Easy Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole
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.
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.
In a medium/large pot over low to medium heat melt 1/4 cup butter, whisk in the flour, basil, oregano, thyme and salt.
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.
Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle 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.
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!
More Delicious Casserole Recipes:
- Italian Green Bean Casserole
- Creamy Broccoli Bacon Pasta Casserole
- Italian Sausage and Vegetable Rice Casserole
Easy Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
FOR THE TOPPING
- ⅓ cup bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 cup frozen peas*
- 7 ounces dried egg noodles (3 – 3 1/2 cups cooked)
WHITE SAUCE
- 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)
EXTRAS
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cans tuna (2 x 6 1/2 ounce / 2 x 184 grams, drained and flaked)
*You can substitute with broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms.
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a 10 x 8 x 2 inch (27 x 21 x 6 cm) baking dish.
FOR THE TOPPING
- In a small bowl with a fork combine melted butter and bread crumbs, set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling water cook the peas until tender, remove with a slotted spoon, add the egg noodles and cook until al dente, remove and drain well.
- In a medium pot over low to medium heat melt the butter, whisk in flour, basil, oregano, thyme and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk and stir constantly until sauce thickens**
- Remove from heat and add the parmesan cheese stir to combine.
- Fold in the drained noodles, peas and tuna.
- Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle with topping. Bake 20 minutes, let sit 5 minutes and serve. Enjoy!
**Make sure the sauce starts to boil, then once it starts to boil lower the heat to simmer it whisking constantly until thickened.
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from February 10, 2015.
This looks heavenly! My husband is out of town for the week and I think my girls and I will be having this for dinner tonight! I love me some leftovers ?
Hi Tonjmarie, hope you and your girls enjoyed it.
I all so try it and I use chicken it was great ?
Hi Helen, chicken is a good idea, so glad you liked it. 🙂
I tried this tonight and stirred the white sauce a good 10 minutes with no sign of thickening…I read the comment saying it would thicken in the oven so I went ahead and put it in. I cooked an extra 10 minutes and the top did thicken but as soon as I cut into it, it was very milky all inside of it. Any idea why that would be?
Hi Jessica, I am thinking that the heat wasn’t high enough, because it should start to boil in order to thicken. Once it starts to boil lower the heat to simmer it, but it definitely does thicken. Hope that helps.
I don’t have fresh Parmesan on hand. Would it ruin it if I didn’t use fresh cheese?
Hi Jen, I don’t think it would ruin it. Try it, it’s baked so it should be ok, let me know.
Thank you for the recipe. So far so good. We haven’t taken a bit, but I cannot wait! Looks perfectly bubbly, plenty of sauce and flavor. (We did add a little hot sauce to the rue).
Thank you.
Hi Brandy, I hope you liked it! Haha my husband adds hot pepper flakes to everything! Have a great week.
Does it matter whether I use the dried egg noodles or if I just use regular noodles?
Hi Courtney, I’m regular noodles would work also, just make sure to cook them just until al dente. Let me know how you like it. 🙂
I’m frantically looking at recipes for my children and I for dinner tonight (haven’t had a chance to go grocery shopping yet) luckily I have every ingredient needed for this recipe. Thanks for sharing, will be making this tonight.
Hi Amber, hope you all enjoyed it! Happy Sunday.
How long does it usually take for the sauce to thicken up?
Hi Morgan, well the sauce thickens in the oven with the noodles and tuna. Don’t over cook it or the sauce will dry up. Hope that helps.
My family loves this recipe! Thank you! I’d love to add this to my freezer meal prep for when baby #2 arrives….would this freeze well??
Thanks Dena, glad they enjoy it. I don’t know if you could freeze it, I never have, I always say try it and then you will know. Maybe make a small batch to try. And congrats on baby #2.
What a wonderful version of an old favorite! Yours looks so continental and charming – a far cry from the tuna noodle casseroles of my youth. And oh so much more delicious I’ll bet.
Thanks Laura, it really is a delicious casserole, hope you enjoy it.
Can’t wait to make this tomorrow! Sounds like something my family would adore.
Hi Miranda, I am pretty sure they will enjoy it. Let me know. Have a great day.
Does it matter whether I use tuna packed in oil or water?
Hi Tamara, no it doesn’t, to tell the truth I always use tuna packed in water (I know what am I doing, living in Italy when tuna is packed in olive oil, oh well old habits die hard!), if you use oil just drain it really well. Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
This turned out the best Tuna bake I’ve ever made! Tweaked it a bit for a daughter on a specific allergy elimination/challenge diet. Added some saute’d leek & garlic and grated carrot & zucchini, but omitted peas. Also added a little Vegetta seasoning & Herbamere, and a bit extra cheese (combined Colby, cheddar & Parmesin). Also mixed some of the shredded cheese mix through the breadcrumb mix for topping! AWESOME! 🙂
Hi Jenny, so glad you enjoyed it, sounds delicious. 🙂
This looks INCREDIBLE!!! Definitely pinning this one STAT!!! YUMMMM….
Hi Stephanie, thanks very much, hope you enjoy it.
I’m in Florida too 🙂 It’s chilly today and I’m not a fan, lol. I’m picky when it comes to tuna and pasta together. Some people get it right, and others don’t. Yours looks AMAZING…everything you cook looks so good and definitely comforting! I wish you were my neighbor, lol!
Hi Veronica, thanks, haha I wish I was your neighbour too, I’ll do dinner you do dessert! Have a great weekend.
Boy it’s chilly here in Florida but NOT as bad as it is back home in the Midwest. I can survive 65 degree days. And I love comfort food! Soups do that to me — minestra. I sure miss my mamma’s cooking. Your tuna casserole is perfect for a family. I used to make a variation of yours when my kidlets were home. I may just try to cut the recipe down enough for two. Grazie e buona sera ( I figure it is afternoon where you are 🙂 )
Hi Marisa, thanks, I love soups too! Actually anything with pasta. Have a great day.