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Tuna Noodle Casserole

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Homemade Tuna Noodle Casserole made from scratch with shell noodles, peas, tuna, celery, a delicious creamy white sauce, and crushed crackers on top. This easy recipe is always a hit at our dinner table; my kids love it!

Tuna Noodle Casserole served in a white casserole dish with a wooden spoon.

 

Tuna Casserole

Let me start off by saying this is not you average “hamburger helper” style or grandma’s style tuna casserole. Yes, it’s a casserole, and yes, it has crushed crackers on top. But the similarities end there!

Let’s talk FLAVOR. This casserole is leaps and bounds tastier than any old memories you have of tuna casserole.

Rather than a canned “cream of soup” we make a really simple white sauce from scratch with just flour, butter and chicken broth and milk. Peas, celery and onion are sautéed to give them a boost of flavor as well. I used medium shell pasta for the noodles because I think they’re fun and I love how each shell fills with creamy sauce. You could substitute egg noodles or another type of bite-size pasta.

It also really makes a flavor difference to use high-quality tuna in this recipe. Go for a good quality solid white albacore white tuna; it may cost a dollar more than the cheaper brands, but trust me, your tastebuds will thank you!

 

How to make homemade tuna casserole:

First cook the noodles.  While the noodles are cooking, melt the butter in a skillet and add celery, onion, peas and garlic and saute.  Set them aside.  Add a little more butter to the pan and once it’s melted, add flour and stir.  Then whisk in the chicken broth and milk.

Process photos for making tuna noodle casserole including a skillet with peas, onion and celery sautéing in it and another photo of a white cream sauce in the skillet with a wooden spoon.

Bring the mixture to a low simmer and stir it constantly until it thickens and is bubble.  Add salt, dill, lemon juice, parsley, and parmesan cheese. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the pasta, vegetables, and tuna.

Overhead photo of a skillet with cooked medium shells noodles, tuna, a creamy white sauce and peas to make tuna noodle casserole.

Pour the mixture into a baking dish, sprinkle the top with cheese, crushed ritz crackers.  Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Two overhead photos of a white casserole dish with tuna noodle casserole in it, one without the cracker topping and the other of the casserole after it's been baked.

We like tuna casserole with crushed crackers on top, but you could also try it with crushed potato chips, cornflakes, or breadcrumbs.

My family likes this casserole best served warm, right from the oven. I think the cold leftovers from the fridge are also yummy, but the sauce wont be as creamy as when it’s just been baked.

Close up photo of a bowl of tuna casserole with shell noodles and a spoon.

 

Some sides to serve with this Noodle Casserole include:
  • A green salad
  • Vegetables
  • Fresh Fruit
  • Homemade rolls

 

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5 from 13 votes
Tuna noodle casserole with peas and a cracker crumb topping, served in a white bowl with a hand towel next to it.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Print Recipe
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

Homemade Tuna Noodles Casserole made from scratch with real ingredients.  This easy recipe is a crowd pleaser!

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: tuna casserole, Tuna noodle casserole
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 424 kcal
Author: Lauren Allen
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces medium-size shell pasta
  • 4 Tablespoons butter , divided
  • 1 rib celery , diced
  • 1/4 cup onion , diced
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas 1
  • 1 clove garlic , miced
  • 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 14.5 ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth (just under 2 cups), warmed
  • 1 cup milk , warmed
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice , more if desired
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley leaves , minced
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese , divided
  • 5 ounces canned albacore white tuna, packed in water , more if desired
For the Topping:
  • 1/2 cup Ritz crackers , crushed
  • 1 Tablespoon butter , melted
Instructions
  1. Cook the noodles just until al dente, according to package instructions.

  2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet.  Add celery, onion, peas and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.

  3. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the pan. Once melted and the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.  Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk, stirring constantly until smooth.  Bring mixture to a low simmer.

  4. Stir constantly until thickened and bubbly, 2-3 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and add salt, dill, lemon juice, parsley, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.  Taste sauce and season with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice, to taste.

