Stove Top Tuna Noodle Casserole

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Stove Top Tuna Noodle Casserole is made in one pan for comfort food made easy!! It’s the perfect weeknight meal for busy families!

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Stove Top Tuna Noodle Casserole on a white plate with a gold rim.

One pot meals are my favorite! Few dishes, simple ingredients and big flavor… yes, please!! With Lent right around the corner, this easy skillet noodle dish is sure to be on repeat in many households….ours included!

Tuna Noodle Casserole with Potato Chips

I know there are many different ways to top a tuna noodle casserole. But promise me you’ll give potato chips a try, okay?! The contrast between the soft noodles, creamy sauce and the crispy chip topping is absolute perfection and reminds me of my mom’s classic tuna noodle casserole!

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Ingredients Needed

Butter – I use salted butter
All Purpose Flour
Chicken Broth – I recommend using low sodium chicken broth as you can always add more salt in the end if needed; vegetable broth or water can be used as a substitute
Milk
Minced Onion
Black Pepper
Egg Noodles – I use the “NO YOLKS” brand
Frozen Peas – These are totally optional
Canned Tuna in Water
Potato Chips

How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole in a Skillet

First, grab a good-sized skillet. You’ll want one that’ll hold 10+ cups of a boiling liquid.

We start off by making a rue. Melt the butter in the skillet then sprinkle the flour over the melted butter. Use a whisk to stir in the flour and let cook for about 1 minute.

Slowly add the chicken broth, whisking continuously. Then add the milk and bring the mixture to a boil.

Once boiling, add the noodles, onions and black pepper. If you want to add peas, do so now. Bring the mixture to a boil again and let it cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the noodles don’t stick together or to the bottom of the pan.

You’ll know the noodles are done cooking when they’re soft and most of the sauce has been absorbed by the noodles.

Tuna being added to a skillet with sauced noodles.

Next, add the drained tuna and gently stir into the noodles. If you aggressively stir, the tuna break apart lots and won’t have the nice tuna pieces that I like to see (though to each their own!).

Tuna noodle casserole (without soup) in a skillet.

Once the tuna is warm, top the skillet with crushed potato chips and serve right away!

Tuna noodle casserole with potato chips on top.

What to Serve with Tuna Noodle Casserole

Growing up, my mom always served Tuna Noodle Casserole with Baked Beans. I love the sweet and smokiness the beans added to the meal. You could also do a simple side of cooked peas or mixed veggies.

Can you Freeze Tuna Noodle Casserole?

You can. For this recipe, I recommend leaving the potato chips off and adding them right before eating. The noodles will soften a bit in the freeze/thaw process, so I’d recommend leaving them al dente before freezing!

Why is my Tuna Noodle Casserole Dry?

If your Tuna Noodle Casserole is dry, you likely added too many noodles, didn’t add enough liquid to the sauce or over cooked it.

Stove Top Tuna Noodle Casserole with potato chips is made in one pan for comfort food made easy!

Other Delicious Recipes with Seafood

Tuna Burgers – These tuna burgers are protein-packed, full of flavor, crisp on the outside and have a tender interior. Garnish with toppings of your choice for a quick and easy dinner idea!

Shrimp Boil Foil Packets – All the flavors of a shrimp boil, but done in a much simpler way! These foil packets can be prepped ahead of time and served as a quick weeknight meal or grilled at the campground!

Boom Boom Shrimp (or Fish) Tacos – These Boom Boom Shrimp Tacos will whisk you away to a tropical paradise – with crunchy shrimp, a fruity salsa, and a sauce with a touch of heat, these tacos have it all!