Old Fashioned Tuna Casserole is creamy under a crisp, buttery breadcrumb topping, with tender noodles, tuna and peas in every scoop. It’s the kind of filling dinner you can put on a weeknight table without making a separate sauce.
How to make old fashioned tuna casserole: Mix cooked noodles with the tuna, peas, cheddar and creamy filling, then bake at 425°F for 30 to 35 minutes. Stir, add buttered bread crumbs and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- A creamy filling and crisp top: You get soft, saucy noodles beneath golden bread crumbs rather than one uniform texture.
- Familiar ingredients: Canned tuna, condensed soup and frozen peas make the shopping list straightforward.
- A useful topping timeline: You can focus on heating the filling first, then give the crumbs their own final stretch in the oven.
- Make-ahead option: You can assemble and freeze the casserole before baking when you need dinner prepared in advance.
Ingredient Notes
Egg noodles: Buy medium egg noodles and cook them al dente according to the package. They’ll bake in the creamy filling afterward, so don’t start with noodles that are already very soft. I like to have the rest of the ingredients ready before draining them so they can go straight into the bowl.
Tuna: Use canned tuna and drain it before mixing. There’s no need to cook it separately; it goes into the filling with the peas and cheese. If you want noticeable pieces of tuna in each scoop, stir gently once it’s in the bowl.
Soup and milk: The condensed cream of mushroom soup and milk form the sauce. Whisk them with the salt until smooth before adding the noodles, and keep the listed liquid amounts if you want a creamy filling. I wouldn’t cut back on the milk to make the casserole seem thicker before baking.
Cheddar and peas: Shredded cheddar brings cheese into the filling, while frozen peas can go in without a separate cooking step. Spread both through the bowl so you don’t end up with one scoop full of peas and another with none.
Bread crumbs and butter: Use bread crumbs for the topping and melted butter to coat them. I prefer mixing them in a small bowl before sprinkling; that lets you see whether the crumbs are coated rather than pouring butter over one patch of the casserole.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces medium egg noodles
- 2 cans tuna, 5 ounces each, drained
- 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, 10.75 ounces each
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
How to Make Old Fashioned Tuna Casserole
1. Cook the noodles. Heat your oven to 425°F. Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions until al dente, then drain them. You want noodles that still have a little firmness, not noodles that have gone soft before they reach the casserole dish.
2. Mix the filling. In a large bowl, stir the condensed soup, milk and salt until smooth. Add the frozen peas, drained tuna, shredded cheddar and cooked noodles, then stir until the noodles are coated. If you spot a thick streak of condensed soup, keep mixing before you transfer the filling.
3. Bake the filling. Spoon the mixture into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until it’s hot and bubbling, then carefully remove the dish and stir the filling. Keep the topping aside for now; you’ll add it after this first bake.
4. Add the topping. Mix the bread crumbs with the melted butter, then sprinkle them over the stirred casserole. Aim to spread the crumbs across the surface so you get some with each serving.
5. Finish baking. Return the dish to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and crispy. Before serving, check the center with a food thermometer; the casserole needs to reach 165°F. Bubbling edges and browned crumbs tell you what the surface looks like, but they don’t replace that center check.
When Should You Add the Topping?
Add the buttered bread crumbs after the tuna-noodle filling has baked and been stirred. The filling gets its longer stretch in the oven first; the crumbs go on for the shorter finish. Your spoon should break through a golden, crisp layer into creamy noodles and peas underneath.
There’s no need to guess whether the crumbs should spend the whole bake in the dish. Keep them in their bowl while the filling heats, coat them with melted butter, then scatter them over the surface just before the final bake. I look for crumbs that have turned golden rather than leaving them pale.
If you’re wondering whether to cover the dish, this method does not call for a cover. Follow the topping timeline and use a food thermometer at the end rather than judging the casserole by its browned surface alone.
| Stage | Time | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Filling | 30 to 35 minutes | Hot and bubbling; stir before topping |
| With buttered crumbs | 5 to 10 minutes | Golden brown, crispy topping |
Tips for Success
Why does my casserole seem dry?
You may notice noodles that look less creamy than you wanted when you spoon into the dish. Start with al dente noodles and use the full amounts of soup and milk listed here; those are the noodle texture and liquid choices that matter for this filling. I wouldn’t reduce the sauce ingredients to make it look less loose in the mixing bowl.
Why did the sauce change texture after freezing?
A thawed portion may not look as smooth as it did when freshly baked. Cream sauces can lose quality in the freezer, so freezing is useful for convenience rather than for preserving exactly the same texture. If that creamy finish is what you care about most, my pick is to serve the casserole fresh.
Variations
- Use a cracker topping: Mix 30 crushed butter crackers with 1/4 cup melted butter instead of using the bread crumbs and butter listed above. Sprinkle the cracker mixture over the filling before baking.
- Add onion and celery: Sauté onion and celery, then stir them into the creamy filling for more vegetable pieces alongside the peas.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days. Frozen leftovers keep for 3 to 4 months, though this creamy casserole may change texture; thaw in the refrigerator, cold water or microwave, not on the counter. Reheat leftovers to 165°F, checking with a food thermometer.
What to Serve With It
This is a filling dinner on its own. If you’re planning other comfort-food meals, try Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole or Million Dollar Chicken Casserole on another night. For a hearty noodle option, there’s Slow Cooker Amish Ground Beef Noodle Casserole; for more casseroles to put on the menu, see Slow Cooker Pierogi and Sausage Casserole, Hashbrown Casserole and Easy Cowboy Casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I assemble this tuna casserole ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble the casserole, wrap it tightly and freeze it before baking for up to 3 months. Cooking a casserole from frozen takes longer, so don’t rely on the standard baking time as a finish time.
Does the canned tuna need cooking before it goes into the filling?
No separate tuna-cooking step is needed. Drain the cans and stir the tuna into the soup mixture with the peas, cheddar and cooked noodles.
Final Notes
Have the buttered crumbs ready when you pull out the filling so you can add them right after stirring. Leave a question or tell me how your casserole turned out in the comments.
Old Fashioned Tuna Casserole
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Ingredients
- 12 ounces egg noodles medium
- 2 cans tuna 5 ounces each; drained
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup condensed; 10.75 ounces each
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 cups peas frozen
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Cook the egg noodles according to package directions until al dente, then drain.
- In a large bowl, mix the condensed soup, milk and salt until smooth. Stir in the peas, drained tuna, cheddar and cooked noodles.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Remove the dish from the oven and stir the filling.
- Mix the bread crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle over the casserole.
- Return the dish to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and crispy. Before serving, use a food thermometer to confirm that the center of the casserole has reached 165°F.
Notes
Nutrition
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