A classic Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe is an old-fashioned, easy dinner that has been loved for generations! Best of all, the family-friendly dish comes together in about 20 minutes. You can't beat the cheesy combination of tender noodles, canned tuna fish, and sweet peas tossed in a creamy sauce with crushed potato chips on top!
How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole | 1-Minute Video
An Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe that Your Family will Love
This is the old-fashioned Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe that I grew up on! My mom tweaked the original Campbells Tuna Noodle Casserole with cream of mushroom soup to suit her taste preferences, resulting in a creamy filling of egg noodles, tuna fish, and peas topped with grated cheddar cheese and crushed potato chips. There's no need to make a roux with melted butter, all purpose flour, cream, or chicken broth from scratch. Instead, this inexpensive, classic comfort food dinner is perfect for busy weeknights!
The convenient tuna fish casserole recipe comes together with some basic kitchen staples, so it's one of those easy options that you can turn to when there's nothing else on the menu. Feel free to use a different flavor of canned soup, a different variety of cheese, omit the peas or add other veggies instead, or mix up the topping with Ritz crackers or buttered breadcrumbs instead of potato chips. The options are endless...and it's all good!
What kind of noodles for a tuna casserole?
This simple tuna noodle casserole calls for egg noodles -- a traditional ingredient in the classic dish. I like the fairly thin "medium" egg noodles, but you can also use "wide" or "extra broad" egg noodles. Feel free to get creative and take advantage of just about any pasta that you have in your pantry. Try elbow macaroni, penne pasta, spaghetti, or rotini, too!
Which tuna is best for tuna casserole with egg noodles?
I recommend solid white albacore tuna in water for this recipe. Either StarKist or Bumble Bee brands are my preference. The albacore tuna has a mild (less "fishy") taste than chunk light tuna, and a more firm, solid texture that holds up better when mixed into the dish. Make sure that you drain the tuna really well before combining it with the other ingredients. You don't want a watery casserole filling!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you'll need for a tuna noodle casserole. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Egg noodles: I like the fairly thin "medium" egg noodles, but you can use the "wide" or "extra broad" size instead. You can also substitute with different shapes of pasta, such as elbows, penne, spaghetti, and rotini.
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup : the creamy base of the casserole. Substitute with different flavors of condensed soup if you prefer, such as cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup.
- Milk: to thin the sauce.
- Canned tuna: I like the firmer, less "fishy" tasting solid white albacore tuna in water, but any variety is fine.
- Cheddar cheese: or substitute with any other type of cheese that will melt smoothly. For instance, mozzarella, Pepper Jack, Colby, Swiss, Colby Jack, Gouda, or Gruyere will all work.
- Potato chips: for a crunchy, salty, flavorful casserole topping.
- Frozen peas (optional): little bright pockets of sweet green goodness! You can omit the peas if you don't like them, or substitute with a different vegetable.
How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole
This cheesy tuna noodle casserole comes together in 3 simple steps! Boil the noodles, stir together the filling, and bake it in the oven!
- Boil the Noodles. Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions, just until al dente. For wide egg noodles, this should only take about 5 minutes. Drain.
- Stir Together Soup and Milk. In a large bowl, whisk together condensed cream of mushroom soup and milk until completely combined.
- Add Remaining Ingredients. Stir in the cooked noodles, tuna fish, and peas. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add Topping. Transfer the noodle mixture to a 1 ½-quart baking dish. Add grated cheese and sprinkle crushed potato chips on top.
- Bake. Bake the casserole uncovered in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes , or until the topping is golden brown and the inside is hot and bubbly.
What to Serve with Old-Fashioned Tuna Noodle Casserole
Pair the tuna noodle casserole with any of these easy sides:
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette , Caesar Salad or House Salad with Candied Pecans
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits , Flaky Biscuits , Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
- Skillet Cornbread , Honey Cornbread , Corn Sticks , Mexican Cornbread or Corn Muffins
- Crusty French Baguette , Soft Dinner Rolls , or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Charleston Red Rice or Rice Pilaf
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins , Applesauce Pumpkin Muffins or Pumpkin Bread
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables
- Southern Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Broccoli and Cheese , Steamed Broccoli, or Garlic Oven-Roasted Broccoli
- Perfect Oven Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Brown Sugar Roasted Acorn Squash
- 5-Ingredient Easy Cranberry Salad
- 3-Ingredient Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
Make Ahead
This is the ultimate prep-ahead meal to get dinner on the table quickly and easily — even on busy nights. Assemble the casserole, wrap tightly, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.
Storage
The  leftover baked casserole will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat the leftovers in a 350°F oven, covered, just until warmed through (about 20-30 minutes). You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1 minute.
How to Freeze
Freeze the tuna casserole before baking. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, cover with foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, allow the dish to come to room temperature on the counter for at least 30 minutes, and then bake according to recipe instructions.
Recipe Variations
- Use other flavors of canned soup . Cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup would both work well as substitutes for the cream of mushroom soup.
