Tuna Noodle Casserole

Classic Tuna Noodles Casserole has never tasted so good. It has an easy, luscious, cheesy, creamy sauce and a simple three-ingredient Ritz cracker topping. This is comfort food at its best and a weeknight family favorite.

This is one of my husband’s favorite casseroles and one that the whole family enjoys. I like to add some frozen baby peas and make my cream sauce from scratch instead of canned cream of something soup.

It is a complete meal, but if you want to step it up a notch, serve it with a simple garden salad and garlic knots. If you like this casserole, you should try my cheesy pierogi casserole, chicken broccoli rice casserole, and chicken stuffing casserole.

Why We Love This

• I am not a huge fan of cream of anything condensed canned soups, so this recipe does not call for cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, or cream of chicken soup. To me, they all taste the same. This recipe uses an easy-to-make, fresh, creamy cheese sauce that gives it that knock-it-out-of-the-park flavor.
• This tuna casserole recipe is not complicated. No special equipment or techniques are required, and even a novice cook can handle this meal preparation.
• The ingredients for this recipe are readily available at your local supermarket, and you may already have many of them on hand.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.

• Noodles: I love using egg noodles, but you can substitute elbow macaroni, penne, rotini, or cellentani.
• Butter: Unsalted or salted. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt.
• Milk: Whole or 2% milk.
• Cheddar Cheese: Use sharp, mild, white, or smoked cheddar; Monterey Jack; Gruyere; or American.
• Sour cream: Full-fat is best for flavor and texture.
• Tuna: I use solid white albacore tuna packed in water, either in a can or a packet.
• Peas: Frozen are best; don’t use canned as they are too soft and will cook up mushy
• Toppings: Crushed Ritz, crushed potato chips, breadcrumbs, or French’s fried onion
• Herbs: Use fresh dill, chives, or thyme

How to make Tuna Noodle Casserole

This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.

1. Cook the noodles and drain them.
2. Cook the onions and celery. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic.
3. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Stir in the milk and simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cheese and sour cream. Stir in the tuna, peas, and cooked noodles.
6. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish.
7. Combine the crackers and melted butter, and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dish.
8. Bake until lightly browned and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Preparation Tips

• Cook the pasta al dente. This keeps it from becoming too soft or mushy after baking.
• Do not over-simmer the cream sauce. 4-5 minutes is long enough for the sauce to slightly thicken. Be sure to stir frequently.
• Remove the white sauce from the heat before whisking in the cheese and sour cream.

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