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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.

A 9x13 pan filled with an old fashioned tuna casserole recipe with shell pasta, peas, a creamy sauce, and topped with breadcrumbs.

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.

Two images showing peas, onion, celery, and garlic being sautéed in a pan, then a creamy sauce with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese made in another pan for a homemade tuna noodle casserole recipe.

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.

Two images showing how to make tuna noodle casserole by combining cooked shell pasta, tuna, and veggies in a creamy sauce then transferring to a baking dish and sprinkling crackers on top.

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:

More Casserole Recipes:

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4.94 from 431 votes

Tuna Casserole

Author: Lauren Allen

The best Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe has a creamy homemade white sauce cooked with pasta, peas, tuna, celery, and crushed crackers baked on top.

Prep: 12

Cook: 45

Total: 1

Servings:

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Ingredients

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

Tuna: Choose good quality canned white albacore tuna.

Cracker Topping: you could also use crushed potato chips, breadcrumbs, cornflakes or your favorite crackers.

Make Ahead Instructions: 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 397kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 598mg, Potassium: 306mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 2321IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 233mg, Iron: 2mg

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.

4.94 from 431 votes (304 ratings without comment)

213 Comments

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Andi

6 years ago

Excellent recipe. I added fresh mushrooms and fresh thyme, some Worcestershire to the sauce, doubled the Ritz crackers. Also used two cans of tuna and an Italian cheese blend. Needed far more seasoning, i.e., salt and pepper than called for. This was comfort in a bowl, and exactly what’s needed during this unsettling time!

Donna

Love this Dish…I substituted with white chicken..

Kathy

I had to make some minor substitutions (dried parsley vs fresh, fettuccine vs seashells and breadcrumbs vs ritz crackers) and it was still wonderful! It’s the best tuna noodle casserole I’ve ever had. Prep time did take longer than stated but until you’ve made a recipe a couple of times it always does. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for the recipe.

Jessie

This was really yummy, but really hard to make. I cook almost every night and I wanted to try a staple I haven’t made before. The prep and clean up was extensive. I also didnt have every ingredient on hand, I substituted grated cheddar and mozzarella for parmesan, dried spices for fresh, and I used non dairy milk. My substitutes were fine and the dish turned out great! I will make it again, hopefully the prep time will be better next time since it won’t be my first.

Janet Stoyer

This was fantastic. Although I did add an extra can of tuna fish because I wanted more protein.
I will definitely make this again!!!!!

Nancy B

My husband and I love this easy, tasty dish! The shells are a great change of pace from other recipes. Reheats great too, with a little milk added.

Lauren

This was a great dish! Our children and my husband (who does not care for tuna noodle casserole 🙂 ) enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing.

Pam

Loved this casserole! Easy to make, I did put the dill weed 1/8 tsp, parsley (dried) 2 Tb, lemon juice 2 tsp, salt & pepper 1/4 tsp each all together for at least 15 minutes prior to adding to sauce mixture. When I blended the flour with chicken broth and milk it did take longer than a couple of minutes to thicken. I cooked it stirring for 5 minutes then added the 1/2 c Parmesan cheese which helped to thicken the sauce. Added the veggies, drained tuna fish (1 can) and pasta. It taste perfect no additional salt necessary. I did however sauté the veggies 5 minutes. If you like crisp veggies cook less than the 5 minutes. I will make this again!

Mary

Prep time is underestimated as it took me about 50 min. I followed the recipe but substituted saltines for Ritz crackers.
Family thought it was pretty bland despite the large number of ingredients. The dish did not have a strong tuna taste despite adding two cans of tuna. Won’t make this again.