Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1(12-ounce) bag dried egg noodles or other shaped pasta
- 1½cups finely chopped celery (about 4 ribs)
- 1large yellow or white onion, chopped
- 1pound mushrooms (preferably cremini), trimmed and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 2tablespoons drained capers, roughly chopped (optional)
- 2large garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓cup all-purpose flour
- 2cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1cup half-and-half or heavy cream
- ¼cup dry sherry or dry white wine
- 2(5- to 6-ounce) jars or cans tuna packed in olive oil, drained and flaked with a fork
- 1cup frozen or fresh peas
- ¼cup minced fresh parsley, plus more for serving (optional)
- 2cups plain, salted potato chips, crushed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
486 calories; 20 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 746 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9-by-13 or other 3-quart casserole dish with butter.
- Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until just al dente. (Do not overcook.) Drain and set aside.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery and onion, season with salt and cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the capers and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Step 4
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until no streaks of flour remain, about 1 minute, reducing the heat as necessary to keep from scorching. Add the stock, half-and-half, sherry, 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.
- Step 5
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the sauce has thickened slightly, 5 to 7 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the tuna, peas and parsley, if using; season to taste.
- Step 6
Add the cooked noodles and toss well. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle the crushed potato chips on top and bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Garnish with additional parsley, if using, and serve hot.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Melissa P
Comforting, but I found it bland. If I were to make this again I would try to amp up the flavor. You could double the amount of capers (don't bother chopping), mix in a cup or more of shredded parm, add dijon mustard to the béchamel sauce, put a layer of sharp cheddar on top (under the potato chips), or mix in white anchovies (the kind in vinegar).
Lulu in Minnesota
This was good comfort food! I would add an extra can of tuna. I had no potato chips so I used panko bread crumbs and a little extra salt. A little Parmesan on top also.
lisa
Made exactly as instructed and turned out amazing! A wonderful, slightly fancier riff on a classic. Went back for seconds. Make it now!
Angie
I used many of the recommended additions and it turned out great. Added a tsp of Dijon, doubled the capers without chopping, 2 anchovies in oil, extra can of tuna and 1 cup of freshly grated parm. Then a couple of my own edits: only 8oz of noodles, a can of white beans, dried herbs like thyme & tarragon. Will definitely be making this again.
Chris Minneapolis
I just made this and I think the title should be more like: Not your Mother's Tuna Noodle Casserole. Yes it is delicious. The only change I made is I had about a half cup of leek that I added.
DolceSanDiego
This is not your mama's Campbell soup recipe. So much better and comes together quickly. Slice your mushrooms thick as they shrink a lot when they lose their water. I followed several other's recommendations and added a 3rd can of tuna. Good advice. DO NOT overcook your egg noodles/pasta. They will get mushy and then you WILL have your mama's casserole. I just couldn't pull myself together to put crunched potato chips on top. So in a pan I toasted breadcrumbs in a few pats of butter until golden
Anna
Accidentally added a whole bag of pasta instead of 3/4. Still was very yummy but definitely would have been creamier w less pasta. Also! Very cream heavy, could cut cream in half and sub with more broth.
Montessahall
My family love Tuna Noodle Casserole so I am always on the lookout for different recipes. This recipe was delicious! The only suggestion I have for easier preparation is; I never cook the noodles before adding them to the sauce. Boiling the noodles and then adding them to the sauce and baking them makes a mushy casserole. I stir the uncooked noodles to the sauce, maybe adding a bit more liquid. I bake the casserole according to the recipe with great results.
Holly
Word of advice: make the recipe as written before trying the suggested variations. I made this for the first time and included some of the changes in the readers notes. The final result was a little odd and I’m guessing was not what the author intended.
Kat
Make additional 3 cups or more of sauce. Add bay leaf, smoked paprika and basil, as well as 1.5 times the capers and 1.5 Tbsp Dijon mustard. Flake the tuna, or use flaked smoked salmon. Use soft buttered bread crumbs for the topping.
Carla
This was absolutely delicious! I substituted the onion for half a red onion and 2 shallots, because that was what I had in my pantry. I also used whole milk instead of heavy cream and omitted the mushrooms. Following the other commenters' advice, I added cheese (Gruyere) to boost the flavor. One of my favorite NYT Cooking recipes!
Deborah Snyder
This was a very tasty casserole. I made the following changes: I halved the recipe since I cook for one, I used whole milk instead of half-n-half, I added part of a red bell pepper to the sautéed vegetables. Also, I know most people won’t agree, but I could have done without the potato chips. I am a fan, but not on this. Overall, very delicious!
