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 elbow macaroni, canned tuna, and 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.
🍒Reader Review
"Turned out great! I didn't have cream of mushroom so I used cream of broccoli and added some broccoli diced up. Kids even liked it!"⭐⭐⭐⭐
Leah
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Just like my Mac and Cheese with Tomatoes, this Easy Tuna Macaroni Casserole is one of those macaroni recipes. It's a recipe my Mom used to make and it's pure comfort food!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Only 5 ingredients. You only need 5 ingredients and you'll find most of them in your pantry.
- Quick and Easy. I love that this recipe is so quick and easy and you can make the macaroni in advance.
- Very Economical. Canned tuna is a very economical way to get your protein and macaroni is very thrifty as well!
🥘 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.
- 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.
- Step 1: Cook macaroni as per package directions (until al dente) and drain.
- Step 2: In a large bowl, mix in cream of mushroom soup and tuna into cooked pasta while it's still warm.
- Step 3: Add macaroni mixture to prepared casserole dish and spread grated cheese evenly over macaroni mixture.
- Step 4: Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
- Step 5: Sprinkle green onions over casserole. Serve warm.
Tuna casserole has been around for a long time, but as I said, it traditionally has bread crumbs, cornflakes, or potato chips as a topping. And as far as the history of this casserole goes, melted cheese is a relatively recent addition. You can read more about the history of tuna casserole HERE.
🥗 What to serve with Macaroni 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, or this Green Bean and Mushroom Recipe !
And if you love the combination of tuna and macaroni, then check out my Tuna Macaroni Salad ; it's the perfect quick and easy side salad.
👪 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- You can use an instant read thermometer (affiliate link) to make sure it's done (165 degrees F/75 degrees C)
So, if you are looking for an easy meal, this Easy Tuna Casserole is a comforting dinner that the whole family will love!
Did your family❤️this recipe? Did you know that commenting and⭐rating recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite recipe creators? If you LOVED this recipe, please comment and rate it in the recipe card or share photos on social media using the hashtag #foodmeanderings or tagging @foodmeanderings !
📋 Tuna Casserole (with macaroni) Recipe
Ingredients
- 340g - pkg of macaroni
- 2 170 g cans of tuna, drained
- 10 oz -can of cream of mushroom soup (condensed cream of mushroom soup)
- 3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Garnish
- green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees f and spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray
- Cook macaroni as per package directions (until al dente) and drain.
- Mix in cream of mushroom soup and tuna into cooked pasta and pour into baking dish.
- Spread grated cheese evenly over macaroni mixture.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
Garnish
- Sprinkle green onions over casserole. Serve warm.
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
- You can use an instant read thermometer (affiliate link) to make sure it's done (165 degrees F/75 degrees C)
Leah
Turned out great! I didn't have cream of mushroom so I used cream of broccoli and added some broccoli diced up. Kids even liked it!
Terri Gilson
Hi Leah-so glad to hear you all loved it and it turned out!
Terri
Susan Clark
I have in the past about 30 years ago, put a can of green green peas,if you like them, but also you probably could use your favorite veggie! I love it also.
Terri Gilson
Hi Susan,
Yes, I do like them - will try that! Thanks for the suggestion.
Terri
David
Hi Terri... The nutrition info doesn't list the serving size? Or are my eyes playing up? hehe Thanks!
Terri Gilson
Hi David,
No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you! It's divided by 6 servings, so that would be about a cup.
Thanks!
Terri
David
Hi Terri,
Thanks! Looks like it's one of those "you can't eat just one" things hehe But I'm going to squeeze a cup of this into my diabetic diet, one way or another.
Be safe,
David
Caroline
I have to admit my spelling has it's moments! Looks like a comforting favorite.
Terri Gilson
haha thanks!
colleen kennedy
We never had this growing up, it wasn't until I was about 20 that I had it at my boyfriend's parents house. Loved the warm tuna and mac mingling with the cheese. Now I have to make it! Been too long!
Terri Gilson
It's such a comfort food!
Ariella
Great to be able to turn these pantry items into a delicious meal.
Terri Gilson
It is - I always have these on hand!
Sue Ringsdorf
I love a good tuna casserole, and this one is the BEST! Thanks for sharing, Terri!
Eileen Kelly
Absolutely delicious! The family loved this big bowl of comfort food. The tuna casserole is a hit.
Carlos Leo
This is the perfect recipe for the current situation right now. Made with pantry staples! Great Recipe!
Sue Ringsdorf
Simple recipes that use pantry staples are the best right now. Thanks for sharing this, Terri!
Anne Lawton
MMM! I have not made a tuna noodle casserole, and now I have a new recipe to make it.
Laura
Tuna noodles are such a perfect comfort food. And we all need that right now.
Terri Gilson
Yes we do...