- Use chicken. Yep, you can even make this tuna casserole without tuna! Try an equal amount of canned chicken, use store-bought rotisserie chicken, leftovers from another meal, or boil your own chicken at home.
- Pick your favorite cheese. I use sharp cheddar, but any other good melting cheese is fine. Try Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, Colby, Swiss or American cheeses.
- For an extra-cheesy casserole , stir an additional 1 cup of grated cheese right into the filling.
- Add herbs  to the sauce for more flavor. Try parsley, thyme, basil or chives.
- Top the casserole with crushed Ritz crackers, buttered breadcrumbs, crushed French-fried onions, or crushed Corn Flakes cereal in lieu of the potato chips.
- Omit the peas , or substitute with a different vegetable of choice. Try crisp-tender broccoli florets, steamed or canned green beans, or frozen (thawed) mixed vegetables. Canned mushrooms or sautéed fresh mushrooms would also be a nice addition.
- Double all of the ingredients  and bake the casserole in a deep 9 x 13-inch dish to serve a larger family.
Tips for the Best Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe
- Cook the pasta just until al dente  (tender, but with a firm bite). The noodles will continue cooking in the oven, so you don’t want them to be mushy or overdone.
- Use solid white albacore tuna in water (not chunk light or other varieties).
- Drain the tuna fish really well before adding it to the casserole.
- There’s  no need to thaw the peas  before adding them to the dish. Just stir them in while they’re still frozen — this will help them stay nice and green in the casserole (rather than turning brown and mushy).
- Taste the filling before baking , and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, if necessary.
More Easy Casserole Recipes to Try
- Hot Chicken Salad
- Hamburger Casserole
- Ground Beef Casserole with Cornbread Crust
- Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
- "Country Comfort" Smoked Sausage Casserole
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Farmhouse Chicken Cornbread Casserole
- Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
- Beef Stroganoff Casserole
- Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
- 5-Ingredient Taco Casserole
Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 ounces wide egg noodles (slightly more than 2 cups)
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cans (5 ounces each) tuna in water, drained
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup potato chips, coarsely crushed
- Optional: ½ cup frozen peas
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 1 ½ quart casserole dish; set aside.
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Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions, just until al dente (about 5-6 minutes). Drain.
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In a large bowl, whisk together condensed soup and milk. Gently stir in the cooked noodles, tuna and peas (if using). Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
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Sprinkle cheese on top, then crushed potato chips.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until top is golden brown and inside is hot and bubbly.
Denise Doroshuk
Yay! I’ve been searching a long time for a recipe like my mom use to make. Now my search is over. Thanks Blair!
Blair
That's great, Denise! I hope it brings back good memories. It's definitely comfort food!
Sher
I love tuna noodle casserole! I first learned to make this with the boxed macaroni and cheese mix. Everything else in the recipe is the same except that part. I still make it this way, but I like wide egg noodles better then macaroni, so I will be trying this recipe - and adding more cheese (sharp cheddar!).
Blair
Thanks, Sher! Yes -- I've made it with the mac and cheese mix too, and it's definitely delicious. You can't go wrong with any variety of this classic dish. Enjoy! 🙂
Linda
My husband loves a good flavorful cheesy tuna noodle casserole. Normally I add chopped pimento to mine but I don't have any right now. I do add a little onion and garlic powder to mine and for a little color parsley flakes!
Such a great comfort food.
Blair Lonergan
Thanks, Linda. Those are great suggestions. I totally agree -- it's comfort food! 🙂
Kathleen
I use bow ties.....love them
Linda
I have always used the bow tie noodles too. Yum, yum!
Blair
Thank you, Linda!
Carol Campise
Leave a few cheddar chunks mixed within the casserole and they melt in small cheesy bundles for the added MMMM Good! We also added small diced celery in ours growing up.
Blair
YUM! That sounds great!
Joelle
Super delicious! I used homemade Greek yogurt instead of the soup (I read that it can be a substitute and it’s all I had on hand) and I also used jalapeño tuna packets instead of cans and it was so unbelievably good. The jalapeño gave it a kick that my husband and I loved but unfortunately my son couldn’t handle the spice but obviously that isn’t the recipe’s fault. We will definitely be making this again!
Blair Lonergan
That's great, Joelle! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Adela Reinke
I have never been a fan of hot tuna but my husband and children are. This recipe was so easy and delicious! I didn't have peas so I used green beans and instead of chips I used Frenchs Fried onions. I mixed French onion dip in my serving just to mask the tuna taste lol.
Blair
Hah! Well I'm glad that you found a way to make it work, Adela! 🙂 Thanks for your note!
Debbie Mayse
I have a question instead of a comment. Hope its ok? Just wondering can Tuna noodle casserole be put in freezer after its been cooked if yes, for how long? Thank you Debbie M.
Blair
Hi, Debbie! Yes, you can -- but the quality may not be quite as good as fresh. I find that the pasta casseroles tend to dry out a little bit when frozen after baking. Wrapped tightly, it will keep in the freezer for at least 3 months.
