Tuna Noodle Casserole brings me back to my childhood! Classics like this easy casserole recipe stand the test of time for good reason!
We’re all about a good casserole any time of the year, but especially when the weather turns colder and we want to bunker down in our homes. Also try this Chicken & Stuffing Casserole with an easy store bought stuffing topper. For a beefed up casserole recipe, this Ground Beef Tater Tot Casserole is always a hit with the kids!
A Classic Comfort Food Dish
Tuna Noodle Casserole is one of my favorite comfort food dinner recipes! Not only is it easy to make, this casserole is so creamy and delicious you honestly won’t be able to stop eating it!
You can swap out the vegetables to your liking or based on what you have in your refrigerator or freezer. We love the combination of frozen peas and carrots with fresh mushrooms but other vegetables will work too!
Ingredients For Tuna Noodle Casserole
Like I said, you can swap out the peas and carrots for chopped broccoli, spinach, even lima beans if you so choose. But we’re keeping our tuna noodle casserole classic today, just like mom used to make!
- Canned Tuna: White albacore tuna is our go to canned tuna for tuna salad or this casserole recipe. Use whatever canned tuna you like or have on hand, just not a tun packed in oil.
- Onion: Sweet yellow onions add tons of flavor to the filling.
- Fresh Mushrooms: If you’re not a mushroom fan, you can leave these out but they add a deep, hearty flavor to the filling.
- Sherry: Sherry wine is a classic way to jazz up the flavor in tuna noodle casserole. Get the real stuff from the liquor store and not “cooking wine” found in the grocery store aisles.
- Chicken Broth: Try to find the best chicken broth or stick that you can, some brands are super watery and that won’t add the best flavor.
- Heavy Cream: No substitutions here! Heavy cream adds that comforting feel to this tuna filling.
- Frozen Peas & Carrots: Add these right to the pan, no need to defrost!
- Fresh Thyme: Fresh is best, but if you have dried thyme just use about a teaspoon.
- Egg noodles: Egg noodles are classic for tuna noodle casserole but you can swap out other pasta like penne, wheels, pipette or ziti.
- Crushed Ritz Crackers: Nothing makes this casserole feel more retro and comforting than buttery Ritz crackers.
Can You Make Tuna Noodle Casserole Ahead Of Time?
You definitely can, but this is one casserole recipe that I really like best when its first cooked. The noodles will soak up some of the creamy filling after it sits but it’s all good. If you do have to make this tuna casserole ahead of time just gently reheat it in the microwave until warmed through.
Because the noodles soak up the creamy filling, it adds more flavor to the casserole too. There’s no wasting these leftovers, they are almost as coveted as the freshly made casserole itself.
You can also make this casserole a few hours before dinner, or in the morning and bake it off at dinner time. Take the casserole dish out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking just to take the chill off.
Then just bake for about 25-30 minutes and you’ll have the most comforting dinner ever!
Looking For More Casserole Recipes?
- Sausage & Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
- Fiesta Taco Casserole
- Disco Fries Casserole
- Jailhouse Rice (A Ground Beef & Italian Sausage Casserole with Rice!)
Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeCreamy and comforting Tuna Noodle Casserole is one of our families favorite dinners! This dish brings me back to my childhood, just like mom used to make!
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 cup diced onion
- 10 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons kosher salt, depending on your taste (we use 2 teaspoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper, or more depending on taste
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons sherry wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 3 (6 ounce cans) white albacore tuna packed in water, drained and flaked
- 12 ounces egg noodles, cooked according to the package directions, rinsed with cold water and drained.
- 20 ritz crackers, finely crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Add 4 tablespoons of the butter to a large skillet. Once the butter is melted, add the onions and mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes until the mushrooms have browned.
- Add the salt and pepper to the skillet and then sprinkle in the flour, stirring to coat the vegetables. Cook for one minute and then pour in the sherry wine and chicken broth. Use a whisk to combine the broth and sherry with the vegetables until smooth and then bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes to thicken and stir in the cream and parmesan cheese.
- Next stir in the frozen peas and carrots along with the thyme and tuna fish, stirring to combine.
- Add the cooked egg noodles to a large bowl and then pour the tuna casserole filling over, tossing gently to combine. Pour the filling into a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to a clean skillet. Once the butter has melted, ad the crushed crackers and toss to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the crackers have browned and then remove from the heat.
- Add the crackers to the top of the tuna casserole, cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover the casserole and bake for another 5 minutes to brown the top.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top / Oven
- Cuisine: American
