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!
When I think of comfort food recipes from my childhood, this easy 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.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 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.
"Easy and Delicious!"
Absolutely just as I remember it when my Mom made it!
Using Canned Veggies
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.
In addition, canned foods can also:
- 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?
So lately I've been collecting a variety of recipe ideas made with canned goods, and I'm hoping we can cut back on the amount of waste we produce each week!
Easy Tuna Casserole Ingredients
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
- 🥛 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...
- 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. - 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.
- 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 Recipe
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 or homemade garlic bread, and you've got the perfect meal for any day of the week!
Printable Recipe ↓
Easy Tuna Casserole With Egg Noodles
Ingredients
- 2 cups egg noodles - cooked to al dente and drained
- 2 (5-ounce) cans chunk light tuna in water - drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can peas - drained
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - melted (plus extra for greasing dish)
- ⅓ cup dry bread crumbs
- kosher salt - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400°F. While the oven is heating, boil 2 cups of dry egg noodles to al dente according to the package instructions. Grease a 2-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.
Video
Recipe Notes
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Frequently Asked Questions
Don't see your question listed here? Leave a comment below and I will respond ASAP!
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.
You can store leftover tuna casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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.
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!
More Easy Casserole Recipes
If you like this tuna noodle casserole recipe, you might also enjoy these other delicious casserole recipes:
Did you make this recipe?
I'd love to see how your tuna casserole turns out... Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!
Susan says
I just made this casserole, I used canned chicken instead of tuna, I used broccoli instead of peas and I also mixed the bread crumbs, butter French fried onions with shredded cheddar cheese. I also put some cheddar cheese in the casserole itself. I added onion powder, garlic powder, creole seasoning, parsley flakes to it, yummy!❤️
Susan says
Tuna noodle casserole
Mary Ann Grutza says
Can you use frozen peas for this recipe?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Mary Ann! Yes, you can definitely use frozen peas instead. To avoid watering down the casserole, I'd recommend thawing them first. The easiest way is to place the frozen peas in a colander and rinse them under cold water. Drain them well, and then stir them in as you would the canned peas.
Mel says
Tastes just like my grandma used to make it
Lori says
Reviewed comments as I believe recipe would be bland for me as I like food to be a little spicy so I added onion & layered pepperjack habanero cheese (middle & top) along with topping with crushed chips instead of bread crumbs. Really enjoyed it.
Kristin says
This was delicious! I used sour cream and onion potato chips for the topping and put a little shredded cheese.
Micha3l says
@Kristin, I never tried onion potato chips but we always grew up using plain ruffles potato chips that we crumbled over the top befor3 adding shredded cheese. .
Kristin says
Tuna casserole
Suzi Blankenship says
It did not havve any taste...very bland. I used tuna in EVOO, rather than in water. I also used Panko instead of bread crumbs. Any ideas or how to fix?
Eric says
Yes very easy to make but sorry this was super bland. Everyone in my family said so. I check the ingredients list twice but looks like I included everything. Kind of disappointing.
Lori says
@Eric,
I chopped up 1/2 of an onion and added original to taste with garlic to taste. I love Oregon o and garlic so you probably wouldn't add as much as I did.
I topped it with cheddar cheese
Perfect
Lori says
@Eric,
Sorry I could not correct my microphone and where it says original it was supposed to say OREGANO... Apologies for how my messages displayed.
Alan Jenkins says
I told some friends I will be bringing tuna surprise and when I brought it they were nicely surprised. It an easy dish to make and I am making it again tonight to take to them again. I sprinkle some oK a lot of Old Bay in it when I mix it up gives it a good kick. I am going to add two cans of mushroom soup when I make it today to see if it will be creamier. Will let you know how it turns out. I started doing this during covid since it wrecked their business would take food to the shop and we would all eat and talk about the BS and now we do it every now and then. I used to be in the restaurant industry so they like my cooking and they never get home made meals. They are getting red velvet cupcakes tonight too.
Heather says
I made this tonight I doubled the recipe figuring ( ha ha boy was I wrong ) I would have left overs I was out of bread crumbs shake n bake chicken flavor so I used that ,it was delicious now it will be on the monthly rotation
Tara Kuczykowski says
Wow, good thing you doubled it… So happy you all loved it!!
Dianna Wake says
Absolutely just as I remember it when my Mom made it!
Easy and Delicious!
Keena says
Can this be made the night before?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Yes, you can make it ahead of time!
Julie says
Very customizable recipe to use up whatever you have on hand. Love it!
Eileen S says
My husband & his sister are telling me that their mom made this without cooking or baking it…that just the heat of the cooked pasta warmed it enough….and no milk added ? I would think that canned soup needs to be cooked…..please help
Tara Kuczykowski says
I’d say it’s possible - canned soup is already cooked and doesn’t truly need to be heated up. However, my guess is she probably used different quantities of ingredients. I don't think hot noodles would be sufficient to warm the other ingredients to produce a satisfactory result using my recipe.
Ray says
@Tara Kuczykowski, ?cooked or uncooked noodles? Recipe says cook them. And add "cooked noodles" ,,,But your reply above says recipe calls for "uncooked noodles"
Tara Kuczykowski says
Oops, you're absolutely right! The noodles are cooked before stirring them into the other ingredients and baking. I will edit my response now - not sure where my head was when I wrote that LOL.
Betsy says
What kind of potato chips?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Betsy — we always used a wavy-style chip, but you can use whatever brand/style you prefer!
Lauren says
I think what I love the most is that you can make almost any addition or substitution you want to it. As long as it fits into your casserole dish, you're good!
Sher says
Can I use Frozen Peas?
If so, should I thaw and cook them first, then add to the Tuna Casserole Dish?
I rarely use any canned vegetables!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Yes, you can definitely use frozen peas instead of canned! Just thaw them before stirring them in, no need to cook them ahead.
