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    Home / Recipes / Casseroles

    Cheesy Tuna Casserole

    Jump to Recipe
    easy cheesy tuna casserole with peas and carrots.
    cheesy tuna noodle casserole.
    easy cheesy tuna casserole.
    cheesy tuna casserole.
    Easy cheesy tuna casserole.

    Cheesy Tuna Casserole is yummy family fare. The casserole is easy, affordable, kid-friendly, and goes from pantry to table in under 30 minutes. Using an oven-safe skillet makes even less clean-up for this creamy, cheesy tuna casserole. No separate bowls or casserole dishes to wash. It's easy comfort food!

    Jump to:
    • Video
    • Time needed
    • Ingredients needed for Cheesy Tuna Casserole
    • How to make Cheesy Tuna Casserole
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Common questions about Tuna Casserole
    • More quick & easy recipes you might like
    • 📖 Recipe

    Video

    Time needed

    If you mix all the other ingredients while the egg noodles are cooking, you can have this tuna noodle casserole in the oven in under 10 minutes. Cheesy Tuna Casserole needs to bake for about 20 minutes, so it goes from pantry to table in under 30 minutes.

    Ingredients needed for Cheesy Tuna Casserole

    overhead view of ingredients for cheesy tuna casserole.
    • frozen peas and carrots
    • vegetable oil
    • celery
    • small onion
    • dry medium egg noodles
    • condensed cream of chicken soup
    • condensed cheddar cheese soup
    • canned tuna
    • shredded cheddar cheese
    • garlic salt
    • black pepper

    See recipe card for quantities.

    How to make Cheesy Tuna Casserole

    composit image: left side is sautéing chopped onion and diced celery in a skillet; right side is after adding cream of chicken soup, cheese soup, tuna, peas and carrots, and salt and pepper.

    Start cooking the egg noodles as directed to attain an al dente texture.

    While the noodles are cooking, finely dice the celery and onion.

    In a large oven-proof skillet, sauté the celery and onion in the vegetable oil until tender but not brown.

    Remove from heat and add the soups, tuna, peas & carrots, garlic salt, and pepper to the celery and onions. Gently mix well.

    composite photo: left side is noodles and sauce mixed in an oven-proof skillet; right side is same skillet after topping with shredded cheddar cheese.

    Gently fold in the cooked and drained egg noodles into the sauce mixture and sprinkle the top with shredded cheddar cheese.

    baked cheesy noodle casserole in a skillet.

    Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes or until heated through.

    Variations

    Meat. The tuna can be swapped out with chicken if you have picky eaters, or for a vegetarian option, increase the amount of veggies and omit the tuna.

    Vegetables. Mixed vegetables can be used in place of peas and carrots.

    Noodles. Swap out your favorite cooked pasta for the egg noodles: spiral pasta works well, or use seasonal shaped pasta (pumpkins, snowmen, leaves, etc.) when available.

    Sauce. Switch up the soup used in the sauce if you like. Cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup can be used in place of cream of chicken soup.

    Equipment

    Be sure to use an oven-proof skillet that can go from sautéing to baking without dirtying up a second pan. I really like Calphalon or Cuisinart oven-proof skillets (affiliate links) for this; they are non-stick and come with a lid, making them versatile enough for all kinds of uses.

    Storage

    Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days. I have never frozen Cheesy Tuna Casserole, but when freezing pasta dishes a best practice is to undercook the pasta and freeze before baking. To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bake for 20 minutes at 350ºF. Eat within 3 months for best texture.

    To freeze, print label and attach between layer of freezer wrap.

     

    Cheesy Tuna Casserole        Date____________________

    Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake uncovered at 350ºF for 20 minutes or until heated through.

     

    Common questions about Tuna Casserole

    How do I keep tuna noodle casserole from getting dry?

    The longer that noodles sit in sauce, the more they absorb the sauce and the casserole becomes dry. Try not to make the casserole too far ahead. If you need to prep ahead, try combining the sauce ingredients and storing separately from the cooked noodles until just ready to bake. If the sauce seems too dry, you can add chicken broth or water a little at a time to attain the consistency you want.

    Is tuna casserole good the next day?

    Absolutely! In fact, we really like the way the noodles crisp up when heating it a second time. You can reheat leftover cheesy tuna casserole in the microwave or a 350ºF oven.

    What kind of tuna should I use?

    I like to choose my seafood based on sustainable practices, and pole and line caught albacore limits by-catch as well as being a species of tuna that is not overfished. I usually purchase Wild Planet Albacore, but you can use your favorite canned tuna.

    Can tuna casserole be frozen?

    Cheesy Tuna Casserole can be frozen. See our "Storage" section above for best practices when freezing pasta dishes.

    spoonful of cheesy tuna casserole.

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    • Frozen Burrito Casserole.
      Easy Frozen Burrito Casserole
    • Beef slices with broccoli in a soy-based sauce served over white rice on a white plate with chopsticks to the side
      Easy Beef and Broccoli using Leftover Steak
    • Creamy Balsamic Meatballs
      Creamy Balsamic Meatballs
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      Chicken Enchilada Soup (15 Minute Meal)

    📖 Recipe

    Cheesy Tuna Casserole

    Cheesy Tuna Casserole is easy, yummy family fare that goes from pantry to table in under 30 minutes. It's easy comfort food that is affordable and kid-friendly!
    4.45 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 726

    Equipment

    Oven-safe cuisinart skillet.
    Oven-Safe Cuisinart Skillet

    Ingredients
      

    • 10 ounces water-packed tuna, drained & broken up
    • 1 small onion
    • 1 stalk celery
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 12 ounces frozen peas & carrots, thawed & drained
    • 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup
    • 10.5 ounces condensed cheddar cheese soup
    • 12 ounces dry medium egg noodles
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
    • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350ºF.
    • Cook noodles as directed to an al dente texture.
      12 ounces dry medium egg noodles
    • While noodles are cooking, finely dice the celery and onion.
      1 small onion, 1 stalk celery
    • In a large oven-proof skillet, sauté the celery and onion in the vegetable oil until tender but not brown.
      1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • Remove from heat and add the soups, tuna, peas and carrots, garlic salt, and pepper to the celery and onions and mix well.
      10 ounces water-packed tuna, 12 ounces frozen peas & carrots, 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup, 10.5 ounces condensed cheddar cheese soup, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • Gently fold in cooked and drained noodles.
    • Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
      1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
    • Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

    Notes

    If your family doesn't care for tuna, you can substitute cooked chicken (either canned or from your freezer stock) for this dish, or you can add more vegetables and omit the meat altogether.

    Nutrition per serving

    Calories: 726 calCarbohydrates: 87 gProtein: 38 gFat: 25 gSodium: 1900 mgFiber: 7 gSugar: 4 gNet Carbohydrates: 80 g
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    Cheesy Tuna Casserole
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    Posted by Mary Ann on April 9, 2019; Updated on December 1, 2022Filed Under: Casseroles, Oven Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Quick & Easy Recipes, Seafood Recipes, Vegetarian (or Vegetarian Option) Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cata

      March 04, 2021 at 8:45 pm

      Delicious, nice, and easy!! Used with food I already ahd in cupboard. Missed onions because out, but still delicious! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Mary Ann

        March 05, 2021 at 11:48 am

        I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for commenting.

        Reply

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