Sweet Little Bluebird

Sharing a Little Happiness

The Best Old Fashioned Tuna Noodle Casserole

by · 101 Comments · Disclosure/Disclaimer · Privacy Policy

Today I am sharing an old school classic and family favorite – Old Fashioned Tuna Noodle Casserole! Comfort food at its best!

OLD FASHIONED TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE (RAVE REVIEWS) 

Egg noddles in a delicious creamy mushroom soup sauce tossed with tuna, sauteed onions, peas and cheddar cheese, topped with crushed potato chips then baked to perfection…just like grandma used make. Old school comfort food at its best. 

Read rave reviews from people who tried this recipe on Pinterest! This is the BEST tuna casserole recipe!

MORE RAVE REVIEWS

If you were a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, there’s a good chance this casserole was served often at the dinner table – it was a staple in our home. This recipe was passed down from my grandma and has changed a smidgen over the years but still remains a classic.  



Old school comfort food at its best! Simple to make, so good. 



What You Need To Make Tuna Casserole

Egg noodles, cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, solid white albacore tuna, yellow onion, butter, peas, cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and potato chips.  

 

HOW TO MAKE TUNA CASSEROLE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Prepare egg noodles, making sure to slightly under cook them by 2 minutes so they are slightly firm. Drain well. 

 

In a skillet over medium to medium-high heat melt butter and add onions. Cook until onions are tender and translucent. 

 

In a large bowl add cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, and the cooked onions and butter from skillet. Mix well. Next, add tuna, peas, cheddar cheese and mix well. Last, add prepared egg noodles, gently folding into soup/tuna mixture until well blended. Pour mixture into casserole dish. Top evenly with potato chips.

Place casserole on middle rack of oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes uncovered, until casserole is completely heated through. Enjoy!

Pinnable Image

Best Tuna Casserole Recipe

Old Fashioned Tuna Noodle Casserole

  • 12 ounces wide egg noodles (not extra wide), slightly under cooked with a little firmness *under cook about 2 minutes less than according to package 
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 12 ounce can solid white albacore tuna in water, drained well
  • 2 cans (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup – OR make homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise (like Hellmann’s – not Miracle Whip) 
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup peas 
  • 1 cup crushed potato chips 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Prepare egg noodles, making sure to slightly under cook them by 2 minutes so they are slightly firm. Drain well. 

 

In a skillet over medium to medium-high heat melt butter and add onions. Cook until onions are tender and translucent. 

 

In a large bowl add cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, and the cooked onions and butter from skillet. Mix well. Next, add tuna, peas, cheddar cheese and mix well. Last, add prepared egg noodles, gently folding into soup/tuna mixture until well blended. Pour mixture into casserole dish. Top evenly with crushed potato chips.

 

Place casserole on middle rack of oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes uncovered, until casserole is completely heated through. Enjoy! 



Tips 
There are many variations for tuna casserole  – you can easily adapt this recipe to your liking:

  • I love tuna casserole served with a wedge of lemon to squeeze on top 
  • omit onion and peas if you do not care for them
  • add some sauteed celery if you like
  • instead of potato chips, top with bread crumbs, French fried onions or top with extra cheddar cheese if you want it super cheesy 
  • use cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom or mix in a can of cream of celery with cream of mushroom or cream of chicken
  • jazz it up with spices
  • not a fan of tuna…substitute with chicken

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Cheers!

More great recipes

Subscribe

for your weekly recipe fix.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Gob_Slob

    Honestly. I have to give you huge props. I’ve been using online recipes and this format you have created is amazing. Step by step pictures were awesome. Kind of like lego instructions…. add whats missing, BOOM. And then at the end you have alternative hints/tips. These will help people branch out and become creative with recipes. Huge high five. And I haven’t even started to make it. Lol

    Reply

  3. AmA

    I used to make this in the 50’s and 60’s when Catholics were not allowed to eat meat on Friday’s. Family loved it and it was inexpensive

    Reply

  4. Barbara Cunningham

    It’s not often that I’m looking for good casserole recipes; however, your post of The Best Tuna Casserole sounded good. However, I soon realized that I only had one of cream of mushroom soup. That’s when a wee bit of creativity was needed. To replace the one can I was missing, I substituted Hell of a Good French Onion dip and a bit of soup cream. Great modification, to which I added a little celery salt. The end result is now one of my Go-To easy weeknight dinners!

    Reply

  7. Terryn0522

    I made The Old Fashioned Noodle Casserole. It was very good. I added 1 tsp of oregano and about 1/2 tsp of onion powder. I also used penne pasta instead of egg noodles. I liked that it was very creamy. I also topped it with French fried onion rings. I will definitely make this again

    Reply

Subscribe

Get the Sweet Little Bluebird Newsletter!