Tuna Noodle Casserole 2.0 (Printer View)

Creamy egg noodles and tuna combined with vegetables and a golden parmesan panko crust.

# What you'll need:

→ Pasta and Fish

01 - 12 oz egg noodles
02 - 2 cans (5 oz each) solid white tuna in water, drained

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
04 - 1 cup cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
05 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 cup celery, diced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

08 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
09 - 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
10 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
11 - 1 cup whole milk
12 - 1/2 cup sour cream
13 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
14 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
15 - 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

→ Topping

16 - 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
17 - 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
18 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
19 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil egg noodles in salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Melt 3 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery; sauté for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook another 4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to coat. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Add milk and bring to a simmer. Cook while stirring for 3–4 minutes until thickened.
05 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in sour cream, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until combined.
06 - Fold tuna, peas, and cooked noodles into the sauce mixture until evenly distributed.
07 - Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.
08 - Mix panko, parmesan, and melted butter in a small bowl. Evenly sprinkle over the casserole.
09 - Bake for 20–25 minutes until the topping is golden and bubbling.
10 - Let casserole stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired, before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, perfect for nights when you need dinner on the table without drama.
  • The creamy sauce feels luxurious but the whole thing is surprisingly light, not heavy.
  • One pan, one baking dish, and you've got enough to feed six people or yourself for three nights.
02 -
  • Don't skip the gentle cooking of the roux base—rushing this step and adding cold liquid straight to hot butter and flour is how you end up with lumps that you can't get out no matter how hard you whisk.
  • The sour cream goes in after you remove the pan from heat because high heat can break it and make it separate, leaving your sauce broken and grainy instead of smooth.
  • Cook your noodles just barely al dente because they continue cooking in the oven, and overcooked noodles in a casserole turn into mush that nobody wants.
03 -
  • Make your panko topping mixture right before baking so the butter coats the breadcrumbs evenly and they crisp up instead of getting soggy.
  • If your topping is browning too fast but the casserole inside isn't bubbling yet, loosely drape a piece of foil over the top and remove it for the last five minutes.
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