American
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Egg noodles, tuna, peas, and a simple cream-of-mushroom style sauce bake under a crumb until the edges bubble. It is the weeknight casserole, written with real amounts.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Tuna and peas are the pantry version of comfort.
- The sauce is milk, butter, and flour, not only a can.
- A crumb on top is the contrast.
- It feeds six.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F. Boil the noodles until just tender. Drain.
- 2
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and simmer until thick, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- 3
Fold in the tuna, peas, and noodles. Spread in a baking dish.
- 4
Scatter the crackers and a few dots of extra butter if you have it.
- 5
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling at the edges.
Pro tips
- Undercook the noodles slightly. They finish in the oven.
- Drain the tuna well or the sauce thins.
- Let it sit 5 minutes so it scoops clean.
Easy substitutions
- Tuna
- Cooked chicken
- Crackers
- Breadcrumbs
- Peas
- Corn
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating
Cover and heat at 325°F until hot, adding a splash of milk if it is dry.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 420
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Budget friendly · Oven
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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