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A Dash of Sanity

Easy family friendly recipes: dinner to dessert.

Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole

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Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole – creamy, cheesy and completely delicious, this casserole is even adored by those who say they hate Tuna Noodle Casserole.

close up photo of TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE with a metal serving spoon in a white casserole dish

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.

top view of tuna noodle casserole with elbow noodles, before being topped with cheese

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!

up close photo of a spoonful of TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE being pulled from the dish

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.

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.

top view of Tuna Noodle Casserole in white serving dish topped with panko bread crumbs

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.
up close photo of tuna noodle casserole in a metal serving spoon over dish

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

Don’t forget to pin this recipe for Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole to your favorite Pinterest board for later.

photos of tuna noodle casserole in spoons with title "Tuna noodle casserole"

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BEST EVER TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE - creamy, cheesy and completely delicious, this casserole is even adored by those who say they hate Tuna Noodle Casserole.
Print Recipe
4.57 from 32 votes

Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole

Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole - creamy, cheesy and completely delicious, this casserole is even adored by those who say they hate Tuna Noodle Casserole.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 20 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10
Calories: 374kcal
Author: Sandra

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

Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 979mg | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 730IU | Calcium: 469mg | Iron: 1.4mg

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Comments

  1. 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.

    Reply

  3. 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.

    Reply

  6. 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.

    Reply

  7. 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!

    Reply

  14. 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”?

    Reply

  15. 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.

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  16. 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!

    Reply

    • I’m so glad you and the kids liked it! The saltines sound like a delicious substitute.

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  18. 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.

    Reply

    • That sounds delicious! I love recipes that work with substitutions, it definitely makes dinner easier!

      Reply

  29. 5 stars
    This was very good! I used egg noodles instead of the elbow pasta. Will definitely be making again. Thanks!

    Reply

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