Tuna Casserole

How to Make Tuna Casserole

This tuna noodle casserole recipe can be whipped up in a jiffy, with just a few steps. Refer to the recipe below—it offers the details you’ll need to know for how to make tuna casserole that your family will request often:

Cook and Drain the Pasta

Cook it according to the package directions. Then use a large colander to drain off all of the water in a hurry. You’ll want the noodles well drained, so they don’t make the sauce too runny.

Make the Sauce and Stir it All Together

Mix the soup and most of the cheese right in the skillet. Heat long enough to melt the cheese before stirring in the cooked noodles, tuna, spinach, milk, and lemon peel with a large spoon. You only need to heat it until bubbles begin to appear. This gets the casserole hot enough to help cook the rolls through, but avoids the noodles absorbing too much of the sauce. Spoon it all into the casserole dish.

Add the Cheesy Crescent Rolls

Pinch the crescent dough perforations together into one large rectangle. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the dough and roll it up into a log. Use a long, serrated knife to cut the roll into 8 slices. Place them on top of the hot tuna mixture. When baked, they’ll make attractive, cheesy crescent spiral rolls. Pop the dish in the oven right away, so the rolls get the quick bump of temperature from the hot, saucy filling.

Bake and Serve

Bake the casserole watching both the time and visual doneness cues. Start with the minimum bake time and then check to see if the rolls are a deep golden-brown and the casserole is bubbly. If not, add a few more minutes and check again until the rolls are deep golden-brown. Color and time are important here so that the rolls look beautiful on the outside and they are baked completely through. To serve this tuna noodle casserole, use a large spoon to scoop up both the casserole and a crescent roll at the same time, for a pretty presentation on your dinner plates.

Tuna Noodle Casserole Ingredients

Check out what each ingredient brings to this dish to make it loved by fans:

Wide Egg Noodles: The extra width of these noodles adds heartiness to this casserole. It’s like each bite fills you with coziness.

Progresso Creamy Mushroom Soup: Vintage tuna noodle casserole recipes use condensed cream of mushroom soup. Using ready-to-eat Progresso soup won’t make your casserole overly salty, like condensed soup can. The bigger can also means there will be more of that velvety, luscious sauce in every bite.

Cheddar Cheese: What is it about cheddar cheese that makes tuna swoon. They taste so good together and the casserole gets an extra helping of cheesiness in the rich crescent rolls.

Tuna: Use solid white tuna packed in water for a great tuna flavor without being too fishy or oily, which can happen with other varieties. Only one can is needed for all 8 servings.

Spinach: Frozen chopped spinach that’s been thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture adds color and veggie goodness to this casserole.

Milk: Dairy notes add body and depth of flavor to the soup and cheese, making a creamy sauce cushion for the tuna and noodles to nestle in.

Lemon Zest: The citrusy freshness of lemon is like a great supporting actor in this recipe. It lets the tuna shine while adding a freshness to the casserole that makes it anything but ho-hum. Use a  lemon zester, being careful to grate just the yellow part. The white pith underneath the yellow peel is bitter tasting and won’t give the dish the lift zest will.

Crescent Rolls: Both attractive and functional, tender, flaky crescent rolls add an additional level of heartiness as well as visual appeal to this dish in one simple product.

Tuna Casserole Variations

With this list of tuna casserole variations, you can give it a twist and surprise your family each time you make it:  

Change the Cheese: Swap the cheddar cheese for a cheddar blend, Mexican blend, or a spicy shredded cheese with chiles added. Yellow cheeses work better than white varieties in this recipe, because they add color to the sauce and give the crescents a pretty contrast of color.

Add an Herb: Omit the lemon zest and stir in a teaspoon of dried dill weed, basil leaves, or Italian seasoning with the milk. Have fresh herbs on hand? Add a tablespoon of one of these fresh herbs that has been chopped instead.

Swap the Tuna: Substitute a 12.5-ounce can of premium chunk chicken breast (drained) or 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked turkey for the tuna. For a flavor twist, substitute 2 (6-ounce) cans white crab meat (drained).

Vary the Veggies: Add 3/4 cup finely chopped cooked veggies such as broccoli, green beans, sweet potatoes or cooked fresh spinach or mixed vegetables instead of the frozen spinach. They do need to be cooked first, as they won’t be in the oven long enough to cook inside the casserole.

Storing and Reheating Tuna Casserole

For the ultimate sauciness of the casserole and best texture for the crescent rolls, this comforting dish is best served just after it comes out of the oven. Give it a few minutes to cool, so it won’t burn your tongue, though! As it sits, the noodles will continue to absorb the sauce, so when reheated, it won’t have much (if any) sauce left. This can leave the noodles to dry out during storage and become tough when reheated. The crescents also will absorb moisture and become more condensed while simultaneously losing that just-baked flavor. But good news…you can prep parts of it in advance. See the can you make tuna casserole ahead of time? FAQ below.

More Delicious Casserole Recipes

Love hearty, comforting casseroles? Try any of these recipes from our list of casserole favorites:

Stuffed Pepper Casserole: This simple dish uses all the savory flavor of stuffed peppers in a one-pot meal that’s made on your stove-top.

Chicken Casserole: A homey, comforting, crunchy-topped, cheesy chicken casserole made with only 5 ingredients. A perfect weeknight option.

Egg Roll Casserole: All the flavors that make egg rolls so tasty, but without tedious task of wrapping each roll. Ingredients are baked together, then topped with crunchy chow mein noodles and green onions.

Greek Chicken Orzo Casserole: Chicken, orzo pasta, spinach, and feta are combined with oregano and fresh lemon for a lighter yet totally satisfying casserole option.