This Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe with Tortellini is made from scratch with homemade sauce (No canned soup here)! Made with plenty of canned tuna, peas, and a mixture of egg noodles and cheese tortellini, this creamy and crunchy casserole is a big hit every time I serve it. Top this classic casserole with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and crispy Kettle Cooked Potato Chips!
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Tuna Casserole = Classic Comfort Food
There are few dishes as comforting after a bad day then a big plate of noodle casserole, and this one really hits the spot. There's just something about baked, cheesy noodles that warms your soul.
This ultra-creamy and crunchy Tuna casserole makes a great comfort food dinner on a busy weeknight, and the leftovers heat up beautifully!
What makes this tuna noodle casserole recipe special?
This Homemade tuna casserole with Cheese Tortellini and Egg Noodles stay relatively true to the classic, with a few adjustments.
- NO canned Soup! For this recipe you'll start with a roux, and build your own velvety smooth white sauce for the base.
- TWO kinds of noodles. We're using traditional egg noodles here, but we are adding in cheese tortellini! You could skip this and go all egg noodles if you want. But why?
- Fresh herbs and spices for extra flavor.
- Cheese inside and on top!
- Crispy kettle chip topping instead of classic breadcrumbs.
A fun twist on classic tuna casserole- with tortellini!
For my version of this very retro meal, I wanted to do a from-scratch cream sauce, and add a bit of texture and flavor in the form of cheese tortellini and crispy Kettle potato chips.
Don't worry- the egg noodles are alive, well and in abundance in this recipe as well. But the tortellini add a little something special to each bite.
What goes into the tuna noodle casserole?
- Butter.
- Celery with leaves. The leaves pack so much flavor!
- A small yellow onion.
- A bit of flour to thicken the sauce.
- Dry spices: celery seed, onion powder, garlic powder, whole nutmeg. Whole nutmeg that you grate yourself is so much more flavorful than the pre-ground stuff.
- A mixture of heavy cream, and half and half. This will serve as the creamy basis of the sauce.
- Chopped fresh dill. This adds a nice herbal brightness to the casserole.
- Frozen peas.
- Dijon mustard. You'll add this at the end of the sauce cooking time to add another layer of flavor.
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese. This will go into the sauce, and on top of the casserole. I recommend grating your own cheese for best results.
- 3 cans chunk light tuna (preferably packed in oil), drained. Oil packed tuna has a better flavor and texture, in my opinion.
- Some frozen cheese tortellini.
- 2 cups dry egg noodles.
- Crushed kettle cooked potato chips. These add a great salty crunch to the casserole.
Tips for a great casserole
- Cook your noodles to al dente. This way they retain their texture.
- Don't skip toasting/blooming your dry spices in the butter. This enhances their flavors, and makes for a much tastier sauce.
- Use high quality, oil-packed tuna.
- Be sure to cover the casserole for the first 30 minutes of baking so it stays nice and creamy.
How to make the Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe with Tortellini
1. Cook tortellini and egg noodles according to package directions until al dente, drain, and set aside. (I prefer to add both to the same pot, and adjust when I add the tortellini to the pot based on the cooking times of each pasta.)
2. Grease a 9”x12” glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray, melted butter or olive oil and set aside. Set your oven racks in the top and middle, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a large, deep sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat, and season celery and onion. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft and slightly translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add celery seed, onion powder, garlic powder and cook 1 minute.
5. gradually stir flour into veggies/butter until well combined. Cook, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes.
6. Using a wooden spoon or whisk, gradually stir half and half and cream into flour mixture, and continue to stir until completely combined. Cook 6-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce begins to thicken. Once slightly thickened, add the fresh dill, frozen peas, nutmeg, dijon mustard, and half the cheddar (reserve the rest for topping casserole), and stir to combine.
7. Remove sauce from heat, and add cooked noodles/tortellini and drained tuna directly to the pan with the sauce. Toss to combine until all noodles are well coated.
8. Transfer noodle/sauce mixture to your greased baking dish, and sprinkle reserved shredded cheddar in an even layer, followed by the crushed kettle chips. Cover with aluminum foil, and transfer the baking dish to the oven.
9. Bake on middle rack covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered on top rack for 15 minutes.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Store any leftover casserole in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, you can microwave small potions, or reheat in a casserole dish covered for 20-30 minutes, util heated through.
Made this recipe? Leave a review and rating below!
If you make my Classic tuna casserole, please be sure to leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Lastly, if you make the recipe and love it, please tag me on Instagram! I love to see your photos!
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Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe with Tortellini
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 rib of celery with leaves, finely diced
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 16 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
- 3 5 oz cans chunk light tuna in oil, drained
- 2 cups frozen cheese tortellini
- 2 cups dry egg noodles
- 1 cup kettle cooked potato chips, crushed
Instructions
- Cook tortellini and egg noodles according to package directions until al dente, drain, and set aside. (I prefer to add both to the same pot, and adjust when I add the tortellini to the pot based on the cooking times of each pasta.)
- Grease a 9”x12” glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray or butter and set aside. Set your oven racks in the top and middle, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large, deep sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat, and season celery and onion. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft and slightly translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add celery seed, onion powder, garlic powder and cook 1 minute.
- Gradually stir flour into veggies/butter until well combined. Cook, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes.
- Using a wooden spoon or whisk, gradually stir half and half and cream into flour mixture, and continue to stir until completely combined. Cook 6-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce begins to thicken. Once slightly thickened, add the fresh dill, frozen peas, nutmeg, dijon mustard, and half the cheddar (reserve the rest for topping casserole), and stir to combine.
- Remove sauce from heat, and add cooked noodles/tortellini and drained tuna directly to the pan with the sauce. Toss to combine until all noodles are well coated.
- Transfer noodle/sauce mixture to your greased baking dish, and sprinkle reserved shredded cheddar in an even layer, followed by the crushed kettle chips. Cover with foil, and transfer the baking dish to the oven.
- Bake on middle rack covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered on top rack for 15 minutes.
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Rita F. says
Wasn't a fan of tuna casserole but with the cost of food now days thought I'd give this a try. So good and different then those old recipes with all that canned soup taste. Putting this in my dinner line up
Timothy S says
I made this the other night and it was great, and it made good leftovers the next day.
Kerri says
Ugh. I hate leaving 3 stars because I feel like I had to have done something wrong but I followed the recipe. After adding all those yummy spices the dish was bland. It was not creamy at all and made me wonder if I got the sauce too thick? I really wanted this one to be good!
Sharon Farnell says
Oh no Kerri, I am so sorry to hear that you didn't like the recipe 🙁 I am surprised it came out bland. If the sauce was too thick, you could try using a bit more half and half or milk next time. But since you were so unhappy with it, I will trouble shoot the recipe in the near future and report back.
Sharon Farnell says
This recipe has since been revised to be more flavorful and creamy. Hope you'll give it another shot!