Best Tuna Casserole is a true classic!  The easiest tuna casserole recipe around! Full of tuna, noodles, cheese, peas, a creamy sauce and topped with more cheese and crunchy potato chips!

tuna casserole in a baking dish

 

I know I say everything is my favorite food around here, but, you guys, tuna casserole is my all-time most fave go-to comfort food!  I love it year round, I crave it on the regular,  It reminds me of my childhood, and my classic version will have you drooling too, just like this One Pan Tuna Pasta.  If you love a good cozy casserole be sure to try my very best Tater Tot Casserole and our Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole too!  So, let’s chat about what tuna casserole is.  I know some people go out of their way to make this dish from scratch, but that just isn’t a classic to me.  Tuna casserole is made with canned tuna (or use the pouches like I do so you don’t have to drain the tuna), egg noodles, canned peas, corn, canned soup, cheese, and a potato chip topping!

How to Make Tuna Casserole:

I’ve included few process shots for anyone that wants to see exactly how this casserole is assembled.  Don’t worry, it’s impossibly easy!

  • Not pictured, but you get the idea: grease a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.  Preheat your oven as directed.
  • Start by grabbing a large bowl and mixing together your canned soup, mayo, and seasonings until well combined.
  • Now, add your tuna, corn, peas onion, and cheese and stir gently,
  • Drain your egg noodles and return them to the pot.  Pour over the tuna mixture and stir well, making sure all the pasta is coated!
  • Now, pour your noodle mix into your 9×13 dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly.
  • Top the casserole with your crumbled chips, bake for about 10 more minutes, just to get the chips toasty.

step by step photos how to make tuna casserole

Can you Freeze Tuna Casserole?

Any leftover tuna casserole should be stored in an airtight container, or you can put into a large resealable plastic bag.  In the refrigerator you can store this for up to 3 days.  Yes, this casserole can be made ahead and frozen for later!  To freeze, assemble the casserole as directed, but, do not bake or add the potato chips on top.  Add your tuna/noodle mixture to a prepared, freezer safe pan and wrap tightly with a layer or two of foil.  Place in the freezer for up to three months.  When you want to cook the casserole, you will need to thaw it in the refrigerator completely, which will take about 24 hours.  After it’s thawed, preheat your oven and bake as directed.

What Should I Serve With Tuna Casserole?

So, for us, tuna casserole is a whole meal in a pan!  It is hearty, filling and full of meat, veggies and noodles.  On this subject, I wanted to make a quick note that you can leave the veggies out of this and serve them on the side if preferred.  Tuna casserole is great served with a nice green side salad, some cooked green beans, easy homemade Drop Biscuits or a tasty Berry Salad for dessert!

dish of tuna casserole with serving spoon

 

Enjoy!

~Nichole

5 from 48 votes

Best Tuna Casserole

Best Tuna Casserole is a true classic!  The easiest tuna casserole recipe around! Full of tuna, noodles, cheese, peas, a creamy sauce and topped with more cheese and crunchy potato chips!
 
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients 

FOR THE CASSEROLE:

  • 12 Ounce Bag Egg Noodles
  • 2 (10 1/2) Ounce Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 1 Cup Mayonnaise
  • 3 (6.4 Ounce) Pouches or Cans Tuna Drained if necessary
  • 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 Small Yellow Onion Minced
  • 15 Ounce Can Corn Drained
  • 15 Ounce Can Peas Drained
  • 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
  • Salt & Pepper To Taste

FOR THE TOPPING:

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.
  • Cook the egg noodles according to package directions, drain and return to the pot.
  • Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, mix together the soup, mayo, tuna, cheddar, minced onion, corn, peas, and seasonings until well combined.
  • Pour the soup mixture over the noodles and stir well.
  • Pour the soup and noodle mix into the prepared baking dish and smooth into a single layer.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove the casserole from the oven and top with the cheddar and crushed potato chips.
  • Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes until hot and bubbly.
  • Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

NOTE TO FREEZE:
To freeze, assemble the casserole as directed, but, do not bake or add the potato chips on top.  Add your tuna/noodle mixture to a prepared, freezer safe pan and wrap tightly with a layer or two of foil.  Place in the freezer for up to three months.  When you want to cook the casserole, you will need to thaw it in the refrigerator completely, which will take about 24 hours.  After it's thawed, preheat your oven and bake as directed.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cup, Calories: 300kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Like this? Rate & review this recipe below!

Hey! Nice to meet you! I'm Nichole!

Welcome to The Salty Marshmallow! I'm a mom, animal lover, photographer, & kitchen mess-maker. Here you will find the result of my decades-long passion for chasing the best flavors in the kitchen, all meant to be cooked by regular people with busy lives just like you and me.

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32 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    this meal is just fresh outta my oven! heck yeah :^) this is my 3rd time making this dish .. this time what I did was 3 cans of tuna, 1 cup of mayo, 1 can of cream of chicken soup, 1 can of cheddar cheese soup, ms dash onion spice mix, ms dash garlic seasoning mix along with a hint of paprika and garlic powder…. I mixed that all together really well…

    once the pasta was done cooking I melted a stick of butter and caramelized that with minced garlic and coat the egg noodles really well… I then coat the egg noodles in parm cheese… I divided the pasta into 2 8×8 anchor hocking glass baking dishes… then I divided the tuna and mixed it in each dish with the egg noodles…. I put in my oven for 375 for 22 min was perfect…. after 22 minutes i took both dishes out of the oven and topped them both off with shredded mozzarella and provolone cheese, italian bread crumbs and crushed up ritz crackers since I don’t have potato chips on hand … I put them back into the oven for 10 min came out perfect :^) thanks for sharing your recipe

  2. 5 stars
    I love this recipe thank you for sharing it with everyone! … I made this once so far and only thing i left out was the veggies… don’t really need them at all and were not veggie kinda people anyway… otherwise I followed the recipe as stated… my youngest loves the crushed up potato chips part hahaha… I have always made tuna casserole or what i call tuna casserole is with the wide egg noodles cook as normally would…. then open a few cans of tuna add mayo and stir that all together with the cook egg noodles… add a hint of onion and garlic powder and my family eats it up… can eat it cold or warmed up and it’s good for on those hot summer days… but your recipe is a new twist for me and my family loves it both ways… actually I am making this tonight for dinner :^) thanks again for sharing your recipe it’s so delicious and simple to put together in not time at all and its filling as well … I also love the crockpot green bean casserole! i’ll be making again for Thanksgiving this year…. I don’t eat beans of any kind but i’ve been told it tastes way better than traditionally made in the oven :^) this year gonna fry up some bacon and throw that in with it ….. It’s gonna be good for sure … have a blessed Thanksgiving :^) Thanks again for sharing your recipes!

  3. 5 stars
    My husband and I absolutely loved this dish! The two things I changed were sautéing the onions instead of using raw and using fresh corn (2 ears, uncooked directly into the casserole). Oh, and since I don’t eat chicken I used cream of onion soup instead of cream of chicken. This recipe is a keeper!!

    1. 5 stars
      I do not like Tuna, can I use the Swansons canned chicken instead? Thanks so much for the great recipes !!!!