Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Name: Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 box Velveeta Shells and Cheese; 1 can tuna, (in water); ½ cup frozen peas; 2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion; 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise; salt and pepper, (to taste); 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, (optional)

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This tuna noodle casserole recipe is a classic comfort food that is easy to make and is perfect for any weeknight meal! With only 20 minutes to prep, this one dish meal is a reliable classic that will leave everyone wanting more of that rich and creamy flavor in every bite!

Black Casserole dish with Macaroni Tuna Casserole sitting on a table with crossed wooden spoons, a green napkin and heirloom tomatoes.

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✔️ Quick Recipe Overview
ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
📋 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
📖 Variations
🙋🏼 Frequently Asked Questions
💭 Expert Tips
🍽️ More Casseroles Your Family Will Love
Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole

✔️ Quick Recipe Overview

Why This Is The BEST Tuna Noodle Casserole Out There: An easy tuna casserole that is smothered with creamy cheese, tuna, and vegetables, this meal comes together so quickly!

How Long It Takes: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to bake

Equipment You'll Need: a small oven safe casserole dish (8x8 or 9x9)

If you're a fan of macaroni and cheese, then you're going to love this tuna pasta bake recipe! Similar to my cabbage roll casserole recipe and this cheesy baked ham and potato casserole, this is a dump-and-bake dinner that is comforting, creamy, delicious, and super easy to make. My mom used to make this pasta tuna bake for me and my sister when we were kids. I loved it then and I still love it now. This one dish meal is a family favorite in our dinner rotation and we enjoy it every other week.

The creamy cheese eliminates the need to use a can of condensed soup. Warm and bubbling, this classic creamy casserole recipe is made with canned tuna and is so delicious, you don't even need to top it with a buttery cracker topping. Although, you can if you want to!

ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works

1. You can make this easy tuna noodle casserole ahead of time! Start by preparing and mixing the ingredients and then put the mixture in an oven safe dish. Cover and place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake.

2. It's made from scratch and costs less than $10 to make!

3. A versatile dish, you can switch up the vegetables you use in this tuna casserole and top it with a buttery breadcrumb or cracker crust!

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

This tuna noodle casserole recipe uses pantry and refrigerator staple ingredients. When it comes to the type of macaroni and cheese, this recipe only works with a boxed version that comes with a creamy cheese sauce like Velveeta Shells and Cheese or Kraft Deluxe macaroni and cheese. The mayonnaise mixed with the packaged creamy cheese sauce helps make the texture velvety and smooth. Make sure you don't use a boxed macaroni and cheese with a powdered cheese packet. The powder cheese will not work in this tuna casserole recipe.

While you can use a variety of different vegetables, my go to are frozen sweet peas. Frozen peas have a more firm texture when the tuna casserole is baking and they work so much better than the canned version. I also add a small amount of finely chopped onion to enhance the flavor. When it comes to canned tuna, used tuna that is in water, not in oil. I've used the oil based version in the past and the texture is a bit too oily and has a strong fish taste. Tuna in water is easier to prepare and has a mild flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients.

Onion, canned tuna, peas, Velveeta shells and cheese and a jar of mayonnaise sitting on a white background with a green napkin.

📋 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Using a sharp knife, chop ¼ of the onion until you have about 2 Tablespoons of finely chopped onions. Set aside.

Next, you'll cook the box of macaroni and cheese. Follow the directions on the box and cook until done. Expert Tip: For the perfect texture, cook the noodles to al dente. To do this, add the noodles to boiling water and cook for 8 minutes. Once done, drain the water and place the cooked macaroni noodles in a large mixing bowl. Add the Velveeta cheese sauce to the cooked pasta.

Green bowl with cooked macaroni shells and melted Velveeta Cheese Sauce sitting on a white table with green napkin.

Stir the creamy cheese sauce and cooked noodles with a large spoon until well combined.

Person stirring macaroni and cheese with a silver spoon in a green bowl that is sitting on a table with a green napkin in the background.

