The Best Old Fashioned Tuna Noodle Casserole (2024)

by Mary Neumann · 140 Comments

Today I am sharing an old school classic and family favorite – Old Fashioned Tuna Noodle Casserole! Comfort food at its best!

Egg noddles in a delicious creamy mushroom soup sauce tossed with tuna, sauteed onions, peas and cheddar cheese, topped with crushed potato chips then baked to perfection…just like grandma used make. Old school comfort food at its best.

Read rave reviews from people who tried this recipeonPinterest! This is the BEST tuna casserole recipe!

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If you were a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, there’s a good chance this casserole was served often at the dinner table – it was a staple in our home. This recipe was passed down from my grandma and has changed a smidgen over the years but still remains a classic.

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Old school comfort food at its best! Simple to make, so good.

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What You Need To Make Tuna Casserole

Egg noodles, cream of mushroom soup,mayonnaise, sour cream,milk, solid white albacore tuna, yellow onion, butter, peas, cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and potato chips.

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HOW TO MAKE TUNA CASSEROLE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cookingspray.Prepare egg noodles, making sure to slightly under cook them by 2 minutes so they are slightly firm. Drain well.

In a skillet over medium to medium-high heat melt butter and add onions. Cook until onions are tender and translucent.

In a large bowl add cream of mushroom soup,mayonnaise, sour cream, milk,salt, pepper, and the cooked onions and butter from skillet. Mix well. Next, add tuna, peas, cheddar cheese and mix well. Last, add prepared egg noodles, gently folding into soup/tuna mixture until well blended. Pour mixture into casserole dish. Top evenly with potato chips.

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Placecasseroleon middle rack of oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes uncovered, until casserole iscompletelyheatedthrough. Enjoy!

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Old Fashioned Tuna Noodle Casserole

  • 12 ounces wide egg noodles (not extra wide),slightlyunder cooked with a little firmness *under cook about 2 minutes less than according to package
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 12 ounce can solid white albacore tuna in water, drained well
  • 2 cans (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup – OR make homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/3 cupmayonnaise(like Hellmann’s – not Miracle Whip)
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup peas
  • 1 cup crushed potato chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cookingspray.Prepare egg noodles, making sure to slightly under cook them by 2 minutes so they are slightly firm. Drain well.

In a skillet over medium to medium-high heat melt butter and add onions. Cook until onions are tender and translucent.

In a large bowl add cream of mushroom soup,mayonnaise, sour cream, milk,salt, pepper, and the cooked onions and butter from skillet. Mix well. Next, add tuna, peas, cheddar cheese and mix well. Last, add prepared egg noodles, gently folding into soup/tuna mixture until well blended. Pour mixture into casserole dish. Top evenly with crushed potato chips.

Placecasseroleon middle rack of oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes uncovered, until casserole iscompletelyheatedthrough. Enjoy!



Tips
There are many variations for tuna casserole – you can easily adapt this recipe to your liking:

  • I love tuna casserole served with a wedge of lemon to squeeze on top
  • omit onion and peas if you do not care for them
  • add some sauteedcelery if you like
  • instead of potato chips, top with bread crumbs, French fried onions or top with extra cheddar cheese if you want it super cheesy
  • use cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom or mix in a can of cream of celery with cream of mushroom or cream of chicken
  • jazz it up with spices
  • not a fan of tuna…substitute with chicken

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Cheers!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Diann

    I have made this twice and love it! The first time I thought it was dry and realized this time when I went to make it, I needed two cans of soup. I made it minus the cheese and peas.

    Reply

  2. Anne Davis

    This was a very creamy, flavorful tuna casserole, with use of budget-friendly ingredients. Since there are just my husband and myself, I halved the recipe, and we still have great leftovers for another meal.
    I did add extra seasoning–garlic pepper and Dash seasoning to the soup/sour cream mixture. Like others, I omitted the mayo. We like a little warmth in much of our cooking, so I finely diced a small jalapeno (only adding a few seeds) to incorporate. Since that added a little color, we had the green peas as a side dish. Thanks for sharing a memory-maker.

    Reply

  3. Tony Provencher

    I’ve made this twice before and the family loved it.I add smoked paprika on the top before the topping. The topping I put on is with fried onions with panko bread crumbs mixed together with shredded parmigiana cheese. Now that I said that I’m making it tonight.

    Reply

  4. Krista

    What can I use in place of sour cream? I don’t have any.

    Reply

  5. Jayne

    Delicious and brings back many memories of meals with my family…

    Reply

  6. Jean W.

    I made this leaving off only the potato chips and using only half of the onions. Absolutely delicious!!! Made for my new boyfriend, first meal I’ve cooked for him, and it was a hit!

    Reply

  7. Beth

    I made this casserole exactly according to the recipe. It was absolutely the BEST tuna casserole I have ever tasted. My family loved it also. It was easy to make and delicious. The leftovers was also great. I will make again and again.

    Reply

    • Bonnie J. Kelly

      M

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