Tuna noodle casserole gets a bad reputation because most versions use cream of mushroom soup from a can. This one builds a real béchamel with butter, flour, and milk, adds sharp cheddar for backbone, and uses good-quality albacore tuna instead of the cheap stuff. Egg noodles, peas, a little celery for crunch.
Top it with buttered breadcrumbs and bake until the edges bubble and the top goes golden. The whole thing takes about 50 minutes, and it feeds six comfortably. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce.
How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. 
Cook the egg noodles in salted boiling water until just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Step 2
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook 5 minutes until softened.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar until melted. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Step 3
Fold in the cooked noodles, drained tuna, and frozen peas. Transfer to the prepared baking dish
Toss the crushed crackers with melted butter and scatter over the top.
Bake 25 minutes until bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Tuna noodle casserole is the dish that fed postwar America and never really went away, because it works. Egg noodles, canned tuna, peas, and a from-scratch cream sauce baked under a buttery cracker topping. It is unpretentious, deeply satisfying, and costs almost nothing to make — the kind of meal that reminds you home cooking does not need to be fancy to be good.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces wide egg noodles
- 2 cans (5 ounces each) solid white albacore tuna, drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup crushed butter crackers (such as Ritz)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook the egg noodles in salted boiling water until just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook 5 minutes until softened.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar until melted. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Fold in the cooked noodles, drained tuna, and frozen peas. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- Toss the crushed crackers with melted butter and scatter over the top.
- Bake 25 minutes until bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Solid white albacore has better texture and flavor than chunk light for this dish — it holds together in satisfying flakes.
- You can assemble this up to a day ahead and refrigerate. Add 10 minutes to the bake time if going straight from the fridge.
- A squeeze of lemon juice stirred into the sauce before baking brightens the whole dish and cuts the richness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 445
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 720
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 28
- Cholesterol: 72
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of tuna should I use for this casserole?
Use good-quality albacore tuna for the best flavor and texture in your tuna noodle casserole.
Can I substitute the egg noodles with a different type of pasta?
While egg noodles are recommended for their texture, you can substitute with other pasta shapes, but cooking times may vary.
How do I prevent the béchamel sauce from being lumpy?
To avoid lumps in the béchamel, whisk the flour into the melted butter thoroughly before gradually adding the milk, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.
Question about the tuna: do you think oil-packed tuna would work here or is water-packed better for the sauce?
Hey Dave
Oil-packed tuna will work just fine. Just drain it well so the sauce doesn’t get greasy. Water-packed albacore keeps the sauce a bit lighter, which is probably why the recipe leans that direction, but both are good options.
I really appreciate seeing a tuna noodle casserole made without canned soup. The béchamel with cheddar makes a lot more sense flavor-wise. I made it tonight and the onion and celery were a nice touch too — adds a little texture!
Loved it!
Nice straightforward recipe. I saw the note about assembling it ahead — could this sit overnight in the fridge before baking?
Yes, that should work well. Assemble everything in the baking dish, cover it, and refrigerate. When ready to bake, you might need to add a few extra minutes in the oven since it’s starting cold. The cracker topping holds up fine.