Tuna Noodle Casserole

4.72 from 82 votes

Homemade classic tuna noodle casserole, the quintessential American dish made from scratch and under $10 to make, the kids love it!

The ingredients are simple – canned tuna, mushrooms, peas, noodles in a homemade creamy sauce (without canned soup) finished with toasted breadcrumbs. Keeping canned tuna on hand is a great way to whip up quick lunches and dinners like the classic Tuna Melt or Tuna Macaroni Salad.

Variations

You can easily adapt this with different vegetables, swap the tuna for chicken, or even use whole wheat noodles. There are no rules to cooking, just have fun with it!

How do you make homemade tuna casserole from scratch?

You start by making a simple white sauce which eliminates the need for processed canned soup.
Add any veggies you wish here. In this recipe I used peas and mushrooms, you can swap them out for broccoli, asparagus, carrots, etc.
You can swap the egg noodles for whole wheat if you wish.
If you don’t like tuna fish, you can even use chicken or salmon.

Can you freeze a tuna casserole?

Yes, there’s two ways to freeze it. A make-ahead method or you can freeze the leftovers.

For the make-ahead method, prepare everything up to the point of baking. Once you’ve combined everything with the exception of the breadcrumbs and Parmesan, transfer to a freezer bag or freezer safe container. When you’re ready to serve the tuna casserole, defrost the mixture in the refrigerator overnight, top with Parmesan and bread crumbs and and bake.

Leftover, oven-baked tuna casserole can also be frozen. To do so you’ll want to flash-freeze the leftovers for a few hours in the original baking dish, then when it’s solid, remove it from the pan, place it in a freezer bag, and return it to the freezer. To cook, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat.

How To Make Tuna Casserole

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More Tuna Recipes:

Skinny Tuna Noodle Casserole

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Tuna casserole, the quintessential American dish. Perfect for potlucks and under $10 to make. Made with canned tuna, mushrooms, peas and noodles in a creamy sauce (and no canned soup) finished with toasted breadcrumbs – so good!

6 oz no-yolk noodles, Ronzoni Healthy Harvest, or brown rice pasta for gluten free
1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, minced fine
3 tbsp flour, gluten free use rice flour
1 3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
1 cup 1% milk
1 oz sherry, optional
10 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
2 5 oz cans tuna in water, drained (I used albacore)
4 oz 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar, I used Cabot
cooking spray
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
2 tbsp whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs

Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large deep skillet. Add onions and cook on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spray 9 x 12 casserole with butter flavored cooking spray.
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined, increasing heat to medium and whisking well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil.
When boiling, add sherry, mushrooms and petite peas, adjust salt and pepper to taste and simmer on medium, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 7 to 9 minutes).
Add drained tuna, stirring another minute.
Remove from heat and add 1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar and mix well until it melts. Add the noodles to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.
Pour into casserole and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray and top and bake for about 25 minutes.
Place under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp (careful not to burn).

Serving: 1/6th of casserole, Calories: 318kcal, Carbohydrates: 34.3g, Protein: 27.3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 34mg, Sodium: 660mg, Fiber: 3.6g, Sugar: 6g