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Our old-fashioned Tuna Casserole recipe is simply the best, made with noodles, a creamy white sauce, tuna, peas, and celery, and baked with crushed crackers on top.
I promise this Tuna Casserole is better than Grandma's.
I promise this Tuna Casserole is better than Grandma's.This recipe is proof that you can elevate even the most old-fashioned casserole recipes by making them with better ingredients, and from scratch.
Instead of using canned soups, we make a quick creamy white sauce. We boost the flavor with sautéed peas, celery, and onion, and don't forget to use good quality white albacore tuna. It may cost a bit more, but the quality really makes a difference in taste! You can use egg noodles for tuna noodle casserole, but we prefer medium shells since each one fills with the creamy sauce.
How to make Tuna Noodle Casserole:
Cook noodles according to package instructions.
Sauté Veggies: Melt butter in pan. Add celery, onion, peas, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes.
Make Sauce: In a separate pot, make a roux by melting the butter and then whisking in the flour. Cook for a minute or two. Gradually pour in the chicken broth and milk, whisking until smooth. Keep stirring constantly until it bubbles and thickens. Add lemon juice, salt, dill, parsley, and parmesan cheese.
Combine: Add cooked pasta, sautéed vegetables, and tuna to the sauce and mix to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with cheese and crushed crackers.
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Sauté the veggies, make the sauce, and cook the noodles. Store everything in separate containers in the fridge until ready to assemble the tuna casserole.
To Freeze: Cook the noodles so they are slightly undercooked. Follow the recipe and assemble casserole (don't add cracker topping) in a freezer-safe container or disposable aluminum pan. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then sprinkle with crushed crackers and bake until hot and bubbly.
Sides for Tuna Casserole:
- Roasted Vegetables
- Salad
- Balsamic Roasted Carrots
- French Green Beans
- Broccoli Salad
- Garlic Rolls
- Artisan Bread
- Fresh Fruit Salad
More Casserole Recipes:
- Pizza Casserole
- American Goulash
- Chicken Casserole
- Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
- Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Hawaiian French Toast Casserole
- Breakfast Casserole
- One Pan Meatball Casserole
- Million Dollar Spaghetti
- Browse all of our easy pasta recipes
Tuna Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 ounces medium-size shell pasta
- 5 Tablespoons butter, , divided
- 2 ribs celery, , diced
- 1/4 cup onion, , diced
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 1 clove garlic, , miced
- 5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup milk, , warmed
- 1/2 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 chopped parsley, , minced
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, , divided
- 5 ounces canned albacore white tuna, packed in water, , or more if desired
Topping:
- 1/2 cup Ritz crackers*, , crushed
- 1 Tablespoon butter, , melted
Instructions
- Cook the noodles just until al dente, according to package instructions.
- Sauté the veggies: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Add celery, onion, peas and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Set aside.
- Make Sauce: Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the pan. Once melted, add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer and stir constantly, until slightly thickened. Reduce heat to low and add salt, dill, lemon juice, parsley, and ½ cup parmesan cheese. Taste and add additional seasoning, if needed.
- Combine: Remove from heat and stir in the pasta, vegetables and tuna. Pour mixture into a 9×13’’ or similar size baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of parmesan cheese.
- Add Topping: Crush ritz crackers and add melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over the casserole.
- Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Original recipe adapted from Our Best Bites.
I originally shared this recipe October 2018. Updated April 2021 and December 2024.
I made this with a few substitutions: vegetarian chicken-flavored broth, 2 cans of tuna, leftover caramelized onions, and broccoli instead of peas in half the casserole for my picky 5 year old. It was a big hit with the whole family. The creamy sauce was so delicious, and surprisingly a tad sweet. Perfect comfort food for a chilly Saturday, and definitely something we’ll include in our regular rotation.
Oh-em-gee!! The best homemade tuna casserole ever!! This trumps all soup based recipes by far….take the time to make this one, you will not be disappointed! To make it creamier, I did add 3 Cups Chicken Broth and 1 1/2 Cups of milk because the noodles will absorb some of the liquid and I was afraid it would be dry. (It was perfect). I added about 7 fresh sliced mushrooms to the onion, celery cooking process and 3 cloves of garlic instead of one. I also used 3 cans of tuna (5 oz). Mixed panko breadcrumbs with butter and baked! A few, little tweaks….but the base of this recipe is EXCELLENT!!! My family loved it….it’s a keeper in my recipe file for sure!!
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!!
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.
I’m sp glad you liked it! I hope you get to try more recipes here soon 🙂
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.
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!
I am anxious to try this recipe, but can freshly grated cheddar be substituted for the parmesan?
Sure, that would be fine 🙂 Enjoy!
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.
I’m really glad to hear that! It’s perfect for a cold day!
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.
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!
I love to hear that–I’m so happy your family enjoyed it. Stay safe in the storm!