Tuna Noodle Casserole

side shot of tuna casserole on a serving spatula.

5 from 2 votes

This classic tuna noodle casserole is a breeze to make. The homemade white sauce elevates it to something special without being fussy.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 595kcal

Author: Jessica Fisher

Equipment

heavy stockpot
sauce pan

Ingredients

Sauce

½ cup butter
½ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 ½ cup milk
½ cup celery diced
2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (shredded)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon black pepper

Casserole filling

12 oz wide egg noodles
2 cans albacore tuna
1 cup frozen peas no need to thaw
2 green onion (chopped)
1 cup cheddar cheese (cubed) (4 oz)

Casserole topping

½ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a pot on the stove, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook until bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes). Whisk in the milk until smooth. Stir in the celery, cheese, salt, dill, lemon zest, and black pepper. Simmer on low until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.
½ cup butter, ½ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cup milk, ½ cup celery, 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (shredded), 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ½ teaspoon black pepper
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles until al dente. Rinse and drain.
12 oz wide egg noodles
In a large bowl, combine the soup, noodles, tuna, green onion, peas, and cheese cubes.
2 cans albacore tuna, 2 green onion (chopped), 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup cheddar cheese (cubed)
Spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
½ cup panko bread crumbs
In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and panko. Sprinkle this over the top of the casserole.
Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly

Notes

You can substitute crushed potato chips for the buttered bread crumbs if you prefer. This is traditional, but some brands of potato chips, such as Kettle, become too hard when baked. For that reason, I now recommend buttered panko.

To Make Ahead: assemble according to the recipe and store the uncooked casserole in the fridge until ready to bake. Alternatively, you can freeze the casserole for a later day. Just thaw it overnight prior to baking.

Serving Suggestions: Serve Tuna Noodle Casserole as you would any other pasta bake, with a simple side salad or cooked vegetable and garlic bread or rolls on the side.

How to Make a Meal Prep: You can assemble the casserole in single-serve containers for meal prep. Just be sure that the dishes are oven safe. Bake and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Otherwise, divide the baked larger casserole into portions into meal-prep containers. Refrigerate as directed.

Make a Plan for Leftovers: Leftover casserole is delicious reheated the next day. Promptly refrigerate leftovers and use within 4 days. Remember that food should not be left at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.

Nutrition