Tuna Casserole
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Tuna casserole recipe is what comfort food eats when it’s sad. Creamy pasta with flaky tuna, noodles, and bright peas is the perfect pick-me-up dish!
Tuna Casserole
Tuna Casserole
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Ingredient Notes for Tuna Casserole
- Egg noodles – Wide egg noodles.
- Peas – We use frozen, but canned works too. Frozen peas will be firmer and have a brighter green color.
- Tuna – Canned/drained.
- Condensed soup – We like cream of mushroom or cream of celery for this recipe.
- Milk – Preferably whole milk, but low fat or fat free will also work.
- Cheddar cheese – Shredded. Mexican or fiesta blend is good too.
- Bread crumbs – Panko. Traditional or Italian seasoned are also yummy.
- Butter – Salted/melted.
- Salt & pepper – To taste.
How to prepare the best tuna casserole
Can you make tuna casserole ahead of time?
Yes! I love to prep this a day or two in advance and then pop it in the oven when we’re ready to eat it. This is a perfect meal planning dish.
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Do I have to cook the noodles before baking?
In this recipe the noodles should be boiled first. You can do them al dente (slightly firm) because they will continue to cook in the casserole, but you do not want to add them dry.
What kind of condensed soup for tuna noodle casserole recipe?
We typically use cream of mushroom or cream of celery, but any of the “cream of” soups will work.
Storing your leftovers
How long does tuna casserole with noodles last?
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days or in the freezer for several weeks.
Can you freeze tuna noodle casserole?
Yes, you can freeze it before or after baking. When freezing before baking it’s best to use a disposable pan (so your baking dish isn’t stuck in the freezer for months!).
Cover tightly with at least two layers of foil. If freezing for an especially long time it helps to also wrap the entire dish in saran wrap. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Can you cook tuna casserole from frozen?
Yes, to cook the casserole from frozen add 45 – 60 minutes to the baked time. Bake covered with foil for the extra initial cook time, uncover during the last 20 minutes.
Tuna casserole tips
🧅 Try topping the casserole with crunchy onions like we do in our green bean casserole recipe.
🔥 Add some heat by stirring in a tablespoon or two of sriracha or Frank’s Red Hot sauce.
🥶 Make your future self happy by whipping up a double batch and freezing one pan for later.
🥕 Try it with mixed vegetables instead of peas, or canned chicken instead of tuna!
More noodle casserole recipes to enjoy
- Baked spaghetti casserole recipe
- Meatball noodle casserole recipe
- Taco noodle casserole recipe
- Pizza casserole recipe
- See all our easy casserole recipes
Other tuna recipes you’ll love
- Tuna pasta salad recipe
- Tuna patties recipe
- Tuna stuffed tomatoes recipe
- See all our recipes with seafood
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How to Make Tuna Casserole
Tuna Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces wide egg noodles
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 10 ounces canned tuna drained (2 small cans)
- 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup* 10.5 ounces, each
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil egg noodles according to package directions, drain and return to pot.
- To the noodles, add the peas, tuna, soup, milk, and shredded cheddar. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Press noodles into a 9×13 inch buttered casserole dish.
- Mix together the panko crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over the noodle mixture.
- Bake at 375F for 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbling and browned on top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Tuna Casserole
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Tools we love
- Glass casserole dish with lid – I love this dish, it can go from freezer to oven!
- Metal spatula – We like a metal spatula for getting heavy piles of noodles out easily.
Originally published: 1/11/2021, Updated: 5/15/2025
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Yummy
I made a half recipe. I have it ready to put in the oven. Yes, I haven’t eaten it yet, but it looks great. I used double the panko, because I like the extra crunch of the layer of crumbs.
We call this cleaning out the fridge cassarole..
For added crunch we literally use leftovers then add smill chunked celery for crunch and sauted mushrooms for flavor.
My kids and family love this meal. I use stuffing for the top instead of panko, it gives it this yummy crunchy flavor. You just mix with warm butter and stir. Then put the stuffing on top and bake like it says above. I also use 1 can of cream of mushroom and 1 can of cream of chicken. very yummy
I liked this a lot and it certainly was a crowd pleaser. I added a second can of tuna fish. Does others do that too? I also included some sour cream to give it a little bite.
It was really good. I haven’t had tuna casserole in years, but my brother who lives with me wanted me to make it. It does need a bit more seasoning in it so next time I will try garlic or onion powder. I made a half recipe since there’s only 2 here, I used 2 cans of tuna and one can each of cream of mushroom and chicken soup becauseI wanted it creamier, and half of the noodles, and the rest was the same as the recipe calls for and I ate more than I usually do because it was delicious.
I just made this, but had to substitute Ritz crackers because I didn’t have planko breadcrumbs It came out so good, I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for this recipe. It’s super easy and really good.
We are just two people, so I made a half casserole and added onions, extra sliced mushrooms, garlic and dill. I crushed up cheddar garlic croutons for the topping (no panko). It was outstanding!!!
Delicious
I used a cream of chicken soup and a can of cream of celery in place of the two cans of cream of mushroom soup as that’s what I had on hand. I’ve never used cheddar cheese in this casserole before. It was very good and easy to make.
Everyone loved this recipe, I made a couple small changes, I used 1 can cream of mushroom, and 1 can cream of chicken, I also added grated parm cheese on top mixed in with the panko, otherwise I kept to the recipe and it was perfect! Was almost just like my mom used to make!! Will definitely be making this again!
This was easy and delicious! The only thing I added was garlic.
Tasted Great!
I often make this on the stove top as a one pan meal. I don’t use my oven in the summer while trying to keep my home cool and can easily skip the extra calories from the toasted non-nutritional topping. topping.
could u tell me how many people this will serve if I triple the recipe
The recipe as written is about 8 servings, so if you were to triple it then it would be about 24 servings. If you’re serving large hungry teens, maybe more like 18 – 20, if you’re serving people with smaller appetites, maybe more like 30. Hope that helps.
This was so bland and there’s a lot of leftovers but the noodles absorb the sauce so it ends up being really dry the next day. I had high hopes for this recipe but ended up disappointed.
Tastey. Does it freeze well after baking?
Sure does!