Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole
Add Preferred SourceTuna Noodle Casserole is the dinner a lot of us grew up on, the one from old family recipe boxes and home-ec classrooms. It is the one I go back to when I want something familiar on the table, and this version builds it from a homemade cheese sauce instead of a can of soup.
The sauce is the part I pay the most attention to, so I cook the flour and oil together for a couple of minutes before the milk goes in. Four cans of tuna and 10 ounces of egg noodles turn into eight servings from one dish.
Why You Will Love This Tuna Noodle Casserole
There are plenty of reasons to fall for this classic comfort food. Here’s why it’ll be your new go-to recipe:
- A homemade cheese sauce, no canned soup. A few minutes of flour, oil, and milk cooked with cheddar gives you the creamy base, instead of a can of condensed soup.
- One dish feeds eight. Four cans of tuna, 10 ounces of egg noodles, and the sauce stretch across eight servings baked in a single 9×13.
- A Panko topping over a soft base. Panko tossed with Parmesan and melted butter bakes into a golden, crunchy layer over the tender noodles.
- Good for leftovers. One bake covers dinner and lunch the next day.
- Mild and familiar. Cheese, noodles, and tuna keep the flavor gentle and familiar.
- Easy to adjust. The recipe’s notes suggest stirring in vegetables or swapping the cheese, so it flexes to what you have on hand.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need all the ingredients in the photograph below.
Egg noodles. Short egg noodles are the base, and the recipe uses 10 ounces. Cook them in well-salted water and drain them thoroughly.
Canned tuna in water. Four cans, drained well before they go in. Tuna in water keeps the dish lighter, and oil-packed makes it richer if that is what you have.
Olive oil, garlic, and red onion. Two tablespoons of oil, three cloves of garlic, and one diced red onion start the sauce. Cook the garlic and onion until just wilted, about seven minutes, before the flour goes in.
All-purpose flour. Three tablespoons thicken the sauce. Cook it with the oil for a couple of minutes first so the finished sauce does not taste of raw flour.
Milk. Four cups, whisked in gradually.
Cheddar cheese. Two cups of cheddar, stirred in off the heat until it melts, turns the sauce smooth and creamy. I grate my own from a block when I have a minute.
Panko and Parmesan topping. Half a cup of Panko, a quarter cup of grated Parmesan, and two tablespoons of melted butter, tossed together and scattered over the top so the Panko crisps in the oven.
Salt and pepper. Season the sauce to taste once the cheese and tuna are in. The cheddar and Parmesan already bring salt, so add it a little at a time.
Fresh parsley. Chopped and scattered over the baked casserole for a little color at the end.
How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
Cook the noodles.
Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles to package directions, then drain them well and set them aside.
Start the cheese sauce.
Heat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Warm the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the garlic and diced red onion, and cook until just wilted, about seven minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, stir, and let it cook for a minute or two, then whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep stirring until the sauce thickens.
Melt in the cheese and fold in the tuna.
Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the shredded cheddar until it melts into a smooth sauce. Fold in the drained tuna, season with salt and pepper, then add the cooked noodles and stir until every noodle is coated.
Add the topping and bake.
Mix the Panko, Parmesan, and melted butter in a small bowl. Grease a 9×13 dish, spread in the tuna and noodle mixture, and scatter the topping evenly over the surface. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the Panko topping is golden and crisp.
Garnish and serve.
Scatter fresh parsley over the top and serve it hot.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Cook the flour before the milk. Letting the flour and oil cook together for a couple of minutes keeps the sauce from tasting of raw flour. This is the step I would not rush.
- Whisk the milk in gradually. Add it a little at a time, stirring as you go.
- Drain the tuna and the noodles well. Press the tuna and shake out the noodles before they go in.
- Keep the topping on top. Scatter the Panko mix over the surface rather than stirring it in.
- Bake until the topping is golden. The recipe bakes for 15 to 20 minutes, until the Panko topping is golden brown and crisp.
