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4.9 from 42 votes

The Best Tuna Casserole

The Best Tuna Casserole is not hard to make, and so much better using an authentic sauce made with a nice blonde roux. The sautéed mushrooms, peas, egg noodles, cheese, and sourdough crumb topping make this dish divine. So good!

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 657 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 7 tablespoon unsalted butter divided
  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 8 oz mushrooms sliced
  • 1 tablespoon thyme fresh, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups whole milk
  • 1½ cups chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice or juice of half of 1 lemon
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 oz. cans tuna in water, drained
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
  • 8 oz peas frozen, thawed
  • 12 oz egg noodles dried
  • 2 cups bread crumbs fresh sourdough, coarsely chopped from 3 to 4 slices (a food processor works well, remove crusts first)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
  3. Increase heat to medium-high, and add mushrooms, thyme, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook until mushrooms begin to release some liquid, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Add the wine and bring to a boil and cook until reduced, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
  5. In the same skillet (or a separate saucepan), melt 3 tablespoon butter over medium heat, and then whisk in flour, stirring and cooking the roux until light blonde, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  6. Whisk in the milk and then the chicken broth. Stir constantly until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. The texture should be thicker than broth, but not as thick a cream gravy.
  7. Stir in the mushroom mixture, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Using a fork, flake tuna into the sauce, and gently combine.
  8. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in salted boiling water until al dente, about 7 - 8 minutes. Drain.
  9. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, all of the peas, and the cooked noodles. Stir gently until fully combined. If using a baking dish, transfer the mixture to the dish.
  10. In a medium bowl, toss together the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoon of melted butter and a pinch of salt.
  11. Add the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top of the casserole, and then top the cheese with the bread crumbs.
  12. Bake until topping is crisp and sauce is bubbly, about 40 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • We use good ole white button mushrooms, but you can use whatever your favorite 'shroom is, or a combination of them.
  • You can make this a one-pot dish, as we do, if using a large (12-inch) oven-safe dish, such as cast iron, or Dutch oven.  You'll need to transfer the sautéd mushrooms from the pan, and then make the sauce.  Then mix all the components together before baking.  OR...you can 1 or 2 skillets to make the sauce and then mix everything together in a large bowl, and then transfer to a 9"x13" dish. 
  • When making the sauce, the consistency should be not too thin, but not a thick a cream-style gravy.  The noodles will absorb some of the sauce as the casserole bakes.
  • Leftovers can be kept in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.  If can be frozen, but the noodles will breakdown somewhat and the texture won't be as desirable.
  • The casserole can be prepared all the way up to topping with bread crumbs and baking up to 12 hours in advance.   Once ready to bake, add the bread crumbs and then bake. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 657kcal (33%) Carbohydrates 86g (29%) Protein 30g (60%) Fat 29g (45%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Cholesterol 130mg (43%) Sodium 761mg (32%) Potassium 671mg (19%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 12g (24%) Vitamin A 1264IU (25%) Vitamin C 20mg (22%) Calcium 454mg (45%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 657

% Daily Value*

Calories 657kcal 33%
Carbohydrates 86g 29%
Protein 30g 60%
Fat 29g 45%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 130mg 43%
Sodium 761mg 32%
Potassium 671mg 14%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 12g 24%
Vitamin A 1264IU 25%
Vitamin C 20mg 22%
Calcium 454mg 45%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.