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.
- Cook the noodles and drain them.
- Cook the onions and celery. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Stir in the milk and simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cheese and sour cream. Stir in the tuna, peas, and cooked noodles.
- Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish.
- Combine the crackers and melted butter, and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dish.
- 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.
Try These Next
Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe
This homemade Tuna Noodle Casserole is made from scratch with a simple cheddar cheese sauce and a crunchy Ritz cracker topping.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 692kcal
Ingredients
Tuna Casserole
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups whole or 2% milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 (5-ounce) cans solid white albacore tuna in water, drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
Cracker Topping
- 1 ½ cups crushed Ritz crackers
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- Chopped dill or chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or coat a 9 x 9-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook noodles al dente according to package instructions; drain well.
- In a skillet or pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until tender, about 7 minutes, stirring several times.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
- Slowly stir in the milk until smooth and combined. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese and sour cream. Stir in the drained tuna, frozen peas, and cooked noodles. Spoon the contents into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the crushed Ritz Crackers and butter. Sprinkle the mixture over the casserole dish.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the casserole is heated through and lightly browned on the top. Sprinkle with chopped fresh dill or chives.
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or in a skillet over low heat. The cracker topping will not be as crunchy, but it will still be delicious.
- If freezing leftovers, spoon the cooled contents into a sturdy freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave at reduced power or in the oven at 350 degrees in a casserole dish.
Nutrition
Calories: 692kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 835mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1261IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 448mg | Iron: 3mg
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Tammy
Tuna Casserole always makes me smile. My first attempt at making my husband a meal right after we got married was tuna casserole. But I didn’t get the right kind of canned milk. It was sweet milk. Ew!!!
Olga
I have to make this dish. I have had some tuna in my pantry for a long time, and I don’t know how to use it. Noodles with tuna sound so yummy!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Olga! Enjoy!
Terri Beavers
Your tuna noodle casserole recipe was absolutely delicious! I loved the twist with homemade cheese sauce and added veggies. It brought back such fond memories of my mom making this for my siblings and me when we were kids. It’s the ultimate comfort food that always brings the family together! Thank you for sharing!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Terri!
Benson
I haven’t made tuna noodle casserole in a million years, so I gave your recipe a try last night. It’s one of the best I’ve ever made!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Benson! So happy that you liked it.
Steph
What a clever idea to use Ritz crackers for a topping on this tuna casserole. It was so yummy and easy to make. I love that it is made without condensed soup. I am not a fan either!
Brandy Bradley
Made this tonight and it was just as delicious as I hoped! I did substitute the tuna with rotisserie chicken and used oat milk instead of whole, and it still worked wonderfully! I have it on my list to make with tuna another time….didn’t want to have to heat up fish in my common lunch room at work. Beth’s recipes always turn out so great!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Brandy. That is so sweet! I understand the lunch room thing. So glad that you enjoyed it.
Lesa
This was wonderful! So flavorful! Especially leftover for lunch the next day 😊. Thank you for the recipe!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Lesa!
Jill
This recipe was easy and delicious!! I added fresh mushrooms with the onion and celery. The leftovers were also wonderful!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jill! I am so glad that you liked it.
katerina
It was easy and delicious! I hate cream of anything soups too. They all taste the same. Thanks for sharing!
Allyson Zea
This was so flavorful and delicious! Thanks for the easy recipe!