What to Serve With Tuna Noodle Casserole
This is a rich, creamy dish, so I keep the sides light and fresh. A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber is my usual first pick, and a steamed green vegetable keeps the plate balanced. My air fryer broccoli is the one I make most, since it turns crisp and is ready in under fifteen minutes. A few slices of garlic bread or a light vegetable soup also round out the meal.
How to Store Leftover Tuna Noodle Casserole
Cool it down safely. Let the casserole cool for a few minutes until it stops steaming, then cover it or move portions into an airtight container. Do not leave it out on the counter for more than two hours, or one hour if the kitchen is above 90°F, and get it into the fridge within that window rather than cooling it all the way to room temperature first.
Refrigerate baked leftovers. In the fridge, baked leftovers keep for three to four days.
Freeze it two ways, and keep them separate. You can freeze this casserole baked or unbaked, and the two are not the same. Freeze baked leftovers in an airtight container for up to two months, then thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating. To freeze it unbaked as a make-ahead, assemble the tuna and noodle mixture in the dish without the topping, freeze it for up to two months, then thaw it in the fridge, add the fresh Panko topping, and bake it through.
Reheat baked leftovers. These are already cooked, so you are warming them back through, not cooking them from raw. Sprinkle a little water over the top, cover with foil, and warm in a 350°F oven until heated through, to an internal temperature of 165°F. For a single portion, the microwave works too; cover it with a damp paper towel so the pasta does not dry out.
Making It Go Further
- A sauce from basics, not a can. Flour, milk, and cheddar make the sauce, so the dish does not depend on a can of condensed soup.
- Four cans of tuna into eight servings. Canned tuna and egg noodles are inexpensive pantry items, and one dish covers eight plates.
- Cook once, freeze for later. You can freeze part of it, baked or unbaked, for another night.
More Dinner Recipes To Try
If this earns a spot in your rotation, here are a few more dinners I come back to for the same reasons, a little effort and one dish to wash up.
- Tuna Casserole is the shortcut version, built on canned soup and frozen vegetables and ready in about 25 minutes when you want dinner even faster.
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole is made with shredded chicken and layers of puff pastry.
- Taco Casserole is where I go for a filling, Mexican-inspired bake with ground beef, tortillas, and beans.
- Pasta Carbonara is my pick for a quick pasta night, ready in under thirty minutes with eggs, Pecorino, and bacon.
- Air Fryer Tuna Sandwich turns another can of tuna into air-fried patties for an easy lunch.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 ounces egg noodles short
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red onion diced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups milk
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese
- 4 cans tuna in water drained
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley to serve
For the Panko topping:
- ½ cup Panko
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Video
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain.10 ounces egg noodles
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180ºC).
- Heat a non-stick skillet and add the olive oil, once it’s hot, fold in the garlic and onion and cook until wilted about 7 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, 1 red onion
- Add the flour, mix well, and cook until slightly thickened, then whisk in the milk until fully combined and continue cooking for a couple of minutes or until desired thickness is achieved.3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 4 cups milk
- Remove the mixture from heat, then stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted and well incorporated. Gently fold in the flaked tuna and season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add the cooked noodles and mix thoroughly until everything is evenly distributed.2 cups Cheddar cheese, 4 cans tuna in water, Salt and pepper
- In a bowl, mix all the panko topping ingredients.¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons melted butter, ½ cup Panko
- Grease a baking dish and pour the tuna mixture. Top with the panko mixture and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve with fresh parsley and enjoy!Fresh parsley
Notes
- Add vegetables. Frozen peas, corn, chopped carrots, or mushrooms fold into the mixture before it bakes.
- Change the cheese. The notes suggest mozzarella, Gouda, or extra Parmesan in place of some of the cheddar.
- Swap the topping. Crushed potato chips or Ritz crackers stand in for the Panko for a different crunch.
- Make it gluten-free. Swap the egg noodles for gluten-free pasta and use a gluten-free flour blend. Check that the Panko and the other items you use are gluten-free too.
