 2%, or any milk you’d like. For an even richer sauce, use half-and-half.
- Sour Cream – Plain Greek yogurt makes a good substitute if you need one.
- Canned Tuna – I recommend canned tuna that comes in water or brine, and not oil. Drain the tuna well beforehand.
- Frozen Peas – Make sure to thaw them first. Feel free to use fresh peas if you have them.
- Shredded Mozzarella – Freshly grated mozzarella melts more smoothly than pre-grated mozzarella. Provolone cheese or cheddar are good substitutes.
- Crackers – You can make a crushed Ritz cracker topping similar to the one I use in my Ritz chicken casserole recipe. Or, any crackers you’d like. You could also use Panko breadcrumbs, cornflakes cereal, or crushed potato chips.
- Butter – Melted and cooled, to combine with the crackers and additional shredded cheese for the casserole topping.
Tips for a Perfect Casserole
- For the best results, use tuna packed in water. Tuna in oil may make the overall casserole too oily.
- Don’t overcook the noodles. Since you’ll bake the casserole afterward, take care not to overcook the egg noodles. If they’re overcooked, they’ll become mushy.
- Swap the soup. Instead of cream of chicken soup, use cream of vegetable or mushroom soup (or homemade cream of mushroom soup).
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure thing. If canned tuna isn’t your thing, you can substitute cooked shredded chicken, ground beef, or pulled pork. Try cooked mushrooms or broccoli for a meat-free version.
Yes! I recommend assembling the casserole and refrigerating it the day before you plan to bake it, but leave off the crunchy topping. When you’re ready to bake, mix the cracker topping, add it to the casserole, and bake as directed.
What to Serve With a Tuna Casserole
Cozy up with this creamy tuna noodle casserole and a fresh green salad or Cobb salad on the side. Or, pair your casserole with a veggie, like air fryer broccoli. I also like to have some fluffy homemade rolls or Macedonian dinner rolls on hand to sop up the sauce.
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Tuna Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 ounces egg noodles
- 1 cup cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 10 ounces canned tuna in water, drained
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
For the topping:
- ½ cup crushed Ritz crackers, panko or breadcrumbs are also okay to use
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook your noodles. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles once cooked and set aside.
- Make the base. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper.
- Add the main ingredients. Stir in the tuna and peas. Add the cooked egg noodles and ¾ cup of mozzarella and stir well to combine. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
- Prepare the topping. Combine the crushed crackers with the melted butter and ¼ cup of shredded mozzarella, then add the mixture over the casserole.
- Bake. Bake the casserole for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.
- Cool and serve. Remove the tuna casserole from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Noodle options: For this recipe, you can use any kind of egg noodles, including thin or flat Asian noodles, or fettuccine.
- Topping: Instead of crackers, you can use panko breadcrumbs.
- Tuna choices: For this recipe, I like tuna packed in water. The one packed in oil may be too oily for the recipe overall.
- Canned soups: Instead of cream of chicken soup, you can use cream of vegetable or mushroom soup.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole
See the recipe card above for the full recipe, and follow the step-by-step photos below so you know what to expect when making this creamy tuna casserole.
- Cook the noodles. Boil the egg noodles according to the package directions, then drain them. If you’d like, toss the noodles with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking while you set them aside. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400ºF while you prepare the casserole.
- Make the sauce. Combine cream of chicken soup with milk and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the drained tuna and peas.
- Add the main ingredients. Stir in the cooked egg noodles and shredded mozzarella. Once that’s well-combined, spread the mixture into a greased baking dish.
- Add the topping. Mix the crushed crackers with melted butter and more mozzarella. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole.
- Bake. Bake the casserole at 400ºF for 20 minutes. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
Storing and Reheating Tuna Casserole
- Refrigerate. Cover the baked and cooled casserole airtight and keep it refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm the tuna casserole in the oven at 350ºF until it’s hot throughout. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave.
- Freeze. Wrap the baked tuna casserole in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw the casserole in the fridge overnight before reheating.
