Tuna Noodle Casserole

This Tuna Noodle Casserole is made from scratch with a simple mushroom cream sauce and a buttery cracker crust. It's better than you remember and ready in under an hour.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings servings (1 1/2 cups each)

Calories 412kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

For the topping:

2 tablespoons butter melted
35 Ritz crackers smashed into fine crumbs (1 sleeve, see note 1)

For the casserole:

Salt and freshly ground black pepper (see note 2)
8 ounces egg noodles (about 3 cups, see note 3)
2 tablespoons butter
10 ounces white button mushrooms trimmed and sliced thin, optional (see note 4)
1 onion minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup frozen peas
2 (7-ounce) foil pouches solid white tuna flaked (see note 5)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
Lemon wedges for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the topping, in a small bowl, add crackers crumbs and melted butter and toss to coat. Set aside.
To make the casserole, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
Bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add egg noodles and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add mushrooms, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until mushrooms are browned and their liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
Add peas, tuna, parsley, broth, and cream. Bring to simmer, about 10 minutes. Add cooked noodles and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Do not skip this step or your casserole may be bland!
Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the crumbs are golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Video

Notes

Ritz crackers: Smash 'em up and drown them in butter. Bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, or saltine crackers make good substitutes.
Salt and pepper: Seasoning during different stages of cooking makes sure the flavor is there with every bite. Especially with creamy casseroles! You want to add some salt to the sauce to keep it from tasting bland.
Egg noodles: Tender egg noodles provide just the right texture in the casserole, and they cook fast too. Feel free to use any other pasta (such as macaroni or penne) instead.
Mushrooms: Hate mushrooms? Just leave 'em out. Celery is a really great substitute.
Tuna: Use your favorite brand (canned or in a pouch) of chunk light tuna. White albacore tuna works too. For tuna casserole, I usually look for tuna packed in water.
Yield: This recipe makes about 12 cups of casserole which is enough for 8 servings, 1 1/2 cups each.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition