This easy Classic Tuna Casserole is creamy and cheesy with a crispy panko breadcrumb topping, and it’s made without canned soup. It’s a perfect comfort food dinner for any night of the week!
There’s a reason that an old-fashioned tuna noodle casserole has been a dinnertime staple for so long. It’s filling, comforting, inexpensive, easy to make, and absolutely delicious!
So many of us, including me, grew up on tuna casserole. My mom made it a lot, and we all loved it and got so excited when it was on the menu (even me, who was most definitely not a fish fan back then…but I did love canned tuna).
She even snuck some veggies in there…usually peas and sometimes broccoli, and our plates were always clean.
It’s an easy, budget-friendly dinner that gets you in and out of the kitchen quickly and makes everybody happy. And since it’s made with basic kitchen staple ingredients, it’s one of those recipes that you can always turn to when you don’t know what to cook.
And now that the weather is getting chillier, I am craving warm and cozy dishes just like this one!
My version of tuna casserole is very similar to my mom’s, except I skip the canned cream of mushroom soup, and I make a quick and simple béchamel sauce (fancy French term for white sauce) with cheese instead.
I also add some very finely diced celery and onion for crunch and extra flavor.
So we’ve got pasta, tuna, celery, onions, and sweet green peas tossed in a creamy, sharp-cheddar-cheesy homemade sauce and topped with parmesan cheese and buttery seasoned panko breadcrumbs. Then it’s baked until it’s bubbly and the topping is golden brown and crisp.
What’s not to love? It’s soooo good!
Ingredients you need:
- Medium pasta shells (or egg noodles)
- Canned tuna (I use solid white albacore tuna packed in water)
- Celery
- Onion
- Frozen peas (optional)
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Sharp cheddar cheese (white or yellow)
- Parmesan cheese (shredded or grated)
- Seasoned panko bread crumbs
- Salt and pepper
- Cooking spray
Here’s a look at how to make Classic Tuna Casserole (No Canned Soup!):
Note: This is just a quick overview of the steps. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe with detailed instructions.
Tips & Tidbits:
- I like using medium pasta shells in this casserole (tuna–>seafood–>seashells), but wide egg noodles also work very well, and I often use them if I don’t have any shells.
- For this recipe, I use solid white albacore tuna packed in water. To me, it is sturdier than chunk light tuna. I can flake it into the size pieces I want, and it holds its shape better rather than breaking up too much. However, you can use whatever tuna you like best or have on hand.
- Since we’re putting in the celery and onions raw, be sure to dice them very finely so they will soften up just a bit as the casserole bakes. I love the flavor and texture they add!
- Of course, you can always sauté them in a little butter or oil first if you’d rather (but I highly suggest giving adding them raw a try…it’s really yummy and reminiscent of tuna salad!).
- The peas are optional. You can leave them out if you’d rather do a veggie on the side. Or you can replace them with another vegetable, such as broccoli or green beans (I suggest chopping them into small pieces so they get nicely distributed throughout the casserole).
- If using frozen vegetables, make sure they are thawed or cooked before adding to the casserole.
- If you don’t have any panko breadcrumbs, you can use regular bread crumbs, crushed crackers, crushed cornflakes, or even crushed potato chips on top.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 325°F oven, covered, until heated through, removing the foil during the last several minutes to crisp up the breadcrumbs. I also add a tablespoon or two of water to the dish to help keep the casserole from drying out while it reheats).
- You can also reheat it in the microwave.
If you’ve never made a tuna casserole from scratch without canned soup, you’ve got to try it just once. I’m willing to bet you’ll want to make it this way from now on!
I hope you try this classic tuna noodle casserole recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
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Classic Tuna Casserole (No Canned Soup!)
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 8 ounces medium pasta shells
- 2 (5 oz each) cans solid white albacore tuna in water, drained and flaked (or use your favorite canned tuna)
- ½ cup very finely diced celery
- ½ cup very finely diced onion
- 1 cup thawed frozen peas, optional
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, white or yellow
- ¼ cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Spray an 8x8x2-inch (or any 2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter; set aside.
- Boil the pasta shells in salted water according to the package directions for al dente; drain.
- Place the drained pasta shells in a large bowl. Add the tuna, celery, onion, peas, and lightly season with salt and pepper. Gently mix until well-combined, being careful not to break up the tuna too much.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine until smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for one minute.
- While whisking constantly, slowly add the milk, and whisk until smooth. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, whisking frequently, then immediately reduce the heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened slightly (it won't be super thick), just about a minute or two.
- Turn off the heat and add the shredded cheddar cheese; whisk until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the sauce to the pasta mixture and gently toss to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top evenly with the parmesan cheese.
- Combine the melted butter with the panko breadcrumbs and sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly and the top is golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately.
Notes
- 8 ounces of wide egg noodles can be used in place of the pasta shells.
- Peas are optional; you can leave them out if you prefer to serve a vegetable on the side. Or you can replace them with another veggie like broccoli or green beans (I suggest chopping them into small pieces so they get nicely distributed throughout the casserole).
- If using frozen vegetables, make sure they are thawed or cooked before adding to the casserole.
- If you don’t have any panko breadcrumbs, you can use regular bread crumbs, crushed crackers, crushed cornflakes, or even crushed potato chips on top.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 325°F oven, covered, until heated through, removing the foil during the last several minutes to crisp up the breadcrumbs. I also add a tablespoon or two of water to the dish to help keep the casserole from drying out while it reheats).
- You can also reheat it in the microwave.
Emily
Can I use oil instead of butter?
Michelle
Hi, Emily! Yes, you can use oil instead of butter.