This Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe has a great Parmesan topping and is ready to eat in less than an hour. This small batch recipe is the perfect tuna casserole for two.
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Comfort food at its best with tender noodles, peas, a creamy sauce, an excellent Parmesan topping, and extra tuna. This is a smaller casserole for a smaller household but is easily doubled to full size for larger homes.
This is an easy, old-fashioned tuna casserole like grandma would make with just pantry ingredients. Just follow the step-by-step photo instructions.
Serve with a green salad, hot vegetable, and biscuits like Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Healthy Low-Fat Biscuits.
Check out other old-fashioned comfort food recipes, like Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, Leftover Turkey Tetrazzini, Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole, and Chicken Pot Pie.
The "inspiration" recipe is the classic tuna casserole recipe at the Campbell site. Think of it as the basic recipe America loves. Add in my wife's memory for the buff-up version of the basic recipe, and we have an excellent tuna casserole.
🥣Ingredients
- Tuna—in water, drained
- Pasta—dry pasta or egg noodles
- Vegetables—onion, celery, frozen peas
- Dairy—milk, butter
- Soup—cream of celery or mushroom soup
- Topping—panko bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, butter, salt, pepper
👨‍🍳How to Make this Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Cook pasta al denta.
- Chop and saute celery and onion until clearing.
- Mix pasta, drained tuna, soup, peas, and saute celery and onion.
- Pour into a 9X6 inch baking dish. A double recipe uses a full-size 13X9 casserole dish.
- Mix topping of butter, Parmesan cheese, and Panko bread crumbs. Add topping.
- Bake at 400° until nicely browned—about 30 minutes.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.
This is a summary of the steps and ingredients. See the recipe card or the step-by-step photo instructions below for full instructions.
✔️Tips and Options
Tuna options
- We use chunk light tuna in water. Solid white albacore tuna in water will have a bit less "fishy" taste if you want. I do not recommend oil-packed or generic tuna.
- This recipe uses twice as much tuna as many recipes. Cut in half if you wish.
- You could also use shredded cooked chicken if you wanted.
Other Ingredient options
- Use the pasta you prefer for a casserole, cooked to al dente. Egg noodles are commonly used, but elbow macaroni, penne, or rotini are our favorites.
- Celery, onion, and peas are classic. The celery and the onion need some precooking since the casserole doesn't cook that long.
- Peas are small and can be added frozen, but other frozen vegetables like broccoli florets, green beans, or mixed vegetables should be thawed.
- Mushrooms are a common favorite but should be sauteed with the celery and onion before baking.
Topping options
- We love a Parmesan bread crumb topping. I have accused my wife of using a bigger pan so there could be more topping. I would call the topping a feature of this recipe—it is just so good.
- Alternative toppings are broken-up potato chips, Ritz crackers, Panko bread crumbs, cheddar cheese, or just no topping.
↕️How to make this a smaller recipe or a "family size" recipe
The recipe, as written, makes 4 servings. Perfect for our "for two" household for two meals. A double recipe will make 8 servings. And see my comments on making it even smaller which is 2 servings.
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings from 4 to 8.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- Use a standard-size cake pan or casserole dish. Cooking time will be a bit longer—cook to golden brown.
You can make a half recipe with only 2 servings, if you had a baking dish of the right size with is a surface area of 25-30 square inches—like a 6-inch round or some other odd sizes. Adjust the serving number to 2, and it will cook a bit faster.
🗓️How to make tuna casserole ahead and cook later.
You can make this ahead in an oven-safe pan, wrap well, and store it before baking. Seal tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for 3 months. Be sure to defrost a frozen casserole in the refrigerator before baking.
When ready to cook, remove the casserole from the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking.
âť“FAQs
No, there is no allowance for the fluid that would take, and the timing is wrong.
Generally a bread side like garlic bread, rolls, or biscuits. A side garden salad or your favorite hot vegetables like carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower.
Once cooked, this casserole is good refrigerated in an airtight container for 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°. In boiling water, cook 2 cups pasta to Al Denta per package instructions and drain well. Two cups of dry pasta is half of a 1-pound box.
Chop one rib of celery and ½ medium onion. Saute in 1 teaspoon butter over medium-high heat until they become a bit transparent—about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix drained cooked noodles, the sauteed onion and celery, 1 can cream of celery soup, ½ cup milk, 1 cup frozen peas, salt and pepper to taste (I suggest ½ teaspoon each), and two 5 oz cans tuna drained. Stir gently not to damage the noodles. Pour the mixture into a 9 by 6 baking dish.
Mix ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons melted butter.
Sprinkle the topping over the casserole.
Bake until nicely browned. About 30 minutes. Remove and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
đź“– Recipe
Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole—Small Batch
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry pasta or egg noodles
- ½ onion - medium chopped
- 1 rib celery - chopped
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 2 cans tuna in water - drained
- 1 can cream of celery or mushroom soup - 10 oz can
- ½ cups milk
- 1 cup frozen peas
Topping
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- ÂĽ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter - melted
- salt and pepper to taste - about ½ teaspoon each for me
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In boiling water, cook 2 cups pasta to Al Denta per package instructions and drain well. Two cups of dry pasta is half of a 1-pound box.
