The BEST Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe (Made In Just 30 Minutes)

This tuna noodle casserole recipe is anything but your average tuna casserole. It combines canned tuna with perfectly cooked egg noodles, a creamy sauce, and buttery, crunchy breadcrumbs to create a meal that's to die for. Best of all though, is that this tuna noodle casserole takes just 5 minutes to prepare!

The Best Tuna Noodle Casserole

Of all the tuna recipes out there, this tuna noodle casserole is by far the most delicious, rich, and satisfying recipe you'll find.

It's just so simple, and yet the results are so, so good. I mean, it's got tons of meaty canned tuna yumminess, a creamy, flavorful sauce, sweet peas, tender egg noodles, and a buttery Ritz crackers topping. What's not to love about that?

Plus, as I already mentioned, this tuna noodle casserole recipe is a breeze to make too. All of the components in this casserole come together in just one bowl, then everything gets transferred to a casserole dish and baked in the oven. Honestly, you barely have to lift a finger to prepare this casserole, and it's ready and on the table in just over 30 minutes!

Now, of course, every great main dish needs an equally delicious side dish to go with it. So, if you're looking for something to pair with this tuna noodle casserole you really can't go wrong making these green beans, this cornbread, or these honey glazed carrots.

Ingredients

As I mentioned earlier, this tuna noodle casserole comes together with just a few simple ingredients. In fact, I'm willing to bet you have most - if not all - of the ingredients you'll need to make it in your kitchen already!

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make this tuna noodle casserole:

• 1 cup cream of celery soup
• 1 cup cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 10 oz. can tuna in water, drained
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 5 cups cooked egg noodles
• 1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
• 3 tbsp melted butter

Pretty simple stuff, eh?

By the way, if you want to put some of your extra Ritz crackers to good use, you can make this million dollar chicken casserole or this pineapple casserole with 'em next!

And if you want extra canned tuna, you can use it to make this quick and easy tuna and rice recipe.

Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

Now, I always make this tuna noodle casserole with the ingredients listed above - because I think it turns out best that way - but you can easily put your own spin on it to make it your own.

For instance, this recipe is obviously made with canned tuna- and I usually use chunk light tuna - but you can use any kind of tuna that you want.

As for the creamy filling, I love the combination of cream of celery soup and cream of chicken soup, but you can use any creamy canned soup mix you want. I've even used cream of mushroom soup in the past, and the casserole turned out perfect.

Now, when it comes to adding extra ingredients to this tuna noodle casserole, I will occasionally add some cheddar cheese on top before baking it, and sometimes I like to stir in a little garlic powder to my soup mixture.

Oh, by the way, if you don't have cracker crumbs, you can just use some crushed up potato chips or even french fried onions instead.

How To Make Tuna Noodle Casserole

Not to sound like a broken record, but making this tuna noodle casserole really is super, super simple to make.

Basically, you just combine all of your ingredients - except for the crushed Ritz crackers - in a bowl, mix and combine them, transfer 'em to your casserole dish and bake 'em with the cracker crumb topping.

Yup, it's really that simple!

Anyway, I know you're getting hungry, so let's stop wasting time and get cooking!

Step 1: Make The Cream Sauce

First things first, begin by preheating the oven to 350°F (180°C) and greasing a 9-inch pan with cooking spray.

Then, grab a large bowl and mix the cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper together until it's fully combined. 

Step 2: Assemble The Casserole

Once the casserole filling is mixed and seasoned to your liking, you can add the tuna and thawed frozen peas to the bowl and give the mixture a stir until the tuna and peas are fully incorporated.

Then, add the cooked egg noodles to the bowl and mix everything to coat the noodles in the filling. By the way, you can use wide egg noodles, thin egg noodles, or even elbow macaroni to make this tuna noodle casserole. I've used all three at different times, and the results were bangin' each time.

Anyway, now you can transfer the mixture to your prepared casserole dish and add the topping.

Step 3: Bake The Casserole

Lastly, before baking the casserole, you'll want to mix the crushed Ritz crackers with the melted butter in a bowl until they're kind of compact.

Then, top the prepared tuna casserole evenly with the buttery crackers and bake it for about 30 minutes. 

Finally, let it cool briefly before serving, then slice, serve, and enjoy!

How To Store Tuna Noodle Casserole

This recipe for tuna noodle casserole makes 6 servings, so it's perfect for a large family dinner. You may even end up with some leftovers to enjoy throughout the week!

Speaking of leftovers, if you end up with some, just transfer them to an airtight container - or put a lid on the baking dish - and you can store the tuna casserole in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

Alternatively, if you want to keep this casserole for even longer, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. With that said, this casserole freezes best without the cracker topping, so you'll want to wait to add the Ritz crackers until you're ready to heat it up again.

How To Reheat Tuna Noodle Casserole

Once you're ready to enjoy this tasty casserole again, you'll definitely want to reheat it.

To reheat your casserole, I recommend putting your leftovers back in the casserole dish and covering them with foil. Then, just warm it in the oven at 300°F for about 10-15 minutes - or until it's fully warmed through.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make tuna noodle casserole!

I know I'm biased, but I really think this is one of the best easy tuna recipes you can make. From the creamy sauce with tuna and peas to the tender egg noodles and crispy cracker topping, it just doesn't get better than this.

It really makes a great, hearty, and healthy dinner, and my entire family has loved it since the first time I made it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I/we do.

As always, if you give this recipe a try, then be sure to leave a comment below and let us know how it went!

More Casserole Recipes

If you love making casserole recipes, we have a ton on the blog for you to try next!

Here are some of our most popular ones:

• Shrimp casserole
• Eggplant casserole
• Pierogi casserole
• Buffalo chicken casserole
• Pork chop casserole
• Chicken tater tot casserole

Oh, and make sure to check us out on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok! We post new recipes on them every day.

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