Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole – creamy, cheesy and completely delicious, this casserole is even adored by those who say they hate Tuna Noodle Casserole.
My whole family loves this casserole, it has been passed down 4 generations now with a few adjustments here and there.
This Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole is my mom’s recipe and it can not be beaten. In fact, every other tuna noodle casserole to me is dry and blah. Most people when I say that I am making my mom’s Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole state how much they hated this dish growing up and I tell them to give it a chance. Beg them more like it.
I think most of us that grew up in the 70’s-80’s have the idea that all casseroles are dry and crumbly noodle dishes. But my mom was the exception. Even her Tater Tot Casserole is extremely creamy.
Look at all that cheese.
When I met my husband and told him I love tuna noodle casserole he thought I was crazy and then he had this recipe and forever changed his mind.
Fall for me is all about comfort food. Warm cheesy dishes that are full of carbs. LOL!
This makes my mouth water, nothing like a good cheese pull.
Growing up there are a few key dishes that my mom was famous for. I can name all of them.
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Tater Tot Casserole (arch-nemesis)
- Cheese Dip
- Cranberry Chicken Enchiladas
- Oreo Dessert
The tuna noodle casserole and the oreo dessert are tied in my book as my favorite recipes from my mom. And it is about time that I share this casserole with you.
I did put my own spin on it only because my kids love cheddar cheese and I wanted to add some in it – once I did that I decided to top it with a few bread crumbs. Oh, the crunchy crust with the cheesy casserole underneath made this unbelievably the most amazing casserole I have ever had.
I love a good topping, panko bread crumbs are usually my to go to for casserole dishes.
What goes well with Tuna Noodle Casserole?
I love serving this with peas, only because my mom did that but really any sort of legume would go well. I am also a salad eater, so I love to have that as an option with most of our meals but especially heavier casseroles.
How do you make Tuna Noodle Casserole?
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Boil noodles according to package direction, drain and rinse in cold water and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add all of the remaining casserole ingredients and stir to combine.
- Fold in noodles and pour into a large casserole dish.
- Cover and place in preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes.
- Uncover for the last 30 minutes.
- Once cooked – add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and then sprinkle on 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
- Turn oven to low broil.
- Broil for 10 minutes or until the topping is a light golden brown.
Can Tuna Noodle Casserole be frozen?
Yes! Leftovers are great frozen, to either save for later or taking to a friend in need. Here are a few tips.
- Only freeze the untouched portion.
- Cover with aluminum foil and freeze in the baking dish that you used.
- Once the casserole is completely frozen (this will take a few hours) remove the casserole from the pan and place in a sealed container or Ziplock bag and return to the freezer.
- To eat the frozen casserole leftovers, do not thaw on the counter or defrost in the microwave. Place the frozen casserole in your fridge overnight, in the container you want to re-bake it in. This will keep you casserole from falling apart, turning sour and allow for even baking. Once thawed, heat at 350 until completely warm throughout, 15-20 minutes.
This picture pretty much explains why you need to make this cheesy casserole dish.
We all have childhood dishes that bring the warmest and comforting feelings and this Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole is that dish for me. And while I am not a huge Velveeta fan, I don’t mind making this casserole with it because well, my mom did and somethings you just should not change.
Enjoy friends my mom’s recipe! Comment below one of your childhood favorite recipes and where it came from – as I would love to hear. XOXO San
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Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
Casserole
- 12 ounces elbow noodles cooked al dente
- 10 ounces canned tuna in water drained
- 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken
- 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom
- 1 cup milk
- 16 ounces Velveeta cheese shredded or cut into cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, salt, and pepper
Topping
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degress F.
- Boil noodles according to package direction, drain and rinse in cold water and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add all of the remaining casserole ingredients and stir to combine.
- Fold in cooked noodles and pour into a large casserole dish.
- Cover and place in preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover for the last 30 minutes.
- Once cooked - top with 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and then sprinkle on 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
- Turn oven to low broil.
- Broil for 10 minutes or until the topping is a light golden brown.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutrition
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Thanks Sandi! I love the tweeks you made to the recipe. I’ll have to come over soon to try this new and improved version. Love you.
What would you add to this to make it spicy?
I’m not sure I would be a fan of this spicy but you could add some spice to the breadcrumbs – like cayenne pepper.