- Chop one rib of celery and ½ medium onion. Saute in 1 teaspoon butter over medium-high heat until they become a bit transparent—about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix drained cooked noodles, the sauteed onion and celery, 1 can cream of celery soup,  ½ cup milk, 1 cup frozen peas, salt and pepper to taste (I suggest ½ teaspoon each), and two 5 oz cans tuna drained. Stir gently not to damage the noodles. Pour the mixture into a 9 by 6 baking dish.
- Pour the mixture into a 9 by 6 baking dish. Mix ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons melted butter.
- Mix ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole.
- Bake until nicely browned. About 30 minutes. Remove and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This is a smaller recipe and uses a 9X6 inch baking dish. A double recipe uses a full-size 13X9 casserole dish and may take a bit longer to brown.
- I use more tuna than some recipes, and you may cut it in half if you want.
- We don’t eat mushrooms in our house due to food allergies. If you want mushrooms, cook them along with the celery.
- Other “cream of” soups will work like mushroom or chicken.
- You can refrigerate for 4 days after cooking.
- Good frozen for 3 months.
- You may make it ahead and freeze for 3 months or refrigerate for 2 days. If frozen, thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Publisher's Note: Originally Published January 16, 2017. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Lisa Deering
There are no specific ingredient measures. Not good.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Lisa,
See the step-by-step or the recipe card. I added a note in the post to help if other get lost.
Dan
Pene Murdoch
Hya, We used 1/2 cup of stuffing mix for the topping. It was great!
Wendy Hampton
I love tuna casserole but this is even better than my previous recipe. I did not realize that adding more tuna was the ticket for improvement in my old recipe. Plus the delicious topping. I made this as soon as I saw the recipe! I had not thought about freezing a portion of the casserole. That way I can have it even when my husband isn't in the mood! Outstanding recipe! I will be sharing your website with all my sisters!
B. RIVERA
Is it really necessary to bake in oven when all ingredients are pre cooked on stove top?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Not for safety. But it does help to bring the flavors together and brown the top. So your choice but you will like it better baked.
Dan
Gloria
Can you give note best way to reheat . Loved the recipe.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Gloria,
Welcome to the blog.
It depends on the amount. A few servings, I would reheat in a microwave but the top won't be as good but still ok. If a large amount, I would cover in the oven for about 30 minutes, then uncover for about 10 minutes. I have not had more than a couple of serverings left of this but the oven method I use for other casseroles.
Dan
Patti
My favorite topping for tuna casserole is potato chips that have crushed up at the bottom of the bag, or ones that have had help being crunchy and then put on top of the casserole. My other topping that I usually put on Chicken Divan is French Fried Onion Rings, like you find on green bean casserole at holiday time. You have to put them on in the last 5 minutes, and watch carefully, because they will burn.
Julie Haske
Hi Dr Dan- this recipe is very similar to the one I throw together. I usually add a jar of pimento, gives it a little color. Thanks again for all your great recipes.
Julie Haske
Judy Uhl
Just what I need for tomorrow, a comforting casserole! Thanks Dr. Dan
Catherine Yoss
I've never been a fan of tuna casseroles(hard to believe I know) but this was good. Love the topping. Baked it in a bigger pan for more topping! Yum
Ashley
What size can of tuna?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
The standard 5 oz cans. Not the big cans.
Dan
Tani
Made it and it was great! Very tasty and the topping was a nice touch. Thanks for sharing!
rena
I just found your site. liked the looks, tried the tuna casserole, yummy.
signed up for email.
DrDan
Hi Rena,
Thanks for the note and welcome to the site.
Dan
Eileen
This was surprisingly good! Halved the recipe so there was a LOT of crunch
DrDan
My wife approves the extra crunch.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Charles Hess
Made this last evening for dinner. Halved the recipe. Was a hit with us. Will put this recipe in my roster of "go to recipes."
DrDan
Hi Charles,
Thanks for the note. Nice hearing from you again.
Dan
Dee
I cut the recipe down to serve 2 and only used 1 can of tuna ins spite of the fact that you left it off the list in the 'printable' recipe. :-} I'm sure that was an oversight on your part - just wanted to point it out.
DrDan
Thanks for the note... I read through that thing 4 times... My neurons are going.
Dan
Emily
Do you think that 1/2 the recipe could be frozen before cooking to later use?
DrDan
Yep, it should be fine.
Dan
Lara
Mmmm. Looks perfect for this day of freezing rain & sleet. I think I have all the ingredients on hand, too (but will have to swap cream of chix for the cream of celery soup).
Thanks for tonight's dinner plan!
DrDan
Hi Lara
That is how I think of this dish. I should aways have the ingredients and it is there for comfort food on a cold day.
Thanks for the comment.
Dan