This easy Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe is a creamy, delicious 30-minute dinner! Made from scratch on the stove top!
This Easy Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe is a creamy and delicious comfort food dinner. It’s full of flavor with tuna, carrots, scallions, cheddar cheese, noodles, and a surprise pop of sweet from Pimiento.
This recipe is completely from scratch (no canned soup here!) but I can promise you it’s so easy and only takes 30 minutes because it’s a Casserole that you can make entirely on the stove top! When it comes to easy recipes, this one pot meal is at the top.
The other great thing about this recipe is that 6 of the 10 ingredients come from pantry staples and the others can come from your freezer! So, this is a great quick dinner in a pinch. Click here to get more pantry dinner ideas and Pantry Must-Haves for Quick & Easy Dinners!
Why You Should Make this Tuna Casserole
While you may not find a Tuna Casserole on a restaurant menu, it’s a classic American dish. It’s warm, a warm, comforting, and yummy dish to make at home for dinner. Growing up in the midwest, Mom would make a classic Tuna noodle Casserole nearly once a month and I always loved it. As I was going through her old recipes, I came across it and just had to create my own version.
Yes, my Mom used canned soup, sometimes cream of celery soup or cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup and it was yummy! However, in my version, I created the creamy sauce by adding a bit of butter, flour, and chicken broth….and not only does it remind me of my Mom’s Tuna Casserole, but it might even be a little bit better (sorry, Mom!).
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Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
- Wide Egg Noodles, Uncooked – These are the traditional noodle in tuna casserole. You can use Medium thickness if you can’t find Wide. You can also substitute any short cut pasta, like elbow macaroni, or gluten free pasta.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Carrots, diced – You can either peel or leave the skin on. You can also use baby carrots. If all you have is frozen diced carrots, those will work too, but you will only need to cook them for 1-2 minutes.
- Scallions (green onions) – You can substitute finely diced onion, red onion, or Shallots.
- Butter, salted – Butter is the fat that is combined with the flour. You can substitute in unsalted butter, ghee, or olive oil.
- White All Purpose Flour – Flour is the thickener in this recipe.
- Chicken Broth – You can also use chicken stock, fish stock, vegetable broth or stock.
- Half and Half – you can substitute milk. You can also swap the milk with more broth.
- Shredded Cheddar – You can use regular, sharp, or white cheddar. Or you can substitute Monterey Jack cheese, Manchego, or any other shredded melting cheese.
- Canned Tuna, in water – Solid white Albacore tuna in water is ideal, but you can use chunk light tuna as well.
- Diced Pimiento – I love the pimiento for the color and the sweet tangy bite it brings. However, you can leave it out altogether. You can also swap with fresh red pepper, but you will need to add it with the carrots in the recipe instructions.
- OPTIONAL TOPPING: Crushed potato chips – This is a traditional midwest topping you can add. You can also toast crushed Ritz crackers in a pan and sprinkle them on top.
Prep-Ahead Steps for Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe
You are busy, so these are the steps you can do a day or two in advance to prepare food ahead! (See the recipe below for more details)
Peel and Dice Carrots. Slice Scallions. Store both in the same baggie or container in your fridge.
If your cheddar is not already shredded, you can shred it and measure out a ½ cup. Store in fridge.
You can also open and drain the tuna fish and store in a container in the fridge, but this is such a quick step, you may just want to wait until ready to cook to do this.
Cook Your Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe
Ok, get ready for super easy cooking!
Cook the Egg Noodles to al dente, drain and set aside until ready to add to the sauce. You can be cooking the noodles while you are making the sauce.
Preheat a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, diced carrots, and sliced scallions (SAVE SOME OF THE SLICED GREENS FOR GARNISH IF YOU DESIRE). Stir to coat with oil and cook for 4-5 minutes until the carrots start to soften.
Add 2 tablespoons butter and stir to melt, then add the flour and stir again to combine with the butter and coat the carrots and scallions. Cook for a couple minutes while stirring until the Roux starts to get golden brown, but don’t let it burn.
To make the cream sauce, you next add the broth slowly stirring as you add so that the roux mixes smoothly with it. Turn the heat to a simmer.Once the roux and broth are combined and the sauce is starting to thicken (about 3-4 minutes) add the half and half (or milk) and stir to combine.
Next, stir in the shredded cheese to melt, combine, and further thicken the sauce. Last add the Pimiento and then the tuna. Mix to combine.
Mix in the cooked noodles and you are done!
That’s it! ENJOY! 😍 Carrie
Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe FAQs
You can make this Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe up to 5 days in advance stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To warm the casserole, place it in a casserole dish and reheat it covered in a 350 F degree oven for 20-30 minutes until warmed through. You can also warm it in the microwave in a microwave-safe container.