These dishes are very tasty, easy to make and long preserved in the refrigerator. My husband and I like it.
We eat often. I hope you can introduce more on the page for me to learn.
What temperature do I preheat the oven?
350 degrees
So easy to make. Looking forward to dinner. I made up in morning to have for dinner tonight.
I made my own tuna casserole tonight, then I found this when I Googled: why do people hate tuna casserole. I’ve been putting cheese in mine for a long time. What I put in changes a little from one time to the next. Tonight I just used a Mexican blend of cheese and only cream of mushroom and milk. I used fancy white albacore in water which I drained off to give to the cats, then I like to sear the tuna in a hot skillet with olive oil and butter to cook off the excess liquid and brown the tuna just a little. I then added some white and green onions, let that cook a bit, then the canned soup, milk, and later the cheese after it was bubbling. I typically just cook it on the stovetop because I only cook for myself. I like the potato chips so I just crumble some on top of my serving with a few leftover raw green onions.
I love, love this idea! Thanks for sharing, I will be trying this for sure!
I made this last night, with a few adjustments (added sherry, homemade ‘cream of’ soups, penne noodles-what I had on hand) and it was delicious. The kids said it was great, everyone loved it. Thanks!
I have the memories of a dry and boring casserole that I had as a child. It looked nothing like yours! I can’t wait to try that cheesy goodness!
Makes me feel like a kid again!
So, so goood! Very well! Looks tasty! Love the unique flavors in this recipe! YUM!
I love a good tuna casserole!
It looks absolutely AHHHmazing! A new favorite for kids!
Thank you for sharing this useful information, I will regularly follow your blog
Thank you for following!
This recipe looks delicious but calls for “1/2 tsp garlic salt pepper”…does that mean 1/2 tsp EACH of garlic salt and also pepper, or is there such a spice as “garlic salt pepper”?
I liked the taste of this casserole, and I generally don’t like tuna dishes. I changed a couple things, though. Omitted chicken soup and substituted cream of celery. Also, I only used maybe 8 ounces of Velveeta..With the cheese on top, I felt that was plenty. Also, my top crust got brown very fast, It was brown in less then 5 minutes. Ovens vary. Will definitely make it again.
I’m so glad you liked it! Cream of celery is definitely a good sub, I’ve done that before in a pinch. We love loads of cheese around here which is totally preference! Thank you for letting us know what you thought!
I made this for dinner tonight and YUM! I unfortunately didn’t have breadcrumbs so used saltine crackers instead. Kids even asked for seconds and that never happens. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you and the kids liked it! The saltines sound like a delicious substitute.
Great recipe. What do you do with the Velveeta cheese?
Thanks! It should be shredded cut into small cubes and mixed in with the noodles and other ingredients. I’ve corrected the recipe to make it more clear.
This is an amazing recipe. It is like a mac and cheese with tuna. I added some broccoli and some olives because I had them and I had to use onion soup rather than cream of mushroom or chicken soup. And I had cheddar cheese so I used that instead of the Velveeta. But it was still fantastic and I have been eating it all week.
That sounds delicious! I love recipes that work with substitutions, it definitely makes dinner easier!
This Tuna dishes truly amazing so rich and creamy I want more
Thank you!
We love pasta and tuna together, add the cheese and it’s perfection!
It’s definitely delicious! Enjoy!
I am very much looking forward to making this for dinner!
I hope you enjoy it!
This Tuna Noodle Casserole couldn’t look any more perfect!
Thank you!
Your version looks a whole lot better than the dish I remember from long ago. I think I need this casserole another shot!
It definitely lives up to its name! I hope you enjoy this delicious version!
Delicious casserole, loved every bite of it!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing!
I just love classic recipes like this! My kind of comfort food. 🙂
They’re the best! Enjoy!
My family loves casseroles!! This sounds incredibly delicious!
Enjoy!
Oh, the memories this recipe brings back. To this day tuna casserole is still one of my favorites!
It’s one of mine too for sure! I hope you enjoy!
This is my kind of comfort food; exactly what I was looking for for dinner tonight! Looks too good to pass up!
I hope you enjoy it!
This was very good! I used egg noodles instead of the elbow pasta. Will definitely be making again. Thanks!
Wonderful!!! Thanks for sharing about the noodles as well, I will try that sometime. San