Go Back
Homemade Tuna Noodle Casserole
Print

Homemade Tuna Noodle Casserole

Homemade Southern tuna noodle casserole with a creamy sauce, no canned soup. An easy, classic comfort food recipe.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword easy-tuna-noodle-casserole, southern-tuna-casserole, tuna casserole, tuna-noodle-casserole
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Stand time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 servings
Calories 651kcal

Ingredients

  • 12 oz wide egg noodles cooked al dente
  • 6 Tbsp salted or unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 rib celery diced
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp lemon pepper or black pepper
  • 1 tsp seafood seasoning i.e. Old Bay or your favorite
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 4 cups whole milk or half and half
  • 3 cups shredded sharp white or regular cheddar cheese, Swiss or Gruyere divided
  • 3 6 oz cans white albacore tuna drained
  • 1-2 cups frozen petite peas adjust amount to your taste
  • 1 cup french fried onions crushed
  • fresh chopped chives or parsley for garnishing `optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13x9- inch baking dish with cooking spray or grease baking dish with butter. Set aside.
  • Boil noodles per the package directions in salted water until al dente. Drain well.
  • Meanwhile, in a deep large saucepan, cook together butter, celery and onion for 2 minutes over medium until softened. Add flour, stirring until absorbed to make a roux. Simmer 1 minute.
  • To the roux add salt, lemon pepper, seafood seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix well.
  • Increase heat to medium-high and gradually mix in milk. Stir until fully combined, bring to a boil. Immediately lower heat and allow to gently bubble for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, mix in 2 cups cheese until melted.
  • To the pot add cooked noodles, tuna and peas. Mix well, and pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and fried onions.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
  • Serve immediately garnished with fresh chives or parsley, if desired.

Notes

  • Pasta - I use wide egg noodles, not extra wide noodles or medium egg noodles in this dish. The sauce is designed to work with this and not a larger pasta. You could also adapt using medium shells or classic elbow macaroni in a pinch.
  • Cheese Options - You can use white cheddar cheese, medium cheddar cheese, Gruyere cheese or Swiss cheese in this dish. In a pinch, monterey jack makes a deliciously mild cheese sauce or use spicy pepper jack cheese for a little heat. 
  • Peas - Depending on your family's taste one cup of peas may be ample. If they love peas, you could increase the amount to two cups.
  • Vegetables - Steamed broccoli florets, green beans and sliced mushrooms would also work well in this dish.
  • Seafood Spice - Adding seafood seasoning gives this dish a little something extra in flavor. I use Old Bay and Seafood Magic, but there are a plethora of seafood seasoning combinations available. Use a blend that you enjoy and you'll be good to go.
  • Fresh Garlic Cloves - 2-3 cloves of minced fresh garlic may be simmered with the onion and celery in place of granulated garlic, if desired.
  • Lemon Pepper - If you don't have lemon pepper, you can use the same amount of black pepper and add a splash of fresh lemon juice.
  • Topping Options - You can also use buttered breadcrumbs, Ritz crackers, panko bread crumbs or simply use Parmesan cheese. I've even topped this Southern tuna noodle casserole with crushed potato chips from time to time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 651kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 689mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1125IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 670mg | Iron: 2mg