Tuna noodle casserole
The creamy, cheesy classic with a buttery cracker crust, made from pantry staples and happy to wait in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
- 50 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 6
- About $2.03 a serving
- 620 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 12 oz egg noodles
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup milk
- 3 cans canned tuna, drained and flaked
- 1½ cups frozen peas
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar, divided
- 24 butter crackers, crushed (about 1 cup)
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 620 calories, 33 g protein, 63 g carbs and 26 g fat, and costs about $2.03 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No egg noodles? Fettuccine or penne works.
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
- No canned tuna? Canned salmon works.
- No frozen peas? Frozen mixed vegetables work.
- No shredded cheddar? Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No butter? Ghee works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 375°F and rub a 9x13-inch baking dish with a little oil.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Bring a large pot of water with the salt. Cook the noodles 2 minutes less than the package says, then .
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
High heatTimer: 6 min
Dolly’s tip: They finish softening in the oven, so pulling them early keeps them from going mushy.the soup, milk, onion powder and pepper together in a large bowl until smooth.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Add the noodles, tuna, frozen peas and 1 cup of the cheddar, and until everything is coated.
Fold. Folding means mixing gently by scooping from the bottom and turning it over the top, instead of stirring hard. It keeps light mixtures airy and soft things like berries or herbs in one piece.
How you’ll know: You use slow, wide strokes and stop as soon as there are no streaks left.
Dolly’s tip: Fold gently so the tuna stays in nice flakes.Spread it in the baking dish and scatter the rest of the cheddar over the top.
the crushed crackers with the butter and sprinkle them evenly over the cheese.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
for 20 to 25 minutes, until it bubbles at the edges and the crumbs are .
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 22 min
Dolly’s tip: To make it ahead, cover and chill it before the crumbs go on. Add them just before baking and give it 10 extra minutes.Food safety: Rotisserie chicken, deli meat, canned tuna and cooked shrimp are already cooked. Keep them cold until you use them, and heat them until steaming hot if the recipe warms them.
Let it sit for 5 minutes so the sauce settles, then scoop and serve.
Timer: 5 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
