This easy tuna casserole with egg noodles was always one of my mom’s go-to recipes when I was growing up… And I can totally see why. Tuna noodle casserole is quick to prep, tasty, and versatile!
This post has been sponsored by Cans Get You Cooking. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Easy Tuna Casserole
When I think of comfort food recipes from my childhood, this simple tuna casserole — made with canned peas, canned tuna fish, and cream of mushroom soup — is one of the very first that comes to mind!
If I’m being completely honest, I have to tell you it wasn’t one of my favorite dishes growing up. I mean, I didn’t dislike it…
But there were spurts when we ate it pretty often, and I guess I just got bored with it. But now that I’m older, I totally get why it was one of my mom’s go-to recipes.
THINK ABOUT IT:
- Tuna noodle casserole is made with just 6 ingredients.
- All 6 ingredients are staples that you most likely already have in your pantry.
- It’s quick to prep, tasty, and versatile.
- AND that means more time with my family…
Like I said, I absolutely get why Mom loved it! And you know I’m a sucker for an affordable and delicious dinner idea.
Cans Get You Cooking
A lot of people don’t realize this, but did you know that the fresh fruits and vegetables that are in cans are harvested at the peak of ripeness? And then they’re processed within four hours, meaning they’re chock full of nutrients.
- Cut down on prep time, meaning less time in the kitchen and MORE time with my family,
- Help you get through the week with creative meals you can feel good about serving,
- AND reduce the amount of perishable fruits and vegetables that are purchased and then thrown away.
I know I’m guilty of that last bullet point more often than I’d like to admit… I mean, how many times have YOU reached into the fridge only to find your fresh produce has spoiled?
But now that I know I have an array of recipe ideas made with canned goods at my disposal on CansGetYouCooking.com, I’m hoping we can cut back on the amount of waste we produce each week!
Tuna Casserole With Egg Noodles
As I mentioned earlier, this tuna casserole with egg noodles comes together with just six ingredients: low-sodium canned peas, canned tuna in water, canned cream of mushroom soup, egg noodles, dry bread crumbs, and whole milk.
Plus, you’ll need some butter to mix with the bread crumbs for the topping and a touch more to grease the baking dish.
But the real beauty of this tuna noodle casserole recipe is in its versatility. Don’t like peas? Consider canned green beans or carrots instead.
Not a fan of tuna noodle casserole with cream of mushroom soup? Try it with canned cream of celery soup — it’s what my mom always used in hers.
And she always topped her tuna casserole with potato chips, but I prefer this buttery bread crumb topping. Get creative and make it your own!
How To Make Tuna Casserole
Making this easy tuna casserole recipe is pretty straightforward, but I’ll quickly walk you through my simple streamlined process for how to make tuna casserole…
1| I start by turning the oven on to heat up to 400 degrees. While the oven is heating, I boil the egg noodles just to al dente — because they’ll continue to cook in the casserole.
During this time, I also grease my baking dish and set it aside. Then I melt the butter and mix the bread crumbs into it to have the topping ready to go.
2| As soon as the noodles are done cooking, I drain them and stir them together with the tuna, peas, cream of mushroom soup, and milk. Spread this mixture into the prepared casserole dish, and put it in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
3| Remove it after the 20 minutes have passed, sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top, and place the dish back in the oven for another 5 minutes or until the bread crumb mixture is golden brown and the casserole is hot and bubbling.
That’s it — we’re talking prep to table in just about 35 minutes… If that’s not weeknight easy, I don’t know what is!
Classic Tuna Casserole
Wondering what to serve with a classic tuna casserole? A simple salad is always a great choice, and it’s easy to throw together during that 20-minute uninterrupted baking time.
Add in some of these 2-ingredient biscuits, and you’ve got the perfect meal for any day of the week!
Easy Tuna Casserole With Egg Noodles
This easy tuna casserole with egg noodles was always one of my mom's go-to recipes when I was growing up... And I can totally see why. Tuna noodle casserole is quick to prep, tasty, and versatile!
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry egg noodles, cooked to al dente and drained
- 1 (12-oz.) can Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna in Water, drained
- 1 (15-oz.) can Green Giant Low Sodium Peas, drained
- 1 (10.5-oz.) can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted (plus extra for greasing dish)
- 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. While the oven is preheating, boil 2 cups of dry egg noodles to al dente according to the package instructions. Grease a 1.5-quart baking dish and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cooked egg noodles, soup, milk, peas, and tuna. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish.
