Is it casserole or is it hot dish? Both. Either way it’s delicious.

This is a “Classic” Tuna Noodle Casserole, not because its traditional, but because its how I classically like to eat it! I grew up on Tuna Noodles as a Lent friendly Friday meal, and because I have been eating it since I was a child, when vegetables were “icky,” there are still no veggies in this casserole. This is one of the few dishes that I still like just how I ate it as a kid.

Let’s get real…I never cooked the Tuna Noodles as a kid or helped. Its a Friday meal and the last thing I wanted to do when the weekend hit was learn how to cook a meal. So when I went to college and I wanted to cook Tuna Noodles, I was kind of like a deer in headlights…in the kitchen, and I just threw together something that I thought would taste the same. It was just OK…not creamy enough.

Then, I discovered two ingredients that my casserole was missing: Roasted Garlic Cream of Mushroom soup, and Cajun Seasoning! I LOVE CAJUN SEASONING!!

So here is it, my EASY Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole, that isn’t just a Lenten Meal- enjoy it all year round.

The Process:

Preheat the oven to 350, and spray a 3-3 1/2 qt casserole dish with non-stick spray.

Cook the egg noodles for 2 minutes less than recommended cook time (approx. 5 min total). Drain and add butter to hot noodles.

Egg noodles have a thin texture, so overcooking them would make your casserole mushy…I don’t need to tell you, we don’t want that.

While your water is boiling and your noodles are cooking, prepare the rest of your ingredients.

Drain the tuna and put in a large bowl. Only use solid white tuna in water, and since it comes out in a solid chunk you need to break it up a little bit with a fork before adding the rest of your ingredients.

Add all ingredients except for the cheese, and mix well. Then stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheese.

Next, fold in your tuna mixture to the noodles. Do so gently, so you don’t break the noodles.

Pour out the casserole mixture into your casserole dish, and sprinkle the top with remaining cheese. Place in the oven for 25-30 min.

Enjoy this creamy, easy, comfort food classic!

Recipe