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Easy Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Name: Easy Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: ⅓ cup bread crumbs; 2 tablespoons butter melted; 1 cup frozen peas*; 7 ounces dried egg noodles ((3 - 3 1/2 cups cooked)); ¼ cup butter; ¼ cup flour; ¾ teaspoon oregano; 3/4 teaspoon basil; 1 dash thyme; ¼ teaspoon salt; 3½ cups milk (2% or whole milk); ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese; 2 cans tuna ((2 x 6 1/2 ounce / 2 x 184 grams, drained and flaked))

ByRosemary Molloy October 29, 2022March 12, 2023 March 12, 2023

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Easy Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole, one of the most delicious casseroles you will eat. Full of tuna, a creamy sauce and peas. Or substitute with broccoli or mushrooms, or you choose. This delicious recipe was also featured on Tasty!

This Tuna Casserole will always remain creamy and Yummy. A couple of our favourite creamy Casseroles are Broccoli Cheese Bake or this delicious Simple Scalloped Potatoes.

Nothing like comfort food to make you feel all warm and cozy even when you aren’t quite feeling it. From Creamy to Cheesy. Apparently the term Comfort Food was first used in 1966. Eating comfort food was suppose to increase positive feelings and help lift depression. Personally I think it works.

I love Baked Pasta and Casserole dishes. The Creamier the better. I find the weekend is the best time to make these since most of them need a little more time. And Sunday leftovers can be Monday night’s dinner, nothing better than that!

Or you can make it in advance, refrigerate it and then bake it when time is limited, like during the week.

Casserole in a glass dish and on a black plate.

Recipe Ingredients

Egg noodles
Homemade white sauce
Spices
Milk – whole or 2%
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Frozen peas or you can substitute with broccoli, cauliflower or even mushrooms
Tuna – canned in water or oil drain well
Breadcrumbs

How to make a Tuna Casserole

Pre-heat the oven. Lightly grease a medium baking dish.

In a small bowl with a fork combine the melted butter and bread crumbs, set aside.

In a large pot of boiling water cook the peas just until tender, remove with a slotted spoon to a clean bowl. Add some salt to the boiling water and then add the noodles, cook until al dente, drain.

Boiling the peas and noodles in a silver pot.

In a medium/large pot over low to medium heat melt 1/4 cup butter, whisk in the flour, basil, oregano, thyme and salt.

Melting butter adding the milk and spices.

Slowly whisk in the milk and stir constantly until sauce thickens.

Remove from heat and add the parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Fold in the drained noodles, peas and tuna.

Adding the peas and noodles to the sauce.

Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle with topping.

The tuna casserole in the pan with topping.

Bake 20 minutes, let sit 5 minutes and serve.

Do you bake it Covered?

I bake my Tuna Casserole uncovered because of the breadcrumb topping. I like it to bake nice and crunchy. Because the noodles are pre boiled it doesn’t take long to bake, therefore no worry of it burning.

What Vegetables can I use in a Tuna Casserole?

I like to use peas only because we love peas in our house, but my Mom always made this with broccoli. Or how about cauliflower, green beans or mushrooms or even mixed peas and carrots.

What type of noodles can I use?

I like to use egg noodles in this but if you prefer you could use a dry pasta noodle such as spirals or rigatoni.

How to Store it

The Casserole should be stored tightly wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last approximately 2-3 days in the fridge.

Casserole in a glass dish and on a spoon.

Can the Tuna Noodle Casserole be Frozen?

You can freeze this Casserole either baked or unbaked. If it is unbaked then be sure to cover it tightly or with plastic wrap (make sure pan is oven and freezer safe). When you decide to bake it make sure to thaw it overnight in the fridge.

It should be completely thawed before baking to make sure that it cooks completely through.

If you are freezing the baked casserole, be sure to let it cool completely before tightly wrapping with plastic wrap. The casserole whether baked or unbaked will last up to 6 months in the freezer.

This Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole is full of everything you need, it is a meal in itself. If you want, serve it with your favourite tossed salad and dinner is ready. Buon Appetito!

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