- Stir the bread crumbs and melted butter together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the casserole, sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top, and bake for another 5 minutes or until the bread crumb mixture is golden brown and the tuna casserole is hot and bubbling. Season with salt and pepper to taste when serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 265.8Total Fat: 9.2gSaturated Fat: 3.8gCholesterol: 26.2mgSodium: 756.6mgCarbohydrates: 29.9gFiber: 4.3gSugar: 5.0gProtein: 15.3g
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t see your question listed here? Leave a comment below and I will respond ASAP!
Why is my tuna casserole dry?
If your tuna noodle casserole turns out dry, chances are you probably added too many noodles. This recipe calls for 2 cups of dry egg noodles cooked to al dente and drained. This is approximately half a bag if you’re using No Yolks egg noodles.
To fix a dry casserole, you can stir in a little milk or chicken broth until you reach your desired consistency. Season with additional salt and pepper, as necessary.
How long does tuna casserole last in the fridge?
You can store leftover tuna casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can you freeze a tuna casserole?
You can freeze tuna casserole before or after baking. However, be aware that it may slightly change the texture of the egg noodles. Allow the casserole to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Easy Casserole Recipes
If this tuna casserole has you thinking a little differently about using canned goods in your recipes, I’d encourage you to check out CansGetYouCooking.com to explore more canned food recipes.
You might also enjoy these other popular easy casserole recipes I’ve shared that make use of canned foods:
- This custardy cream corn casserole is SO good you’ll want to scrape the dish clean to get every last bit of caramelized goodness!
- Or try this Jiffy corn casserole recipe that starts with a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix and uses both whole kernel sweet corn and creamed-style sweet corn for an easy weeknight side!
- This easy green bean casserole recipe is my family’s version of the classic recipe and uses only 3 ingredients, including canned green beans!
- These cheesy hashbrown potatoes, filled with 3 different cheeses, are a Midwest classic at its best!
- This taco tater tot casserole takes a classic family favorite and gives it a spicy twist with canned enchilada sauce and green chilies!
- This baked mac and cheese casserole is easy homemade macaroni and cheese at its best!
- This divine ooey-gooey cheesy chicken and rice casserole recipe comes together with just 6 simple ingredients, all of which you likely already have in your pantry and freezer!
Looking for other canned tuna recipes? These fried tuna patties are one of my most popular dishes! Crunchy and delicious on the outside, with a secret ingredient that keeps them tender and juicy on the inside…
You might also enjoy this super easy & healthy Mediterranean tuna salad without mayo, or this yummy 6-ingredient chicken salad recipe made with canned chicken breast chunks!
Did you make this recipe?
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Patty williams
Thursday 7th of April 2022
What can I use if I don’t have bread crumbs?
Tara Kuczykowski
Friday 8th of April 2022
Hi Patty! My mom often topped her tuna casserole with potato chips. Other good options would be French fried onions or crushed crackers. I think Ritz crackers would be delicious! You would not need to mix any of these with melted butter, as with the bread crumbs.
barb
Friday 11th of February 2022
if you use 2 cans of tuna can you use crackers and not bread crumbles
Tara Kuczykowski
Friday 11th of February 2022
Hi Barb! You could definitely add another can of tuna to the recipe if you'd like. The bread crumbs go on top, so it won't affect that part at all. You can substitute an equal amount of crushed crackers for the bread crumbs in the topping!
Kimberly Randall
Wednesday 6th of October 2021
How would I change the recipe to make more then 6 servings. I want to serve 8 and maybe use the whole bag off egg noodles in a 13x9 casserole dish?
Tara Kuczykowski
Wednesday 6th of October 2021
Hi Kimberly! Two cups is about half a bag, so I think I would just go ahead double the recipe. You might have some leftovers, but they reheat well the next day!
Tori
Monday 22nd of March 2021
Loved this simple recipe, tasted just like what my grandma made. Made some small swaps: used the canned peas & carrots mix, used low-fat cream of mushroom soup, added a cup of sliced cremini mushrooms (right in with the other ingredients, didn't need to cook them first), and used 8 saltines crushed up instead of breadcrumbs. Thanks so much for sharing this versatile recipe!
Tara Kuczykowski
Monday 22nd of March 2021
Sounds great, Tori -- thanks for sharing!!
Mary Bratton
Friday 5th of March 2021
I used LeSeur small English peas drained in my recipe. I used egg noodles or thin spaghetti. I put half of mixture in dish, added four American cheese singles, other half of mixture, and topped with Lays Classic potato chips. My boys loved this casserole❤️.
Tara Kuczykowski
Friday 5th of March 2021
Sounds great — so glad they loved it!