The Best Tuna Noodle Casserole Ever

Ingredients for Tuna Noodle Casserole

Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this recipe. For the full ingredient list and recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.

• Olive Oil – Olive oil is a staple in a lot of my recipes because we always have it on hand but you can use another neutral oil like avocado oil or vegetable oil.
• Vegetables – Celery, carrot, garlic cloves, and a sweet onion. (While regular yellow onions will work too, I like the mild flavor of a sweet onion like Walla Walla or Vidalia.) You can also add your favorite vegetables like baby Bella mushrooms or chopped bell peppers.
• Cornstarch – This helps thicken the sauce, along with melted butter this easy roux helps eliminate the need for canned cream of celery soup or cream of mushroom soup. You can substitute the corn starch with all purpose flour.
• Low-Sodium Chicken Stock – Using low-sodium stock puts you in control of the flavor of the finished dish. If you want to substitute regular chicken broth, you can, but I recommend leaving out the added kosher salt and black pepper then seasoning to taste at the end of the cooking time.
• Half and Half – For a creamy sauce without quite as much richness as one made with heavy cream.
• Seasonings – Dry mustard, thyme, salt, and ground pepper.
• Frozen Peas – You’ll need to thaw the green peas so they don’t cool down the temperature of the casserole when you stir them in. If you forget to take them out of the freezer ahead of time, rinse them under warm water until they thaw. You can even level up your dish with fresh peas.
• Noodles – The wide, tender egg noodles do a great job holding the creamy sauce and tuna. Elbow Macaroni and Rotelle noodles also do a great job creating the most epic bites of pasta, sauce and veggies.
• Water Packed Tuna – Drain well and flake the cans of tuna before adding to the casserole. I love using solid white albacore tuna or yellowfin tuna the most.
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese – I recommend shredding your own block of cheese for the creamiest results but you can use a bag of pre shredded cheese in a pinch. If you’re not a fan of cheddar, you can substitute with a different cheese like mild Colby jack cheese.
• Butter and Panko – I love the light texture of panko breadcrumbs and it keeps the topping from becoming too dense. If you like the flavor of ritz crackers, they work well in this recipe as do crushed potato chips!

How To Make Tuna Casserole

You can make this easy tuna casserole recipe in less than 45 minutes including prep time! Here’s what you’ll need to do.

1. Cook the onion. Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion until it softens.
2. Add the other veggies. Stir in the carrots and celery; cook until those soften, then stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
3. Add the cornstarch and stock. Sprinkle cornstarch over the veggies, then stir to coat. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Simmer. Reduce heat to low, then add the half and half, mustard, thyme, salt, pepper, peas, noodles and tuna. Simmer until the noodles soften.
5. Add the cheese and panko. Stir the cheese into the skillet. Combine the panko and butter and sprinkle over the casserole.
6. Bake. Transfer the skillet to a 400ºF oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling up along the edges and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve immediately.

If you prefer to bake this classic tuna casserole in a baking dish, you can transfer to a 9×13 inch casserole dish before adding the breadcrumb topping. Top the casserole with the bread crumbs and transfer to the oven.