  5. Remove from heat and stir in the pasta, vegetables and tuna.  Pour mixture into a 9x13’’ or similar size baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.

  6. Crush ritz crackers and add melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over the casserole.

  7. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

*Adapted from Our Best Bites

Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

Homemade Tuna Noodles Casserole made from scratch with shell noodles, peas, tuna, celery, a delicious creamy white sauce, and crushed crackers on top. This easy recipe is a crowd pleaser!   #best #easy #fromscratch #recipe #casserole #tuna #pasta #kidfriendly #dinner
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Kid-friendly· Main Dish· Pasta· Seafood
26 Comments

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Comments

  1. Loretta Owens says

    October 9, 2018 at 8:37 am

    I can’t wait to try this. I think my kids will love it!

    I have a question though. I’ve been saving recipes to the meal plan, but when I try to open it, it says I haven’t added any recipes yet. There is a #4 on the tab though.

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      October 28, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      Hi Loretta, I’m so sorry, this issue should be fixed! Also, be sure to clear the cache and cookies on your computer if you’re still having a problem. 🙂 Thanks for following!

      Reply
  2. Liz says

    November 6, 2018 at 7:55 pm

    YUM! Everyone loved it! Another great keeper from TBFS

    Reply
  3. Steven Mickels says

    November 16, 2018 at 7:42 pm

    Tried this tonight. My wife made it while I washed her car. I got the good end of the deal as this is no doubt the best I have tasted, and I have tasted multiple variations of this type of casserole.

    What a great twist on a traditional comfort meal. Bravo!!!!!

    Thanks for sharing,

    Steve & Lori

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      November 16, 2018 at 8:41 pm

      I’m so pleased to hear that and thrilled you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting–I hope you get to try more recipes here soon!

      Reply
  4. Laurie says

    November 18, 2018 at 8:23 am

    I made this last night and we loved it. The only change I’d make when I make it again is I’ll bump the chicken stock up to 3 cups and the milk (I used heavy cream) up to 1 1/2 cups. I like it just a little creamier than it was. The flavor was so good, I can’t wait for lunch to eat left overs. I added a couple of chopped mushrooms. Thank you!

    Reply
  5. Molly says

    December 4, 2018 at 5:39 pm

    Yuuuuum!! Excellent recipe. I increased dill, lemon and salt and topped with French fried onions instead of butter and crackers. Going in my recipe book!

    Reply
  6. Mim says

    December 11, 2018 at 5:21 pm

    Thank you so much for this delish recipe! I am probably a lot older than your typical commenter as I grew up on the Campbells Soup recipe in the 1960’s. It’s holiday time and I was feeling kind of low, missing my mom who passed away a few years ago, and when I feel like that I usually try to find some of her comfort food recipes. But I really wanted to make something fresher than the soup recipe. This was fantastic! I especially loved the addition of the dill and lemon. So comforting! Thanks again.

    Reply
  7. Julia says

    December 30, 2018 at 6:24 pm

    A few tips – when I’m making the roux, I let the butter/flour cook for a few minutes, almost like I’m toasting it. I also add ground thyme, a pinch of cayenne, a hint of cumin (believe me, it works), and onion and/or garlic powder at that point. After I whisk in the milk, I add a little mustard (Dijon is great, honey mustard fine, not yellow or brown) for depth, and a little light Hellman’s for sweetness. After the sauce is off-heat, I add the splash of lemon juice and dill. Then I toss in the peas, mushrooms, and tuna.

    For those who are dairy free, this is a great recipe with plain (not vanilla) soy or nut milk – but not coconut milk (too thin). I prefer to put the parm in the topping, then spray it with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray or butter-flavored Pam rather than mix more melted butter. I’m able to trim the whole thing down to 1 t olive oil, Pam, and 3T butter.

    Reply
    • Jamie Henson says

      February 8, 2019 at 2:31 pm

      Your review should be about THIS recipe – not your own. How can you give THIS recipe 5 stars when you totally changed the entire recipe. 🙄

      Reply
  8. Alicia says

    January 3, 2019 at 4:54 pm

    it was so good and so tasty!

