12 Ways To Upgrade Your Tuna Noodle Casserole

When you're in the mood for a dinner that's inexpensive, easy, and, most of all, comforting, it's hard to beat the beauty of a good tuna noodle casserole. It's a dish that's typically made with largely shelf-stable ingredients, so it's an easy dinner to whip up when you're just not in the mood to make a grocery store trip. And because all you really have to do is dump all the ingredients into a casserole dish and bake, it requires very little time and prep work to yield delicious results that your whole family will love.

But why stick to a basic tuna noodle casserole when you could upgrade it to something seriously special? We spoke with recipe developers Meredith Laurence of Blue Jean Chef and Blair Lonergan of The Seasoned Mom and compiled a list of ideas that will help you transform your standard tuna noodle casserole recipe into a gourmet dish that'll leave you thinking about the standard favorite in a whole new way. Sure, some of them require a bit of extra work or forethought, but since you're starting off with a dish that's so simple anyway, most of these upgrades are fairly easy to employ. So, grab your casserole dish, crack open that can of tuna, and let's get baking. Casserole night has never tasted so good.

Sometimes, it's the little things that can truly transform a dish, and tuna noodle casserole is no exception. In fact, just adding spices different from your standard recipe calls for can give your casserole a whole new flavor profile. That's why you may want to consider adding some dill to your tuna noodle casserole. It's a super-easy and completely unfussy way to upgrade your casserole, and it requires essentially no extra work. And since the bright flavor of dill is so pronounced, you don't even have to add much to give your tuna noodle casserole a whole new feel.

For best results, you're going to want to use fresh dill, which is quite a bit stronger than its dried counterpart. However, in the event that you don't have any fresh dill on hand, you can still give your typical casserole a dish by using the dried stuff instead. You may have to add a bit more than you would if you were using fresh, but the results will be largely the same. Throwing in some Dijon mustard can complement the dill, really bringing the whole dish together. Who knew a trip to the herb area of the produce section could yield such a flavorful tuna noodle casserole?

Tuna noodle casserole is, for many families, a standard dish, a classic that one dares not alter. But if you love the flavor profile of tuna noodle casserole, you shouldn't be afraid to make swaps that will add a greater element of interest to the dish. That's exactly why you might want to turn your tuna noodle casserole into a pot pie. Sure, it may sound sacrilegious to the most devout tuna noodle casserole lovers among us, but hear us out: The combination of creamy and chunky textures in tuna noodle casserole is strikingly similar to that of pot pie, so the combo just works.

For this recipe, you're going to remove the noodles you'd usually use in this casserole, instead replacing them with a buttery crust that lays over the top of the other ingredients. Essentially, you'll just mix up all of the other ingredients you'd usually use in a tuna noodle casserole, then place the pie crust on top. If you want to harness that soupiness that you tend to find in a pot pie, you can definitely add some extra condensed soup to the recipe. Use a store-bought pie crust for the easiest results, or make your own pie crust if you really want to go all out on this recipe. Regardless of what you decide to do, the results are bound to be hearty and delicious.

At the heart of any good tuna noodle casserole recipe is tuna, right? Well, maybe, but that doesn't mean you can't switch things up if you're trying to harness a slightly different flavor profile. Although tuna is a great, easy, and budget-friendly choice of protein, it's not the only seafood ingredient you can use in a casserole. Next time you make tuna noodle casserole, then, you should think about swapping your tuna for canned salmon.

When you think about it, this swap just makes sense. Both tuna and salmon have firm textures that can handle the heat of the oven without getting too overcooked, and they both offer that subtle seafood flavor to any dish they touch. However, tuna tends to be slightly more subtle than its orange counterpart, which offers a fattier, richer flavor profile to the finished dish — perfect if you're looking for a way to make your tuna noodle casserole feel a bit more special and indulgent. Stick with the standard ingredients you always use for this recipe, or switch things up with different veggies to complement the salmon addition.

One easy way to upgrade your tuna noodle casserole? Instead of using canned condensed mushroom soup, try making it yourself, says Meredith Laurence. "Instead of a can of mushroom soup, you just make a really simple mushroom-y white sauce — just add butter, flour, milk, and chicken stock to sauteed onion, celery, and mushrooms," she suggests. But you don't have to stop there. "One way to make that mushroom sauce so delicious is to use a little dry sherry too. It's optional, but is such a great flavor with mushrooms."

One thing you want to pay close attention to is the consistency of the sauce — if you're making it from scratch, you want to make sure you get enough moisture in that sauce. "The sauce should be relatively thin so that the noodles can absorb the sauce as the casserole bakes," Laurence says. With just a few extra steps, you can seriously elevate your casserole to a whole new level. "You'll have the same old tuna noodle casserole, but just better!"

Part of the reason tuna noodle casserole is so delicious is because of just how creamy it is. With that mix of cheese and mushroom soup or sauce, you get a lovely, rich texture that just feels comforting. And if you want to add even more creaminess to the dish — along with a touch of tanginess that balances out all that fat — you need to turn to sour cream. Sour cream has that creaminess we're going for, but that extra touch of acidity can also add something special to the finished product.

However, since this is a dairy product, you'll want to be careful about when you add the sour cream to the dish. Instead of spooning a dollop of sour cream into the pot while the other ingredients are still bubbling, it's a better idea to let things cool down slightly before spooning some of the cream into the noodles and other ingredients. Make sure to stir thoroughly to make sure everything is well incorporated — you don't want to get pockets of sour cream throughout the casserole. Sour cream can update just about any dish, but it works especially well here.