From there, open a can of tuna and drain the water. Add the drained tuna to the bowl of macaroni and cheese and then add in the chopped onion, frozen green peas, and mayonnaise.

White mixing bowl with canned tuna, peas, shells and cheese and a silver spoon sitting on a white background with loose peas and a green napkin.

Stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Add in a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Pour the casserole mixture into an oven safe casserole dish and cover with a lid or with aluminum foil. Cook covered for 20 minutes and then remove the tuna noodle casserole from the oven once done. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes before serving. This is the best tuna casserole and pairs amazingly well with this Romaine Salad with Havarti cheese and bacon. It also pairs well with my Quick Peppery Cheese Bread!

Black Casserole dish with Macaroni Tuna Casserole sitting on a wooden table topped with peas and parsley, a green napkin and cherry tomatoes.

📖 Variations

This pasta tuna bake is very versatile. If you don't like peas, try adding corn. Carrots, asparagus, or even small broccoli florets also work well. Fresh sliced mushrooms are also a great addition. While this is traditionally a tuna based casserole, you can use chicken instead. You'll substitute 2 cups of cubed cooked chicken instead of the tuna. Fresh chicken breasts or canned chicken tastes really great. Adding chopped up cooked pork or turkey bacon also enhances the flavor.

If you're looking for a healthier noodle, try substituting a high fiber or whole wheat noodle. Stay away from rice based noodles because they don't hold up as well. To add a little bit of spice, stir in 1 tablespoon of sriracha into the tuna mixture right before you bake it. And while this cheesy tuna casserole doesn't need a topping, you can add one if you want. Crushed potato chips, breadcrumbs, and even those fried onions you put on top of green bean casserole taste amazing in this dish!

🙋🏼 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze this tuna noodle casserole?

I don't recommend freezing this casserole recipe. Because this tuna bake is made with cheese and not condensed soup, it doesn't freeze or reheat well. This one is best fresh and also tastes amazing warmed up the next day.

Can I prepare this as a skillet meal without baking?

Yes! Once you cook the macaroni and cheese and mix all the ingredients, it can be eaten. However, I enjoy it more after it's been baked.

Can I make a gluten free version of this tuna casserole?

You can, yes. All you need to do is use gluten free pasta noodles. Every other ingredient in this casserole is already gluten free.

What kind of pasta works best for this tuna casserole recipe?

The noodles that come in the box of macaroni and cheese work the best. You'll typically find small shells or elbow noodles in the boxed version, but feel free to use any pasta you want. Egg noodles also work great.

Do you eat tuna casserole warm or cold?

Typically, I enjoy this dish the most when it's warm, but it's also good served cold or at room temperature.

💭 Expert Tips

This dish can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until its ready to be baked. If baking from a cold state, add 10 minutes to the bake time.
Velveeta or Kraft Deluxe creamy cheese packets work the best for this tuna fish casserole.
Get creative with your noodles! The velveeta cheese sauce is sold in individual packets so you can use any type of pasta you want.
To add a crust, top the casserole with 1 cup of coarsely crushed potato chips. Or crumble a sleeve of ritz crackers with melted butter and broil on high in the oven until the topping is a golden brown.
To lock in the moisture, cover the dish with either a lid or aluminum foil while it bakes.
Store any leftovers in a container with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

🍽️ More Casseroles Your Family Will Love

Everyone loves a good casserole recipe so if you're looking for the best casserole recipes out there, then you have to try my Homemade Chicken and Rice Casserole. Topped with a buttery and mouth watering crust, this one is perfect for a weeknight dinner. And my Beef Enchilada Casserole is hands down a family favorite! It has layer upon layer of creamy refried beans, seasoned ground beef, corn tortillas, and melted cheese this is smothered in a flavorful enchilada sauce and baked to a bubbly perfection!

I can't wait to hear how your creamy tuna noodle casserole turned out! If you’ve tried this recipe, make sure you rate it and leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you! And make sure you sign up for my newsletter here so you never miss what I'm making in the kitchen!