Tuna Casserole with Ritz Cracker Topping

Cheesy Tuna Casserole Recipe with Ritz Cracker Topping, egg noodles, and peas is a traditional old fashioned, and classic comfort food that you have likely grown up with. And talk about an easy recipe!

This simple tuna casserole with ingredients you most likely have in your home.

Why you will love Cheesy Tuna Casserole

This dish is an easy weeknight dinner that only takes about 30 minutes. Comfort food at its finest, the crunchy topping (with the help of buttery Ritz crackers) is so satisfying.

Super cheesy, this dish has cheese on top and the inside, making sure every bite contains the best flavor.

Filling and delicious, this savory dinner casserole makes excellent leftovers for next-day dinners as well.

Ingredients

• Egg noodles – I believe that only wide egg noodles should be used in a tuna casserole. They have the right amount of hold without being too thick. While pasta is often interchangeable, you do not want too dense of a casserole in the creamy sauce—just prep per package instructions.
• Tuna – Make sure to get canned tuna in water and not oil. I like white tuna, but it is acceptable to use light tuna.
• Frozen peas and carrots – Grab a bag of frozen peas and carrots and let them thaw at room temperature or in the fridge overnight. Remove any excess water before use. Typically this isn’t an ingredient you should use from cans as canned veggies tend to be softer, and you want the crisp-tender version that frozen provides this dish.
• Cream of mushroom soup – This super creamy Campbell’s cream soup is one of the main ingredients for a burst of delicious flavor. And because it’s canned, it’s likely right in your pantry! Now traditional throwback tuna casserole recipes like this always use Cream of Mushroom, but it’s the creamy part that counts. If you hate canned soup, you can test out replacing it with sour cream or a half sour cream and half mayo blend for a still creamy white sauce taste without the soup. You will lose some of the overall flavors, however.
• diced onions
• garlic powder + salt + black pepper
• cheddar cheese

Ritz Cracker Topping

• Ritz Crackers – I prefer a Ritz cracker topping on casserole dishes like these. I usually have them in the pantry, and it makes it easy. But growing up, my mom always crunched up Ruffles or Lays potato chips to make a crispy topping. You can also use panko bread crumbs if you prefer.

How to make Homemade Tuna Casserole

BEFORE STARTING: Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set casserole dish aside.

1. Boil egg noodles and completely drain any excess moisture.
2. Add drained canned tuna, defrosted vegetables, Cream of Mushroom soup, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, and chopped onions to a bowl.
3. Dump in all seasonings, including garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper. Stir cream sauce ingredients well to make sure all spices are incorporated.
4. Slowly add milk and stir to combine. Now add cooked noodles and stir once more.

1. Spread into a large casserole baking dish.
2. Top casserole with lots of shredded cheddar cheese across the entire casserole.
3. Sprinkle with crushed Ritz crackers.
4. Bake tuna noodle casserole for 15-20 minutes or until edges are bubbly, the top is golden brown, and the center is hot.

Recipe FAQ’s

Absolutely!
Just make one day ahead of time, but wait till the day of to add cheese layer and Ritz topping (or any bread crumb topping) till ready to cook. Remove from fridge about 30 minutes before baking and set sit at room temperature. Then add topping and bake. Remember that chilled dishes often take longer in the oven than the original recipe due to how cold the food is.

Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Casserole Dish Recipes

• SPINACH CASSEROLE RECIPE
• CHEESY ASPARAGUS AND SHRIMP BAKE
• CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH RITZ CRACKERS
• EASY CHICKEN AND RICE BAKE
• CHEESY BEEF AND TORTILLA CASSEROLE