When it comes to making a solid casserole, there are a lot of different elements at play. You want to make sure there's plenty of cheese for that creamy, decadent note, in addition to a touch of acidity to make sure everything is balanced. But one aspect of a good casserole home cooks often forget about is crunch. It can be so easy to make a solid casserole only to realize it doesn't offer much in terms of texture. Luckily, there's a quick and easy way to fix that in your tuna noodle casserole, and it may just be sitting in the back of your pantry.

When you want to add a layer of crunch to your tuna noodle casserole, sprinkle some crushed Ritz crackers on top. Since they have a buttery flavor to them, they work especially well with the other rich, creamy ingredients in the casserole. Plus, they're quite salty, so they also add an extra layer of savoriness to the finished dish. And it doesn't take much effort to sprinkle some crackers on top of your casserole, so you don't have to worry about creating any extra work for yourself.

Most people who love tuna noodle casserole feel strongly about it because, despite how cheap it is and how easy it is to make, it feels extra decadent. But just because a dish is decadent doesn't mean you have to skimp on the veggies. In fact, adding extra veggies to your casseroles can help bulk them up and make them healthier and more filling. And who doesn't want to get some extra fiber into their diet? If you're looking for a way to add some extra nutrition to your tuna noodle casserole, you may want to consider including some shredded green cabbage in the mix.

Cabbage is the perfect addition to your tuna noodle casserole because it works well in creamy dishes, and the flavor isn't too strong — it's not going to overpower all the other flavors you're working with. Plus, it's a relatively inexpensive veggie to add to your weekly shopping list (and you can use the leftovers in a wide variety of recipes). When it's cooked down, it has a lovely sweetness to it, which can add an interesting, subtly green flavor to your finished dish. It's never been so easy to incorporate more veggies into your dinner.

You know when you think you have everything you need on hand to make a recipe, but then you discover that you're actually missing one key ingredient? You may be tempted to make a quick grocery store run, but you may have another ingredient in the house for which you can swap out the missing item. In the case of tuna noodle casserole, for instance, the name suggests you absolutely need to have noodles on hand. In reality, though, you can replace those noodles with potatoes for a similarly delicious dinner.

More specifically, scalloped potatoes make for an interesting swap. By layering them on the bottom of the dish, you can create a crispy layer of carbs on which the rest of your ingredients can sit. And because potatoes cook so quickly, this can also help cut down on the total cook time, rendering your quick dinner even quicker. For the easiest possible dinner solution, you can use boxed scalloped potatoes, which taste nearly as good as fresh, but feel free to make your own scalloped potatoes from scratch if you prefer.

When it comes to recipes as tried and true as tuna noodle casserole, sometimes, sticking with the original recipe is going to be your best bet. The experts agree. According to Blair Lonergan, "Tuna noodle casserole is such a classic dish, so I don't want to mess with a good thing!" However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't get creative if you're looking for ways to upgrade this traditional dish.

One addition she does suggest? "The salty crunch of potato chips on top." Like Ritz crackers, potato chips offer that crunchy crisp you won't otherwise get in this type of casserole. The textural element is a nice touch in a dish that's otherwise pretty one-note on the texture front, but the saltiness from the chips also adds a more interesting flavor to the finished product. Of course, you can experiment with a variety of chip flavors here if you're feeling adventurous. Salt and vinegar chips, as well as dill chips, can be interesting additions to your tuna noodle casserole.

For seafood lovers, there is perhaps no greater casserole than a traditional tuna noodle casserole. But not everyone is a fan of tuna. Even if you happen to love the canned stuff, that doesn't mean you necessarily always have it on hand. That's when this useful swap can come in handy. Instead of bulking up your noodle casserole with tuna, consider adding some pre-cooked chicken into the mix instead.

Sure, it may not technically be tuna noodle casserole anymore, but you can easily work with the same flavors. And since both cooked chicken and canned tuna have relatively innocuous flavor profiles, you won't be able to tell anything is too different in the finished dish. This simple swap is especially easy if you decide to use a rotisserie chicken, as it requires no extra cooking on your part. If you don't want to use a grocery store rotisserie chicken, though, no worries. You can always cook up some chicken breasts or thighs and add the meat to your casserole right before you pop it in the oven. Either way, you're in for a simple, easy dinner that's just as delicious as the original.

If you're the kind of person who likes adding a touch of dairy, whether in the form of sour cream or any other ingredient, to your tuna noodle casserole, you might have noticed that the dairy can easily curdle, ruining the ingredients you've already thrown together. This can be a big bummer, especially if you're strapped for ingredients and are just trying to get dinner on the table as soon as possible. But one easy way to add an element of creaminess and richness to your tuna noodle casserole is to use powdered dairy instead of fresh.

Non-dairy powdered creamer can help you create a sauce that's just as rich and thick as an average dairy-based number, but since it won't curdle in the oven at high temperatures, you don't have to risk getting chunks of dairy in every bite. You'll want to mix the creamer with water, of course, to achieve a consistency similar to that of the dairy ingredient you're replacing, but other than that small extra step, it's a pretty easy adjustment to employ, and it typically yields excellent results. If you've had problems with dairy curdling in your tuna noodle casserole in the past, this simple and easy swap is worth trying out.

Don't have any canned soup on hand and don't feel like making your own sauce from scratch? No worries. You don't necessarily have to choose another recipe or go all the way to the grocery store just to grab that one ingredient. Instead, consider making a simple and easy swap with an ingredient you probably already have in the house anyway. Mayo and sour cream can actually make an excellent swap for canned soup in a tuna noodle casserole recipe.

Instead of that can of cream of mushroom soup, just take equal parts of mayonnaise and sour cream and mix them together. Then, take that mixture and incorporate it into your tuna noodle casserole, just like you would with canned soup. The result is that rich, creamy deliciousness you're going for — no trip to the grocery store required. It's a simple swap that's extremely easy to use in your casserole, and it requires no more work than dumping in a can of cream of mushroom soup.