One Pot Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole

Made with all homemade ingredients, this tuna noodle casserole is made entirely in one pot all on the stovetop. Creamy cheese is combined with chunks of tuna, slightly sweet peas, and hearty pasta to create a delicious meal that can be ready in minutes. But it’s flavorful enough that it works for special occasions as well as a weeknight staple!

Why this recipe works.

I grew up thinking a casserole needed to involve multiple store-bought cans of soups. The soups would create the sauce that held the ingredients together. Those casseroles have their place and were quick meals when needed. The same principles can work with pantry ingredients for a quick meal. This tuna noodle casserole is full of nostalgia with the flavor turned up. The base of flavor is onion and celery cooked in butter. The noodles are cooked with the vegetables, stock, and heavy cream to lay the base for a creamy sauce. The secret to no canned soups is the Neufchâtel cheese. A small amount creates the perfect sauce. Lemon finishes the meal with brightness and brings out the individual ingredients for a perfectly cooked weeknight meal.

Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.

• Celery is cooked with onion for the base flavor of the casserole. The celery is used to add both underlying vegetal flavor and also maintain some texture.
• Italian seasoning is a blend of dried herbs that quickly adds flavor. Instead of buying all the fresh herbs, the seasoning blend is always on hand.
• Neufchâtel cheese is similar to cream cheese in America but has less fat. The tangy-sweet and creamy cheese quickly melts into the casserole and is a perfect way to finish the sauce.
• Tuna is easy to store in the pantry and has a great flavor when using good quality tinned fish. Make sure to choose a sustainably caught tuna.
• Pasta is traditionally egg noodles, but this recipe uses shells. The shells quickly cook and act like scoops to grab all the sauce.

Here’s how to make this recipe.

1. Prepare the bread crumbs. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven with melted butter, add the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Stir while cooking until the mixture turns a deep brown color. Once fully cooked, remove from the pot. Use a paper towel to remove any remaining crumbs in the pot.

2. Cook the onion, celery, and garlic. To the same pot, add butter and let it melt. While melting, dice the onion and roughly chop the celery. Add the onion and celery to the melted butter, along with salt and black pepper. Let the mixture cook for 4 to 6 minutes. When the onion and celery have browned slightly and have begun to become translucent, add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Let the garlic brown for 30 seconds to 1 minute before proceeding to the next step.

3. Cook the pasta. To the pot, add the chicken stock, milk, and pasta. Stir everything together, cover the pot, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Once there is minimal liquid in the bottom of the pan, remove the lid and add the heavy cream, Neufchâtel cheese, and half of the shredded cheddar cheese. Let everything melt together for a few minutes.

4. Add tuna and peas. Once the cheese has melted, add the lemon zest, peas, and tuna. Mix everything together, then sprinkle on the remaining shredded cheese and let it melt on top.

5. Finish with breadcrumbs. Remove the pot from the heat and sprinkle on the cooked and slightly cooled bread crumbs and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

These pro tips will make this recipe a success.

• The bread crumb mixture will tend to burn relatively quickly if cooked for too long. When the mixture begins to smell toasty and take on a darker color, remove them from the heat and set them aside to cool. It’s also important to remove any remaining bread crumbs from the pan before beginning to cook the onions so that they do not continue to burn in the pan as everything else is cooked.
• When it comes to garlic, the amount of time it is cooked is very important. Garlic can tend to have a raw flavor, so it’s important that it’s cooked slightly to reduce the rawness. But garlic is susceptible to burning quickly, so make sure not to cook the garlic for too long. About 30 seconds to one minute should be the right amount of time needed.
• An easy way to see and collect the amount of lemon zest is to turn the grater upside down and run it over the top of the lemon. Rather than holding the grater steady and running the lemon over the top, switch it up and hold the lemon steady while moving the grater. All of the zest will collect in the grater and can then be visually measured.

You’ll love these other casserole recipes.

• Spaghetti squash chicken casserole
• Three-cheese stuffed shells
• Chicken tortilla casserole
• Ham and cheese croissant egg casserole
• Stuffed acorn squash casserole
• Baked macaroni and cheese
• The best homemade goulash
• Sungold tomato pasta bake
• Chipotle sweet potato taco bake
• Baked rotini casserole
• Chicken enchiladas