Last month when I was interviewed for the New York Times my conversation with the interviewer at one point got on the subject of foods from my childhood that I hold a fondness for. Without hesitation I started talking about casseroles. When I was a kid we ate lots of cream-of-something soup casseroles. As much as we like to get “foodie” around here, those retro condensed soup casseroles are some of my most favorite comfort foods and I still make many of them for my family. One of my favorites back then was tuna noodle. I’m sure my Mom made it the same way lots of people do, with cream of mushroom soup and cheddar cheese, and potato chips on top. That layer of crunchy potato chips melted into gooey cheese was my faaaaavorite thing. We’d always conveniently scoop our servings horizontally, as to scrape off as much of the topping as possible. Kate and I have gotten a lot of requests for a tuna noodle casserole over the past few years, and since one of my New Year’s resolutions was to cook more fish at home (seriously; lose weight, start doing laundry on a regular basis, and eat more fish. The only one I’m totally sucking at is laundry. I should stop making that goal.) I thought this would be a fun recipe to makeover.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Medium shell pasta – Tuna noodle is typically made with wide egg noodles, but I like to use medium sized shell pasta because I like how it sort of holds everything together and the little shells fill up with sauce and veggies and bits of tuna. I make it with bowties sometimes too and those work great as well.
- Butter – Real butter is always best!
- Celery, onion, and mushrooms – Tuna noodle also often includes frozen or canned peas. Have I ever told you I’m not a huge fan of peas? Also commercials where they make babies talk like adults, but we’ll save that conversation for another day. To freshen things up I’m using fresh diced onions, celery, and mushrooms. It may seem like a lot of mushrooms, but remember they cook down a lot.
- Olive oil
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken broth
- Milk
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Dried dill
- Fresh lemon juice – I kept the lemon juice in the written recipe minimal, simply enough to brighten the flavor, but you can absolutely add more to taste. When I make it, I add quite a bit more. Like sometimes the whole lemon. But you should know by now that me and lemons have a thing.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated. I’m using Parmesan cheese, but you could be creative and try out other cheeses. You could go with the retro-classic cheddar or a mild Swiss would be yummy too.
- Canned tuna – You can really add as much tuna as you like. I just add one 5 ounce can, but you could add two, or one of the larger sized cans if you want to load it with fish. If you don’t want to make it with tuna, you could sub canned or fresh chicken or turkey.
- Choice of topping- In my experience everyone has strong feelings about casserole toppings. So you can switch it up however you like; I sort of use whatever I happen to have at the moment. If I’ve got a bag of potato chips, I go old-school with those. I’ve found that kettle style chips stay a lot crunchier. I also love a cracker crumb topping (as shown in pics); buttery Ritz are super yummy. You could also do breadcrumbs or toasted panko.
How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole
- We’ll start by sautéing some veggies in a little olive oil. Start with your diced celery, since it takes the longest to cook. Then add the onions a few minutes later, and finally your mushrooms. You’ll cook that all down until the mushrooms are cooked to your liking.
- When the veggies are done cooking, you’ll take them out of the pan and then start a little roux to thicken your sauce. Melt a few pats of butter and add a few tablespoons of flour. Whisk it until it’s nice and smooth and then add the liquid. I use a combo of chicken broth for flavor and milk for added creaminess. If you warm both the broth and the milk before adding it to your roux it will mix up a lot easier. Salt and pepper goes in the pot, as well as a hint of dried dill.
- After it heats and thickens, turn the heat way down and add a little fresh parsley and lemon juice.
- That’s it for the sauce. Toss the pasta in, along with the cooked veggies and the tuna and cheese.
- Stir it all together and put it in a casserole dish. Just eyeball it and pick one that fits- if you want a high topping-to-pasta ratio, choose a larger pan, or fill a smaller one nice and deep. If you do choose a larger sized pan, you may want to double the topping; I make mine in a pan that’s about 8×8 so the topping is done accordingly.
- Pick your topping, and then sprinkle it over a layer of cheese on top. When it bakes up in the oven, the toasty cracker crumbs/chips/breadcrumbs brown up and combine with the melty cheese to form a cheesy crunchy crust on top. Hands down one of my favorite things in the world.
- Make sure to let it sit for 10-15 minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken up as it cools a bit. Serve it as a one-dish dinner, or along with a salad and some crusty french bread on the side.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-5 days for best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Canned chicken in a great substitute, but ground turkey or rotisserie chicken would be great in there as well.
Definitely! Assemble the casserole but leave the topping off. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate. When ready to cook, remove the plastic, add your topping, and bake as instructed.
Yes. Use whatever veggies your family enjoys!
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 ounces medium shell pasta cooked al dente according to package directions
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 medium stalk celery thinly sliced or diced
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced or diced
- olive oil as needed
- 4 tbs flour
- 1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth just under 2 cups, warmed
- 1 cup milk warmed
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon dill
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice more if desired (I desire)
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 5 oz can tuna packed in water, more if desired
- Topping:
- ¼ cup Ritz cracker crumbs mixed with about 1/2 tablespoon melted butter
- or ¼-½ cup broken up potato chips I recommend kettle style
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Add celery and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes longer, stirring often. Add mushrooms and cook 3-5 more minutes, until mushrooms are golden and tender. If needed for moisture, add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan after the mushrooms are added; more if needed during remaining cooking time. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.
- Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in pan and add flour. Stir constantly for 30 seconds. Slowly add broth and milk, a little at a time while constantly whisking until mixture is smooth. Bring to a low simmer. Add salt, pepper, and dill. Stir constantly until thickened and bubbly, 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add lemon juice, parsley, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Whisk until smooth and taste. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and extra lemon juice if desired.
- Remove from heat and add pasta, vegetables, and tuna. Stir to combine and place in a 3 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese (feel free to add more if you want) and sprinkle cracker crumbs or chips on top.
- Bake at 350℉ for 25-30 minutes, until top is golden and pasta is hot and bubbly. Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving to allow sauce to thicken.
Questions & Reviews
Do you drain the tuna before adding? My kiddos tried plain tuna at Costco’s a sampling station and I was shocked that they actually liked it. Excited to try this recipe this weekend.
Yes, drain first!
Thank you! This is an awesome recipe! (I had some fresh lemon thyme so subbed in for dill, which worked great with the lemon in the sauce) So so good and perfect for this snowy Wednesday evening! I stumbled across your site, will be back!
Glad you found us!
Well I left out the mushrooms because my family would not try it if they saw mushrooms and I did sneak a little “regular” cheese in for old times sake. It was very good. Everyone enjoyed it. 2 of us even had seconds. Creamy and warm and just what you want on a chilly, windy day. I’ll make it again for sure -with mushrooms next time.
Great recipe!