Elle DuMarce says
Thank you , Thank you, THANK YOU !!!
Saved me w/this quickie… I usually make a longer version but, this came in handy in a jiff & was still DELISH ! So thanks again
Staci says
I'm making tuna casserole tonight and just realized I don't have any milk in the house. Do you suppose I could substitute it with water or sour cream? Maybe something else?
Tara Kuczykowski says
I think either should work — or maybe a little of both!
Leanne says
Perfection! I top mine with crushed potato chips like my mom used to make and it brings me right back to 1975 …. Mmmmm! A+++
Pam says
Hello.
Can you use 2% milk instead of whole milk? My family only drinks 2% and didn’t want to have to buy whole milk just for this recipe. Ty
Tara Kuczykowski says
Sure — 2% is fine, Pam!
mary beth says
can I substitute chopped-up chicken instead of tune?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Sure! Chopped or shredded chicken would be delicious in this recipe.
Brenda says
It’s doesn’t have any cheese in it . So recipe isn’t complete for me
Tara Moncada says
@Brenda, Just sprinkle some shredded cheese on the topI like sharp cheddar.
Mona B says
@Brenda,
I purposely chose this recipe because it didn't have cheese. So many recipes online include cheese but I don't remember cheese in the tuna casserole I ate as a young person. Maybe it's one of those things that was different according to what part of the country you lived.
Kathleen says
My husband doesn’t like tuna noodle casserole and I’m ambivalent about it. However I made this tonight and it is great! I used old fashioned egg noodles. We’ll be making this again. Thanks for this simple but great recipe!
Patty williams says
What can I use if I don’t have bread crumbs?
Tara Kuczykowski says
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 says
if you use 2 cans of tuna can you use crackers and not bread crumbles
Tara Kuczykowski says
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 says
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 says
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!
Karen says
This was easy, I made it with saute onions, black pepper and beaten egg also with pepper jack cheese and chedder cheese. I'm not a great cook but this recipe sure made seem like one!
Tori says
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 says
Sounds great, Tori — thanks for sharing!!
Mary Bratton says
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 says
Sounds great — so glad they loved it!
Joyce says
Made this tonite.. added mushrooms and crunched up chips for the top.. looks amazing and I’m sure will be great!!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Mushrooms are a great addition, and I love to alternate between the breadcrumbs and crushed chips. Both are delicious!
Nikki Krakauer says
@Joyce, I always use crumbled bbq chips!
Janice says
The recipe calls for 2 cups of noodles. Is this before or after cooking?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Janice! It's two cups of dry noodles, which should be cooked to al dente before adding to the remaining ingredients.
Sara Anders says
Yum yum. Been thinking on this growing up.
Can you freeze it? I’m really the only one on my family who enjoys it. They just don’t understand what they are missing! But I’d love to make some and freeze in individual containers for work lunches.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Ooh, great question, Sara! And yes, you can freeze tuna casserole either before or after baking it. To make ahead and freeze, just prepare completely (minus the crunchy topping), cool, and freeze. When you're ready to bake it, thaw overnight in the fridge, sprinkle on the topping, and then bake according to the instructions in the recipe. If you want to freezer leftover cooked tuna casserole, simply cool, portion into containers, and freeze. Reheat thawed casserole at the same temperature called for in the recipe until hot and bubbly.
Alyssa says
Has anyone tried this with different types of noodles? I am trying to clean out my pantry and have almost every other type of past except egg noodles. I have spaghetti, macaroni, linguine and small shells.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Alyssa! Sure, you can use any kind of noodle in this dish. Egg noodles are what my mom used most often when I was little, but if you're trying to clean out the pantry and use other noodles, go for it! I'd just use about two dry cups of whatever you have on hand.
Kira Fix says
I have always had this with frozen peas. Just as delicious!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Yes, I do like frozen peas in it, too!
Diana says
Years ago I switched from cream of mushroom to cream of chicken and when I make a double batch I add a can of cream of celery. So much more flavor and if I have time I will chop some fresh celery and onions and sauté them before adding the tuna. Sometimes I don't even bother with the crunch topping! Just saying.
Tara Kuczykowski says
These sound like some delicious options, Diana. Thanks for sharing!
Chelsea says
I completely agree with you about canned foods! It’s such a shame people give them a bad rap. Not everyone can afford organic fruits and vegetables that may go bad before you can even use them. I’d rather feed my family nutritious meals and stay within our budget.
Sonia says
This looks so delicious and flavorful! My son loves tuna and I was wondering what I can make.. this looks perfect and you have explained it so well! Can't wait to try it
Jennifer Farley says
Love how this has just six ingredients! Delicious casserole!
Jacque Hastert says
What a classic casserole. I hope your family enjoys it just as much as mine. This brings back childhood memories, I am making this for dinner tonight.
Sherri says
You can't beat easy and delicious recipes like this! Great for busy nights and something the whole family will love! Your casserole looks perfect!
Heidy L. McCallum says
I love a good Tuna Casserole and love how this only has 6 ingredients which I actually have in the pantry. Saving for later!
Marisa says
This is really putting me in the mood for a batch of tuna casserole. I have several cans in the pantry and love being able to pull together quick meals... especially when the weather has been so rainy lately!
Beth says
OMG! This was a star growing up! My mom topped hers w potato chips. Talk about comfort food! I can't wait to stroll down nostalgia Lane in my kitchen and make this!
Sabrina says
This just takes me back to my childhood! Such a classic.
krissy says
so easy yet so yummy! a favorite with my kids! they dont realize its tuna. They just wolf it down to quickly!
Pam Dana says
My little Tuna lover of a daughter LOVED this recipe! Thanks!
JESSICA says
This looks amazing! Thank you for sharing!