    Reply
  9. Heidi says

    January 3, 2019 at 5:31 pm

    Fabulous! Kids ate it all 🙂 would this be something that would freeze well for later?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      January 3, 2019 at 7:17 pm

      Thanks Heidi! I haven’t experimented with freezing this one, but I’m pretty confidant it would work great. Be sure to undercook the noodles.

      Reply
  10. Catherine Coulter says

    January 10, 2019 at 7:06 pm

    I just made this for the first time. It is really good! Not being a fan of peas, I used diced carrots instead. And adjusted/varied the seasonings as suggested. A word of warning though, if looking for a quick weeknight meal. This took a LOT longer than 15 minutes to prep. Knowing this, I will definitely make it again allowing more time, and for sure will make it for the next group potluck at work. It is a great versatile recipe that can be tweaked to suit anyone’s taste!

    Reply
  11. Nic says

    January 19, 2019 at 1:22 pm

    Made this in preparation for a snow storm thinking I’d eat it all myself because my toddler is super picky and my husband hates tuna noodle. They both loved it and there are barely any leftovers. I made this exactly as written only increasing the lemon juice a bit. Fantastic!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      January 20, 2019 at 1:28 pm

      I love to hear that–I’m so happy your family enjoyed it. Stay safe in the storm!

      Reply
  12. Catherine says

    January 30, 2019 at 5:28 am

    I made this one night last week when it was very cold outside. My husband raved about it and had a big second helping. Leftovers the next day were just as delicious! Thank you.

    Reply
  13. Linda says

    January 30, 2019 at 2:54 pm

    Your recipe is ah-mazing.. it is -r degrees here today and perfect for a nice, cozy meal by candlelight and a fire. I followed your directions. They were very easy. Thank you so much for posting this.

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      January 30, 2019 at 9:57 pm

      I’m really glad to hear that! It’s perfect for a cold day!

      Reply
  14. Patti Harshey says

    February 2, 2019 at 9:12 am

    I am anxious to try this recipe, but can freshly grated cheddar be substituted for the parmesan?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      February 2, 2019 at 4:18 pm

      Sure, that would be fine 🙂 Enjoy!

      Reply
  15. Janet says

    February 9, 2019 at 9:25 am

    Best Tuna Noodle Casserole I have ever had. Easy to make. None of that canned soup taste. My family loved it. Followed the recipe as posted. Wouldn’t change a thing. This recipe is a keeper!

    Reply
  16. Diane Griggs says

    February 11, 2019 at 2:50 pm

    I haven’t made tuna casserole in years. I came across your updated recipe last week while searching for something else. It sounded so much better than the canned soup one I was taught so I had to try it.First off I doubled the recipe because both my husband and Son-in-Law have hollow legs and I wanted leftovers for lunch the next day. LOL!!!! There was very little left and now they asked when I was making it again? Needless to say it is delicious and I will be making it often.

    Reply
  17. Joy says

    February 11, 2019 at 9:56 pm

    I was craving tuna noodle casserole, for some weird reason…hadn’t had any in many, many years. Just made this recipe tonight. I left out the peas (yick), and I doubled the tuna and added a little more pasta (I used mini bow-tie pasta). I used Panko on top, instead of Ritz crackers, and I had to substitute celery seed for celery. It was AMAZING!!! I’ll have lots of leftovers, but it’ll be just as good for lunches over the next few days. Thank you for the great recipe! It definitely satisfied my craving.

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      February 12, 2019 at 11:37 am

      I’m sp glad you liked it! I hope you get to try more recipes here soon 🙂

      Reply
  18. Susan Z. says

    February 15, 2019 at 8:11 pm

    I made this tonight, and everyone agreed it was absolutely delicious! I will never make it with canned soup ever again! Thank you for this recipe!!

    Reply

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Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of 3 and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos. Read More
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