Tuna Casserole with macaroni

Tuna Casserole with macaroni is a comforting, economical, and delicious dinner idea. This easy 4 ingredient Tuna noodle Casserole is made with pantry items like canned tuna, elbow macaroni, and cream of mushroom soup. Made without bread crumbs, its crowning glory is melted cheese; simple comfort food at its finest!

This Old Fashioned tuna casserole is a quick weeknight dinner for busy nights, and the ultimate comfort food! It pairs well with spinach salad.

🥘 Ingredient Notes

You can use any noodle you want in this Tuna Fish Casserole but I prefer to use macaroni- it's just so comforting. Plus, I always have macaroni in my pantry.  You'll need the following ingredients for this recipe:

My Mom never put bread crumbs on her Tuna Macaroni Casserole as many recipes call for. Instead, we use cheese because melted cheese just makes everything better....

• Elbow macaroni noodles. Elbow macaroni is the most common pasta used for mac and cheese and the small, hollow pasta is good at capturing sauces.
• Canned Tuna Fish. Canned tuna fish is healthy and economical. I use flaked tuna packed in water because it's easier to mix in flaked than chunk tuna and when it's in water, it's very low calorie.
• Cream of Mushroom Soup. Is an easy and economical way to make a really creamy and flavorful casserole!
• Sharp cheddar cheese. Cheddar cheese is the best cheese to use for this dish because it has a low melting point and keeps the texture smooth. Sharp cheddar is ideal because its flavor is more prominent and 'sharper', which goes well with macaroni *I use low-fat sharp/old cheddar cheese
• Green Onions. Green onions give this recipe a flash of color and a vivid and fresh finish.

*see recipe card for quantities

📖Variations & Substitutions

• Cream Soup - you could use low-fat cream of mushroom soup, another type of cream soup, such as cream of celery or cream of chicken, or make your own "cream of anything" (scroll to #17)
• Cheese - you could use another type of cheese such as Monterey Jack instead of cheddar
• Green Onions- you could use chives instead

🔪How to make Tuna Casserole with Elbow Macaroni

Pre: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (or 176 degrees C) and spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

1. Step 1: Cook macaroni as per package directions (until al dente) and drain.

2. Step 2: In a large bowl, mix in cream of mushroom soup and tuna into cooked pasta while it's still warm.

3. Step 3: Add macaroni mixture to prepared casserole dish and spread grated cheese evenly over macaroni mixture.

4. Step 4: Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes.

5. Step 5: Sprinkle green onions over casserole. Serve warm.

🥗 What to serve with Macaroni and Tuna Casserole?

For cold sides, a side salad, my Artichoke Coleslaw, or this quick and easy Cucumber Kimchi. If you are looking for hot sides, try mixed vegetables, Healthy Glazed Carrots (shown), or this Green Bean and Mushroom Recipe !

👪 Serving Size

This tuna casserole with elbow macaroni and cream of mushroom soup makes 6 servings about 1 ⅓ cups each. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.

🌡️Storage

Store this tuna casserole in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Tuna tends to taste and smell very fishy if you leave it in the fridge for more than 2 days.

This recipe will freeze well in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

To Reheat:

Defrost it in the fridge overnight, then microwave it until warm. You can also reheat it in the oven like a casserole:

I love using this casserole reheating technique for any pasta casserole- it prevents the casserole from drying out.

1. Simply bring it out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost (preferably in the fridge). Ideally, you want to keep it at room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour before you put it in the oven.
2. Then heat the oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C, remove the lid and plastic wrap, then tightly seal your casserole dish with aluminum foil (shiny side in) and put it in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes, until it's warmed through. *you can remove the foil and broil it for the final 2 minutes if you desire. *Alternatively, you can tent it, if your cheese is right to the top of the casserole dish, as mine is.
3. You can use an instant read thermometer (affiliate link) to make sure it's done (165 degrees F/75 degrees C)

❔ Recipe FAQ's

🍲 More Casserole Recipes!