Tuna Noodle Casserole: The Real Deal Classic
Tuna noodle casserole is made by combining cooked egg noodles, drained canned tuna, a homemade or canned cream sauce, and vegetables, then baking it in a 375°F oven for 25-30 minutes with a buttered breadcrumb topping until golden and bubbling. The whole dish comes together in about 50 minutes and serves six people.
I brought tuna noodle casserole to a potluck because I was trying to make something that would feed a lot of people without requiring significant money or theatrical effort, and tuna noodle casserole seemed like the correct answer. A woman I'd just met tried it and said "this actually tastes good" in the exact tone of someone who had not been expecting that and was somewhat surprised by their own response. I told her I'd made the sauce from scratch rather than using cream of mushroom soup. She said that explained it.
The canned soup version is what most people have encountered, and it produces a casserole that is recognizable as tuna noodle but limited by what a can of condensed soup can bring to a sauce — which is thickness and salt, but not much in the way of actual flavor. A from-scratch béchamel made with butter, flour, chicken broth, and cream is structurally identical and tastes like a sauce someone made rather than something opened and poured.
The tuna matters more than it seems like it should. Solid white albacore packed in water, drained well, has a cleaner flavor and better texture than chunk light packed in oil, which can make the casserole taste fishy rather than savory. Drain it thoroughly and break it into pieces rather than fine shreds — you want some texture in each bite.
The breadcrumb topping is not optional. Buttered panko on top of anything baked produces a golden, crunchy layer that contrasts with the soft interior and makes it feel finished rather than just warm. Bake until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. That's when it's done. The woman at the potluck asked for the recipe before she left.
Ingredients
- 12 oz wide egg noodles
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk, warmed
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 2 cans (5 oz each) solid white albacore tuna in water, drained and flaked
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for topping)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- 1Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.
- 2Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the egg noodles until just barely al dente —? about 1 minute less than the package directions, usually 6-7 minutes. They will continue cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
- 3In a large oven-safe skillet or heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- 4Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic mixture. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. The mixture will look dry and paste-like —? that's correct.
- 5Slowly pour in the warmed milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking constantly after each addition to prevent lumps. Once all the milk is incorporated, pour in the chicken broth and continue whisking. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4-5 minutes.
- 6Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the Dijon mustard, kosher salt, black pepper, celery salt, sour cream, and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth.
- 7Add the drained egg noodles, flaked tuna, and thawed peas to the sauce. Fold everything together gently until the noodles are evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- 8Transfer the mixture to the prepared 9x13-inch baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar over the top.
- 9In a small bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and a pinch of salt. Toss until the breadcrumbs are evenly coated. Scatter them in an even layer over the casserole.
- 10Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown, the edges are bubbling, and the casserole is heated through. If the breadcrumbs brown too quickly before the center is hot, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- 11Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Pro Tips
- Undercook your noodles on purpose. Seriously. If they go into the oven fully cooked they come out the other side having made a terrible decision about their texture. Al dente means they finish cooking in the sauce and hold up like they have somewhere to be.
- Warm your milk before adding it to the roux. Cold milk hitting a hot roux is how lumps happen, and lumps in a cream sauce feel like a personal failure every time. Thirty seconds in the microwave is enough.
- Solid white albacore tuna is worth the extra fifty cents over chunk light here. The flavor is cleaner and it flakes into pieces instead of disintegrating into dust, which matters more than you think when you're already dealing with noodles and sauce competing for attention.
Substitutions
Storage Instructions
Store leftover tuna noodle casserole covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave with a splash of milk stirred in to loosen the sauce, or reheat the whole dish covered with foil at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. The breadcrumb topping will soften in the fridge; re-crisp it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes if you want the crunch back. This casserole does not freeze well —? the noodles turn mushy and the cream sauce separates.
Make Ahead
Assemble the casserole completely through step 9 (including the breadcrumb topping), cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. When ready to cook, remove from the refrigerator 20 minutes before baking to take the chill off, then bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes since you're starting from cold. The topping may need an extra few minutes to brown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to make the sauce from scratch or can I use canned cream of mushroom soup?
You can absolutely use canned cream of mushroom soup —? one 10.5 oz can diluted with 3/4 cup milk works in place of the homemade béchamel. The casserole will still taste good and come together faster. The scratch sauce has noticeably cleaner flavor and better texture, but if it's a Tuesday night and the condensed soup is already in the pantry, there is no judgment happening here.
Why is my tuna noodle casserole dry after baking?
Two likely culprits: your noodles were fully cooked before baking and absorbed too much of the sauce, or you used too little sauce to begin with. Always undercook the pasta by at least a minute. If the mixture looks slightly too saucy before it goes in the oven, that's exactly right —? it will tighten up as it bakes. A dry casserole is harder to fix than a wet one, so err toward more sauce.
Can I make tuna noodle casserole ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble the entire casserole including the breadcrumb topping, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking. Pull it from the fridge 20 minutes before it goes in the oven and add 10-15 minutes to the baking time to account for the cold start. Do not freeze the assembled casserole —? the dairy sauce breaks and the noodles give up entirely.
What kind of tuna is best for tuna noodle casserole?
Solid white albacore tuna in water is the best option for this casserole. It has a mild, clean flavor that doesn't overpower the cream sauce, and it flakes into recognizable pieces rather than shredding into a paste. Chunk light tuna works and is cheaper, but the flavor is stronger and fishier. Drain either type very well before adding —? excess water will thin the sauce.
How do I store and reheat leftover tuna casserole?
Cover leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a small splash of milk to individual servings before microwaving to help loosen the sauce. For reheating a larger portion, cover with foil and warm at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. If you want the breadcrumb topping crispy again, run it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end, watching closely.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes. Use your preferred gluten-free pasta in place of egg noodles —? a short shape like rotini or penne holds up better than long noodles here. Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the roux, and use gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed gluten-free crackers for the topping. All other ingredients in this recipe are naturally gluten-free. Check your broth label to be safe.
Can I add other vegetables to tuna noodle casserole?
Absolutely. Diced celery added with the onions is traditional and adds a nice crunch. Sliced mushrooms sautéed in butter before building the sauce work well. Roasted red peppers, corn, or blanched broccoli florets are all solid additions. Avoid vegetables with high water content like zucchini or fresh tomatoes —? they'll release liquid while baking and thin the sauce in ways you won't love.
My breadcrumb topping is burning before the casserole is fully heated through —? what do I do?
Tent the dish loosely with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time. This protects the topping while the interior catches up. You can remove the foil for the last 5 minutes to let the top re-crisp. This is most common when the casserole went in cold from the refrigerator, which is why letting it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking makes a real difference.