Tuna casserole is a nice, budget friendly option for families. I love the taste of tuna and the health benefits of incorporating seafood into our mostly beef and chicken diet makes having this recipe on hand worthwhile. The topping for this tuna casserole can be made with breadcrumbs, crushed Ritz crackers or even potato chips depending on your preference.
If you are a fan of family friendly casseroles, be sure to check out the list below the recipe card!
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Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 oz. egg noodles *see note
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 2 10.5 oz. cream of mushroom soups
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup finely diced onions can be sauteed for a milder flavor
- 4 oz. canned mushroom pieces drained
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 5 oz. canned tuna drained
- salt and pepper to taste *see suggested amount below.
Topping:
- 1 cup breadcrumbs *see notes for cracker or chip topping
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350:
- Cook pasta according to package directions and add frozen peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream of mushroom soups, and milk, then fold in the diced onion, mushroom pieces, cheese and tuna. Drain excess liquid from the pasta and peas, then combine with the remaining ingredients in the mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine melted butter with breadcrumbs and Old Bay seasoning (optional). Pour the casserole mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, then top with breadcrumbs ensuring the pasta is well covered in crumbs.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the topping has browned and the casserole is bubbly. If the topping is browning too quickly, cover the casserole with foil and continue baking until the casserole is heated through. Allow to cool slightly, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Equipment needed for this Creamy Tuna Casserole:
- Pasta pot A pasta pot is a great option for cooking and draining the pasta in this recipe.
- 13 by 9 inch baking dish A 13 by 9 inch baking dish is needed to hold the casserole while it bakes to golden perfection in the oven.
- Mixing bowl A mixing bowl is useful for combining the casserole before it gets baked.
Tasty family friendly casserole recipes:
- Slow cooker hot dog casserole
- Slow cooker chicken and rice casserole
- Rice and beef cracker topped casserole
- Family favorite sweet potato casserole
- Easy chicken broccoli alfredo bake
- Amish chicken and pasta casserole
- Broccoli cheddar chicken and rice casserole
- Slow cooker pizza casserole
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Ingredients for this Creamy Tuna Casserole: milk, cream of mushroom, shredded mozzarella cheese, bread crumbs, diced onions, frozen peas, canned mushroom pieces, Old Bay seasoning, canned tuna, egg noodles, butter, salt and pepper.
Step 1-2: Cook pasta according to package directions and add frozen peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream of mushroom soups, and milk, then fold in the diced onion, mushroom pieces, cheese and tuna. Drain excess liquid from the pasta and peas, then combine with the remaining ingredients in the mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine the breadcrumbs with Old Bay seasoning and butter.
Why add Old Bay seasoning?
Old bay is a great seasoning for seafood and one of my all-time favorite seasonings, so naturally I had to incorporate it into this tuna casserole somehow. It worked beautifully to add the Old Bay seasoning to the topping, but you could also add it to the casserole base or skip it altogether if you prefer.
Tip for added flavor:
You can use chicken broth or seafood stock instead of milk if you prefer a more complex flavor in the casserole. Milk adds a nice, mild base, but I think I would try adding broth next time for more flavor.
Step 2 continued: Â Pour the casserole mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, then top with breadcrumbs ensuring the pasta is well covered in crumbs.
Tips for using potato chips or crackers instead of bread crumbs:
I have not tested this casserole with potato chips, but have baked a casserole with Doritos before and found the chips brown too quickly before the casserole is heated through. Potato chips add a great flavor to casseroles, but I would recommend waiting to add them until the casserole is almost baked through (5-10 minutes before). I have made this creamy tuna casserole with crushed crackers, but found they don’t reach as far as breadcrumbs do, so I ended up using 2 cups of crushed cracker crumbs instead of 1.
Step 3: Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the topping has browned and the casserole is bubbly. If the topping is browning too quickly, cover the casserole with foil and continue baking until the casserole is heated through. Allow to cool slightly, then serve and enjoy!
Storage options for this Creamy Tuna Casserole:
This casserole freezes well and can be frozen in an airtight container (or tightly wrapped) for up to 3 months. You can also keep the casserole refrigerated for 3-5 days before reheating the leftovers.
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