Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Tuna Noodle Casserole
A crisp cracker topping covers creamy tuna noodles with plenty of cheese in the sauce. Sweet peas and soft vegetables sit among the pasta, giving each scoop a little color and texture beside the rich, savory tuna filling.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 18 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Fish
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Noodles · Casseroles
A few quick notes
1. Undercook the noodles
Boil the egg noodles a couple of minutes less than the package directions before adding them to the dish.
2. Whisk the cream cheese
Stir nearly constantly as the cream cheese melts into the sauce, keeping it loose enough to thicken further during baking.
3. Turn heat off for cheese
Switch off the burner before stirring the cheddar and Parmesan into the cream sauce until melted.
Get to know the ingredients
Tuna
Drain the canned tuna and flake it with a fork before stirring it into the sauce with peas.
Cream cheese
Soften the cream cheese before adding it to the skillet so it melts more readily into the sauce.
Cracker topping
Mix crushed Ritz crackers with melted butter before scattering them over the evenly spread noodle filling.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 10 steps completeMake room for Tuna Noodle Casserole
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Bake uncovered
Scatter the buttery cracker topping over the casserole and bake uncovered for twenty minutes at 375 degrees.
A little more help as you go
Keep sauce loose
Add another splash of cream if the sauce gets too thick before baking, as it thickens more in the oven.
Spread filling evenly
Toss the noodles with the sauce until coated, then spread everything in an even layer before topping.
A few questions you might have
Should I fully cook the egg noodles?
Stop a couple of minutes short of the package directions before draining and putting them in the casserole dish.
How should I prepare canned tuna?
Drain the tuna, then flake it with a fork before stirring it into the sauce with peas.
What if the sauce becomes too thick?
Stir in another splash of cream; it should resemble Alfredo sauce and will thicken further while baking.
When do cheddar and Parmesan go in?
Turn off the burner before stirring those cheeses into the sauce, then continue until they have melted.
Is the casserole covered in the oven?
Bake it uncovered after adding the buttery cracker topping, using the preheated 375 degree oven.
Any more cooking tips?
See blog post for more tips and step-by-step photos. See blog post for more tips and step-by-step photos. See blog post for more tips and step-by-step photos.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: saltandlavender.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
