As I’ve gotten older, my palate has become more adventurous, preferring flavors that surprise and excite me. But I grew up in the Midwest in the ’80s when creamy casseroles were a dinnertime staple, so I still have a soft spot for old-fashioned, classic dishes like this Tuna Noodle Casserole. It might not be as flashy as many of my other creations, but this Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe is filling, creamy, and totally comforting! I did update the classic a bit to fit my current cooking style, though! This is a tuna noodle casserole without canned soup, made 100% from scratch.
“Awesome recipe. I will never use canned soup again for a casserole. So easy. I used garden veggie cream cheese because that’s what I had on hand. I also doubled the topping because I like a good crunch with my casserole. The sauteed mushrooms and onions were delicious. Another winner.”
Bryna
This classic casserole dish starts with a creamy mushroom sauce combined with delicate egg noodles, peas, and tuna, then it’s topped with a buttery breadcrumb, cracker, or potato chip topping. The classic version of tuna noodle casserole uses canned condensed cream of mushroom soup for the sauce, but in the recipe below, I’ve whipped up a homemade creamy mushroom sauce instead. It does take a little more time, but it’s totally worth it, IMHO!
This creamy tuna pasta casserole is one you can easily tweak to fit your tastes. Here are a few of my favorite variations and some great reader suggestions, too!
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Gather all of your ingredients.
Sauté the onion: Start by finely dicing one yellow onion. Add it to a skillet with one tablespoon of butter and sauté over medium until the onions are soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the mushrooms: While the onions are sautéing, slice 8oz. of mushrooms. Add the mushrooms, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper to the skillet with the onions and continue to sauté until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sautéed vegetables to a clean bowl.
Make the creamy sauce: Add two more tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour to the skillet. Continue to cook over medium, whisking the butter and flour together as the butter melts. Continue to cook and whisk for about one minute after the butter and flour mixture begins to bubble and foam. The butter and flour mixture helps thicken the sauce.
Add 2 cups of milk, 1 cup of vegetable broth, and 4 oz. cream cheese to the skillet. Continue to cook and whisk these ingredients together over medium heat until the cream cheese has fully melted and the sauce begins to simmer, about 5 minutes.
At this point the sauce will begin to thicken. The sauce is ready once it just coats the back of a spoon, as shown here (but isn’t super thick like gravy). Be patient during this step; it may take some time.
Add the cooked onions and mushrooms and ½ cup frozen peas to the creamy sauce. Stir to combine and season with the remaining salt. Set the sauce aside for now.
Boil the noodles: Begin to preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add 8 oz. wide egg noodles. Boil for about 7 minutes, or just until tender. Drain the noodles in a colander.
Make the breadcrumb topping: While the pasta is boiling, mix together the Parmesan breadcrumb topping. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a small bowl, then stir in 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan.
Assemble the casserole: Finally, combine the creamy mushrooms sauce, cooked and drained egg noodles, and one 12 oz. can of tuna (drained). If you wanted to add cheddar, this is the point where I’d stir it into the mix.
Transfer the casserole mixture to a 9×9-inch (3-quart) casserole dish and top with the Parmesan breadcrumb topping.
Bake in the oven: Bake for about 25 minutes in the preheated 350ºF oven, or until heated through and the top turns golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy the creamy goodness!
This casserole can be a bit on the heavy side, especially if you prefer to make the cheesy version, so I like to pair it with a light and simple side salad. I also love a hot veggie side, so I’ll often roast some broccoli in the oven until it’s crisp around the edges or make our air-fried zucchini recipe (which is also topped with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, which ties in nicely with the casserole’s crunchy topping). To stretch the servings further, you could also serve up something filling like homemade dinner rolls on the side.
Tuna noodle casserole can be stored in the refrigerator for about four days, although it will get drier the longer it is in the refrigerator. You can also freeze tuna noodle casserole for longer storage (just note the noodles will be much softer once thawed). Once it’s fully chilled in the refrigerator, simply transfer to the freezer where it will keep for about three months. I suggest dividing the casserole into single servings before freezing so you can reheat one portion at a time. To reheat, let the frozen tuna noodle casserole thaw in the refrigerator over night, then microwave until hot.
Our easy Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe was originally published 2/12/22. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 11/9/25.
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