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This Tuna Noodle Casserole is made-from-scratch (no canned soup!), it has buttery Light ‘n Fluffy® Extra Wide Egg Noodles, fresh vegetables like onions, garlic, celery, and peas and seasoned with dill, lemon, fresh Italian parsley salt, and pepper. This Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole is the ultimate comfort food!
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Table of contents
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Hi Everyone, are you ready for one of the most classic, American, comforting, and totally made-from-scratch casseroles of all time?
May I present, this Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe!
This means there is no canned soup, there are fresh vegetables like celery, onions, garlic, and peas, there’s protein-rich tuna, and of course, those satisfying Light ‘n Fluffy Extra Wide Egg Noodles.
It’s so creamy because it has a homemade buttery, cream sauce (no canned soup!) that ties all the ingredients together.
Every time I have a serving of this Tuna Noodle Casserole, I can’t help but have another full bowl of it – it is that delicious and yummy!
Something I love about this Tuna Noodle Casserole is the crunch of the diced celery in every bite.
I love putting tons of extra chopped Italian parsley on top and extra Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper for serving.
A Great All-Around Dish
I love that this Tuna Noodle Casserole is a complete family meal in one dish.
All the veggies, protein, and carbohydrates are in one satisfying dish.
This dish is perfect during those cold, winter months when you just want a bowl of warm and comforting food but really it can be enjoyed all year round for holidays, potlucks, picnics, and other gatherings.
What Makes this Tuna Noodle Casserole Different?
- Lemon Juice & Dill: This recipe uses fresh lemon juice and dill which cuts out the fishy taste that tuna might impart.
- No Butter Crackers: I call for Panko bread crumbs (mixed with butter) which add a great texture for the topping – no crushed crackers.
- No Canned Soup: This recipe has the easy step of making an easy, from scratch cream-butter sauce instead of canned soup.
- Creamy Butter Sauce: I call for half and half to make a creamier sauce with unsalted butter and delicious seasonings. Of course, you can substitute the same amount of whole milk or cream in place of the half and half.
- No Cheese (but it’s optional): I do not have any cheese in this recipe but it’s entirely optional. If you want a cheesier casserole, add 1/2 cup shredded cheese (your favorite shredded mix, or I suggest, cheddar, mozzarella, or even Parmesan) and another 1/2 cup on spread evenly on top of the casserole before baking.
This recipe is great for a family because it makes a 9×13″ inch dish.
It heats up well for leftovers.
This is one of those great recipes that you want to have in your back pocket for meal planning, making ahead, or making for a friend who just had a new baby.
About Light ‘n Fluffy Noodles
This Tuna Noodle Casserole uses Light ‘n Fluffy Extra Wide Egg Noodles; we have a stack of packages of these noodles ready to go in our pantry because the kids always love them and they work in so many recipes.
Ingredients for Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Light ‘n Fluffy Extra Wide Egg Noodles (12 oz)
- 1-2 cans of chunk light tuna
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 stalks celery, washed and diced
- 1 medium onion, skins removed, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth *can substitute the same amount chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half *can substitute the same amount milk or cream
- 1/4 cup Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill *or 3/4 teaspoon fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley
Topping
- 1/2 cup Panko crumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter
Additional Toppings
- Italian parsley, chopped, amount to taste for serving
- Kosher salt, amount to taste
- fresh ground black pepper, amount to taste
Helpful Kitchen Tools for Tuna Noodle Casserole
- 9×13′ inch oven-safe baking dish
- large mixing bowl
- wooden spoon for mixing and serving
- measuring spoons and cups
- 2-cup wet measure
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If you make this Tuna Noodle Casserole and like it please give it a rating in the recipe card below, and let us know in the comments at the end of the post, thank you for reading and following along!
Tuna Noodle Casserole
This Tuna Noodle Casserole is made-from-scratch (no canned soup!), it has buttery Light ‘n Fluffy® Extra Wide Egg Noodles (12 oz), fresh vegetables like onions, garlic, celery, and peas and seasoned with dill, lemon, fresh Italian parsley salt, and pepper. This Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole is the ultimate comfort food!
Ingredients
CASSEROLE
- Light ‘n Fluffy® Extra Wide Noodles (12 oz)
- 1-2 cans of chunk light tuna
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 stalks celery, washed and diced
- 1 medium onion, skins removed, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth *can substitute the same amount chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half *can substitute the same amount milk or cream
- 1/4 cup Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill *or 3/4 teaspoon fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley
TOPPING
- 1/2 cup Panko crumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter
ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS
- Italian parsley, chopped, amount to taste for serving
- Kosher salt, amount to taste
- fresh ground black pepper, amount to taste
- *see notes about adding cheese
Instructions
- Make the Noodles: Cook the noodles al dente according to the directions and set aside. Since the noodles will be later cooked again in the oven, I suggest putting them in a colander and running cold water over them to stop them from cooking, set aside.
- Make the Topping: Heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a microwave safe bowl until melted. Add the Panko bread crumb toppings to the butter and use a fork to combine completely. Set aside.
- Cook the Vegetables: In a large skillet on the stove top over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. When it's melted, add the prepared onion, garlic, celery and peas. Saute the vegetable mixture until the onions are translucent (a few minutes). Remove the sauteed vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
- Make the Casserole Filling: Over low-medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and melt completely. Add the all-purpose flour, using a whisk, stir and cook (for about 30 seconds) stirring constantly, adjust the heat so that it does not burn, if needed. Gradually, add in the milk and the vegetable broth, stirring continuously with a whisk until the mixture is smooth, bring the mixture to a low simmer. Add the dill, lemon juice and chopped parsley (and optional cheese at this point, see notes, if using cheese). Add Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked noodles, tuna, the sauce and the vegetables, stir to combine evenly.
- Pour the mixture into a 9x13 inch casserole dish. (if using cheese you can add the remaining at this time). Add the prepared Panko-butter mixture evenly to the top. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.
- For Serving: Add additional fresh chopped parsley, salt and pepper, amount to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- No Cheese (but it’s optional): I do not have any cheese in this recipe but it’s entirely optional. If you want a cheesier casserole, add 1/2 cup shredded cheese (your favorite shredded mix, or I suggest, cheddar, mozzarella or even Parmesan) and another 1/2 cup on spread evenly on top of the casserole before baking.
- Did you make this recipe? Tag @lifeslittlesweets and hashtag it #lifeslittlesweets
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 2790mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 12g
Please note that the Calculated Nutrition is an estimate at best.
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None of the (three) ingredient lists include tuna.
Hi Sandra, thanks for catching that, I have updated the ingredients lists!
Very nice recipe which I’m going to try. Is there a way to view & print-out this recipe without all the photos? They’re lovely photos, but I want to save only the recipe w/the instructions. I don’t need the photos. Thanks.
Thank you for visiting the blog! Many people ask for and want to see photos of recipes, so that’s why I include them for those who want them. I include a “jump to recipe” button at the top of every recipe post to make it easy for you to bypass the photos and go right to the printable recipe card. Thank you.