Mitzi Mulford
Very good. I added spinach and crunchy onions just because I needed to use them up. Seasoned with Lawry's and pepper. Thanks for an easy recipe!
Blair
Sounds perfect! Thanks, Mitzi!
Nilda
Hi. What can I do if I dont have milk What can I use
Blair
Hi, Nilda! You'll want to thin the sauce with another liquid. Chicken broth or beef broth would both work fine. 🙂
kathy a.
M a y I get the recipe for broccoli cheese caserole. i eould like to make it for thanksgiving and xmas. one thing i remember when my sister would make it, she bought an 8 oz jar of old english cheddar cheese. can i include that in my recipe.? unfortunately my sister is deceased and i never got the recipe from her. thank you,
Kathy A.
Blair Lonergan
Hi, Kathy! I don't know about the Old English cheese...I've never cooked with that type of cheese, so it would take some experimenting.
Here's a broccoli cheese casserole that you might like: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/easy-broccoli-casserole/
Hope that helps!
Stacey Thomas
Sorry, I replied on the main thread first.
We use a can of mushroom soup, 8oz Cheese Whiz, fill can with milk after soup is out. I believe the Cheese Whiz would probably be an excellent substitute for the jar of old english cheddar cheese
John
Just the way I always make it but add some finely diced onions and use small can of evaporated milk and since I like cream of mushroom soup I add an extra can across the top and cover with potatoes chips so it not to dry for me.
Blair
Your version sounds perfect, John! A classic. 🙂
John W. Gurss
Been eating this since this is the way my mother made this She liked it a lot so when dad wasn't home because he did not like tuna. That means I have eaten this recipe over 65 years. I am still making it and I am 75 now. I fix it a couple times a month.
Blair
I love that! It always reminds me of my mom, too. You can't beat comfort food from childhood!
Ruth
Good basic recipe. My daughter and I added celery and onions to ours and some of the grated cheese in the noodles. It was fabulous!
Blair
Thanks, Ruth!
Pam Comey
I just love my tuna casserole when I add a can of cheddar cheese soup along with the cream of mushroom soup and the rest of the recipe as before
Blair
That sounds delicious, Pam!
Mary
I don’t usually have egg noodles in my pantry because I only use whole-grain pasta (I’m a diabetic ) and so far I haven’t discovered any whole wheat egg noodles. So I used whole wheat penne pasta. Also, I sautéed some chopped scallions and chopped shallot and some crushed garlic and added it to everything else. I didn’t have any potato chips hanging around, so I used plain store-bought bread crumbs and drizzled some olive oil over the top of it. Also used 2 cups of frozen green peas instead of a half a cup. Turned out pretty good.
Blair
Thanks, Mary! I'm glad that you made it work with the ingredients that you had on hand. Thank you for letting me know!
Dr Arlene Patterson
I use Russian dressing with the milk and soup. Never used peas, but I will try them this time. Thanks, I've been searching for this recipe.
Blair
I bet the Russian dressing is a great touch. Hope you enjoy!
Tony
When reheating how do you keep the potato chip topping crisp?
Blair Lonergan
Hi, Tony! I would cover the dish for most of the reheating time (so that it doesn't dry out), and then remove the cover during the final few minutes to let the chips crisp back up again. If they're still not as crispy as you'd like, you can always stick the dish under the broiler for a minute or two. Just be careful, because the topping will burn fast under the broiler if you take your eye off of it. 🙂
Gary Keill
I found the baked casserole a little dry. I'm going to up the milk to a full cup next time. I'm pretty sure my mother use to ad a full soup can of milk (10.5 ounces.) Otherwise great!
Blair Lonergan
Sounds good, Gary. Thank you!
Stacey Thomas
We use a can of mushroom soup, 8oz Cheese Whiz, fill can with milk after soup is out. I believe the Cheese Whiz would probably be an excellent substitute for the jar of old english cheddar cheese.
cecwood
Just some advice, don't use Bumble Bee Albacore in water! The tuna is 'mush' w/ no chunks. I had to squeeze w/ my hands to get the water out!
Lucia Bennett
How can I adjust this recipe using UNcondensed cream of mushroom soup since I don't have the condensed version?
Blair Lonergan
Hi, Lucia! I haven't tried it with a different type of mushroom soup, but I would think it should work okay if you omit the milk. It will still be a thin sauce, though, so you might need to add a cornstarch slurry to the soup and heat it on the stovetop to thicken it before preparing the casserole.
Brad
And your first post for this recipe in 2022!
Looking forward to trying this tonight as my mother used to make it so good when she was in this world. As you mention, it is a great staple recipe. My better half is hesitant but I'll cheese it up and let her try. The worst she can do is say YUCK! The best she could do is "I Love it!" Thanks Blair!
Blair Lonergan
Thanks, Brad! 🙂 I hope that your wife approves!