A classic dinner recipe that the entire family will love. Even my kids asked for seconds of this Easy Tuna Casserole. It's made with egg noodles and then topped with cheese before baking. Usually, I have most of these ingredients in my pantry, so if I need a quick meal, it's this!
Tuna casserole is a classic. Growing up we ate tuna a lot and I always loved it. Even as someone who didn't always like fish, I loved tuna.
This Tuna Casserole is the same recipe that I grew up on and now my kids love it.
Something that I personally love about this recipe is how easy it is to make.
I usually have these ingredients in my pantry at any given time and it can all be put together in less than an hour.
How to make Tuna Casserole:
For this dinner recipe, I used canned tuna and egg noodles. A creamy base made from cream of chicken soup and mayonnaise.
I seasoned it all then topped it with cheese before popping it in the oven.
Prep: Prepare your noodles according to the package directions. You want them to be al dente as they will cook more in the oven.
Drain and cut up the tuna into smaller pieces to distribute in the casserole.
Mix and Bake: Mix your sauce together and then spread all the ingredients into a casserole dish. Bake and enjoy!
Cheesy Tuna Casserole Ingredients:
- Egg noodles: These are the noodles I prefer for this casserole but you can use your favorite noodle.
- Tuna: I used canned tuna in water.
- Cream of chicken soup
- Mayonnaise
- Seasonings: For seasonings I used garlic and onion powder along with salt and pepper.
- Cheese
Directions:
Step one: I always start with prepping my casserole dish with some non-stick cooking spray and reheating my oven.
For this recipe, I used a 9x13 casserole dish.
Step two: Next cook your egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and place in your prepared casserole dish.
Drain your tuna and place it in your dish with noodles and mix.
- Tip: Use a fork to cut up the tuna into smaller pieces before adding to the dish, as this will make it easier to get the tuna evenly distributed throughout the casserole.
Step three: In a separate bowl prepare your creamy base for the casserole.
Mix together the cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, and seasonings.
Once those are well combined with the tuna and noodles and mix until all noodles are coated.
Optional: At this time, you can also add in peas or corn if you desire.
Last before placing it in the oven top with shredded cheese.
- Optional Tip: We grew up with shredded cheese on top of tuna casserole. This is a slight variation from the traditional recipe. Traditionally, breadcrumbs are sprinkled on top of the casserole before baking.
Baking Directions:
Step four: Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until cheese is melted and your casserole is warm throughout.
Storing Directions:
Don't allow the leftover tuna casserole to sit at room temperature for more than two hours.
Store the tuna casserole in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or by covering the leftovers with foil, and it should last 2-3 days.
Serving Options:
I served my casserole with a salad and veggies. Here are a few more of my favorite side dishes to pair with this dinner.
Try some of my other favorite casseroles:
Chili Mac Casserole - This hearty casserole is loaded with beef, cheese, and noodles. This Chili Mac Casserole is a family favorite and a recipe you will love.
Tater Tot Casserole - This Tater Tot Casserole is one of the best casseroles you will ever make. Hearty and cheesy this casserole is going to be a favorite for many dinners to come!
Cheesy Potato Casserole - Are you ready to try the BEST, yes, I said it the BEST, side dish recipe? I have to limit making this Cheesy Potato Casserole to holiday time, or when guests are over because I could eat up the entire thing!
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Tuna Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups egg noodles (uncooked)
- 10 oz tuna (in water and drained)
- 10.5 oz cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- ¾ cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and place in your prepared casserole dish. Drain your tuna and place it in your dish with noodles and mix.
- In a small mixing bowl mix together cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, and seasonings. Add to tuna and noodles and mix until all noodles are coated. Top with shredded cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Loved this tuna receipe! Only had to add peas. Can't have a tuna casserole without peas.
Glad you liked it Susan! My husband hates peas so we always skip them and I will make them on the side.
Made this last night! Delicious! I added sautéed chopped onions and celery because I like the crunch. Will definitely keep this in my meal rotation!
This is hands down the best tuna noodle casserole I’ve ever had. Easy, quick and most of all, delicious! The only difference I made was to add a second can of tuna; cans were close to expiration date. Even my “I hate tuna noodle casserole” Hubs ate two servings.
Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Do you think mozzarella cheese would work instead of cheddar??
Yes that would work!
Love this! I added an extra can of tuna and subbed out the mayo for a can of cream of mushroom soup. Very yummy!
I am so glad you liked it Danielle!
My family makes this with cream of chicken AND cream of celery and mayo and chopped green olives. Albacore tuna and bread crumbs on top instead of cheese. We have mixed cheese into the mix. But we have never added peas. Have added chopped celery when we had to use it or lose it, haha. Left overs we reheat and add Chinese noodles on top
We absolutely loved this meal! Is there a way to make it more creamy? We don’t do mushrooms so cream of mushroom isn’t an option for us. Thank you in advance!
You can always try cream of chicken instead. I've made it with that before when it was all I had on hand.
Can you use something else instead of cream of chicken? (Lent no meat)
You could use cream of mushroom instead.
Cream of celery soup works well too. I also like cheddar cheese soup, or cheese whiz, but they are so expensive now
This is my go-to tuna casserole recipe! I add mushrooms for a little more bulk, and my family (3 boys and a hubby) considers this their favorite comfort food.
I'm so glad yall enjoy it!
I doubled the recipe and tuna. I added a bag of frozen peas and used Cream of Cremini and Shitake Mushroom and a Can of Cream of Chicken. I too halved the mayo and added milk, a sleeve of Ritz Crackers (crumbled), mixed well and topped with cheddar jack cheese and some fried onions. Yummy! And lots of leftovers.
That sounds like a great creation!
I love to add peas to mine. Only way I could ever get my girls to eat them
We all sneak veggies into meals for the kids if we can!
Your recipes all look sooo great will try them ! Thanks in advance . Have a great day 🌸
I double this when I make it....love leftovers. I do half the mayo and a cup of milk. One can cream of chicken, one can cream of mushroom. First time I made, it was too thick and gummy. Now its creamy and delicious!
I love the addition of cheese to this casserole! It's the BEST!
My husband always puts cheese on his leftovers. I should add some next time I make it!
This is definitely a five star tuna casserole seasoned perfect we loved it. It is definitely one we will add to our monthly meals. Thank you for sharing.
So happy to hear that!!!
this looks so good. I can remember having tuna helper and this reminds me of that. but minus those little green peas that come in tuna helper. will have to try this.
I love tuna casserole! I will have to try your version!
Amanda // Happily Ever After
I love tuna cassarole. My mom used to make a similar recipe when we were growing up all the time. Brings back great memories. I love that this recipe has ritz crackers on it, that would be a nice twist.
I shouldn't have read this before I had my lunch- hehe, I am mega hungry now! It looks/sounds delish!
This looks so delicious! I never thought of using crackers on my tuna salad, i normally use potato chips, but I bet the crackers are much less greasy!