If you do not have tune or do not like it, you can replace it with shredded chicken. Rotisserie chicken works great in this instance. Or simply roast chicken breasts in the oven at 375 F degrees for 20-30 minutes until it reaches 165 F internal temperature. Then shred once it is cooled.
To make this recipe gluten free, you will need to change 2 primary elements. First, you will want to substitute with a gluten free noodle or pasta. Second, you can eliminate the flour and butter and instead use cornstarch. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into ½ cup cold water to dissolve, making a slurry. In cooking step 5, add the slurry right after the broth and whisk it in. As the broth heats up, it will thicken. Be sure to stir frequently to prevent any clumping.
A vegetable side dish would be a great option for a side to this Tuna casserole. Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Avocado Crema are delicious with this. A side salad, such as Herb Parmesan Crisps and Shallot Vinaigrette Salad is a good side too.
Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe {Stove Top}
Ingredients
- 10 oz Wide Egg Noodles, Uncooked You can use Medium thickness if you can’t find Wide
- 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ cup Carrots, diced
- 2 Scallions
- 2 tablespoon Butter, salted (unsalted is fine too
- 3 tablespoon White All Purpose Flour
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- ½ cup Half and Half you can substitute milk
- ¾ cup Shredded Cheddar
- 10 oz Tuna, canned, in water
- 2 tablespoon Diced Pimiento
Optional Topping
- ¾ Cup Crushed potato Chips
Instructions
Prep Ahead for Tuna Casserole
- Peel and Dice Carrots. Slice Scallions. Store both in the same baggie or container in your fridge.
- If your cheddar is not already shredded, shred it and measure out a ½ cup. Store in fridge.
- Open and drain the tuna fish and store in a container in the fridge.
Cook your Tuna Casserole
- Measure out your Chicken Broth, as well as half and half (or milk).
- Make the Egg Noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside until ready to add to the sauce. You can be cooking the noodles while you are making the sauce.
- Preheat a dutch oven or soup pot, add the olive oil, diced carrots, and sliced scallions (SAVE SOME OF THE SLICED GREENS FOR GARNISH IF YOU DESIRE). Stir to coat with oil and cook for 4-5 minutes until the carrots start to soften.
- Add the butter and stir to melt, then add the flour and stir again to combine with the butter and coat the carrots and scallions. Cook for a couple minutes while stirring until the Roux starts to get golden brown, but don’t let it burn.
- Add the broth slowly stirring as you add so that the roux mixes smoothly with it. Turn the heat to a simmer.Once the roux and broth are combined and the sauce is starting to thicken (about 3-4 minutes) add the half and half (or milk) and stir to combine.
- Next, stir in the shredded cheese to melt, combine, and further thicken the sauce.
- Add the Pimiento and then the tuna. Mix to combine.
- Last, mix in the cooked noodles. OPTIONAL: Sprinkle crushed potato chips on top.
Notes
- Make ahead and reheat: You can make this Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe up to 5 days in advance stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To warm the casserole, place it in a casserole dish and reheat it covered in a 350 F degree oven for 20-30 minutes until warmed through. You can also warm it in the microwave in a microwave-safe container.
- Making this with chicken: If you do not have tune or do not like it, you can replace it with shredded chicken. Rotisserie chicken works great in this instance. Or simply roast chicken breasts in the oven at 375 F degrees for 20-30 minutes until it reaches 165 F internal temperature. Then shred once it is cooled.
- Gluten Free Instructions: To make this recipe gluten free, you will need to change 2 primary elements. First, you will want to substitute with a gluten free noodle or pasta. Second, you can eliminate the flour and butter and instead use cornstarch. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into ½ cup cold water to dissolve, making a slurry. In cooking step 5, add the slurry right after the broth and whisk it in. As the broth heats up, it will thicken. Be sure to stir frequently to prevent any clumping.
Linger says
OMGosh! This takes me back to my childhood as well. Our Midwest moms probably made the same dish. What comfort food!!! I do love that you make this from scratch though and not from canned soup. It’s such a super easy dish to throw together but what a flavorful recipe. Thanks so much to taking me back a few years.
Linger says
Awww, this takes me back to my childhood. My mom made tuna casserole probably once a week when I was growing up! Brings back sweet memories. I love this recipe of yours. It looks so creamy and flavorful. It definitely is “comfort” in a pot. Thanks so much for sharing.
ChefMimi says
I’ve started buying canned tuna from italy or Spain, it’s just better. Or tuna belly, which is really good. I can see children enjoying this pasta dish!