JohnA
I think there might be a misprint, after making this I agreed with the posts suggesting adding an extra can of tuna. So before making this a second time I checked out a few other recipes and noticed a pattern of using 2 *12 ounce* cans of tuna, rather than the 2 6 ounce cans specified in the recipe. So I did the 2 12oz cans and it was great! Maybe a misprint not sure, but to anyone trying this in the future, I would suggest upping the tuna in this one. Otherwise an awesome recipe.
malahat
Bland! Bland! Bland! Definitely use the capers — double them, probably. Some dried or fresh sage, thyme or oregano, added to the vegetables as they sauté, also will help. The potato chips (I used Kettle brand) actually emerged less than crispy from the oven. I would garnish the casserole with the chips after it’s done baking , or just save the chips for a snack in front of the teevee.
robert
Added sliced Kalamata olives for some punch. Also, doubled the capers and added sharp Cheddar. Tasted great!
John R
Great recipe. Simple prep resulting in a delicious meal that transports one’s tastebuds to another era. I use the NYT Cooking app weekly or more for its diverse recipes and it consistently delivers. Thank you NYT cooking staff!
Anne
This recipe is way too time-consuming. Instead, just cook the noodles. Combine one large can of tuna in water, half a bag of frozen peas, one can of sliced mushrooms (no liquid), and one can of cream of CELERY soup. Add noodles to the mix, top with crushed potato chips, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Easy peasy.
Leah C
Delicious!! I followed others' advice and used three cans of tuna and 4 Tbs whole capers. When seasoning in step 5, I added a generous sprinkle of thyme and a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes. We didn't have any potato chips on hand (and didn't find the thought of them appealing), so to achieve the same hit of salt, we topped each plated portion with grated parmesan. Will absolutely make this again.
BrianT
I agree with others that it’s bland. I’d replace the potato chips with cheddar cheese, perhaps with Panko, or Parmesan cheese.
Pat B
I agree with Melissa and would add something to liven it up. More capers was a first thought.
Nash Wednesday
Really good as written, though you absolutely MUST do another round of chips after the oven (some red hot was good too). Could have definitely stood up to another can of tuna.
Viktoria
Made this recipe as directed and wish I had followed my instinct to mix in a cup of grated Parmesan before baking, just as some suggested in the notes I hadn’t read beforehand. I also would have used heavy cream instead of half-and-half, more capers, and thrown in some shiitake along with the crimini. Our immediate fix for this fairly bland meal was to vigorously shake Kraft Parmesan (guilty as charged) and more black pepper on top. Frizzled shallots would make a nice accompaniment.
Michele
This is delicious! I used Terra Chips instead of potato chips. Very colorful! Also upped the quantity tuna and peas. So good!
Andi R
A panful of comfort! This definitely makes me think of my mom who's been gone for 5 years. I did riff a little after reading the comments. Added more capers, some Dijon mustard to the sauce, doubled the sherry and used a bag of frozen peas, carrots, and corn. I put crunchy onions from the Indian market instead of potato chips on top and used up a bag of shredded cheese from the freezer on top of the onions. This evokes such wonderful memories and is so delicious. Thanks as always!
Adrienne
Used dill in lieu of parsley plus a squeeze of lemon - took this recipe from 4 to 5 stars
Leia
Delicious. Instead of the potato chip topping I used the buttery cracker topping from Sarah DiGregorio’s Baked Cod recipe, and I loved it. It would probably be good with just the crackers as a topping too. I also did not cook the noodles before mixing and they turned out perfect. Seasoned with salt and pepper throughout, added a bit of garlic and onion powder too because why not? Couldn’t find cremini mushrooms so used baby bella. Will definitely make again!
Priscilla in Austin
My favorite way to liven up tuna noodle casserole is add a couple of splashes of vinegar to each serving. Since this recipe called for Sherry, I used Sherry vinegar.
Jessica
This was the best tuna casserole I’ve ever eaten, following most of Angie’s recommendations below. We doubled the capers and tuna, left the capers whole, added 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 c. parmesean, and added fresh herbs - thyme and bay leaves. We also doubled the anchovies and for an added touch, laid a few anchovy filets below the potato chips and a few on top (we love anchovies!) It was absolutely delicious!
Kim K
Can this dish be frozen and taken to a dinner?
Alex
I agree with the others- this recipe needs more tuna in it. I’d add another can (probably two cans) to this. Also, I added some soy sauce before baking so that it had a little more umph.
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