Crockpot Tuna Noodle Casserole

Our cheesy Crockpot tuna noodle casserole without cream of mushroom soup and egg noodles is the ultimate comfort food. Dump everything in your slow cooker in the morning and enjoy when you get home folded together with tender pasta.

Bet you didn’t think you could make this old fashioned dish on low did you? Cooking meat and pasta together is a little tricky but we’ll show you how here. Use canned tuna or leftovers is an easy way to add protein to this favorite Crockpot recipe.

I have made Instant Pot tuna noodle casserole for years now. It is a quick meal that reminds me of my childhood. Sometimes I’d rather make a one pot meal in the morning though and have it ready after a busy day. That’s when this one comes in handy. Get out your favorite 6 or 8 quart and try it yourself. I bet this will become a family favorite meal in your home too and you’ll make it over and over again.

Can you make this cheesy?

Yes! This one as well as many others on our blog are very cheesy. Why? Um because we’re obsessed with all things cheese! Of course if you want or need to leave that out by all means do, and it’s still a yummy meal. Another optional ingredient are crushed Ritz crackers.

Ingredient Notes

Butter makes it creamy and delish. I like salted Kerrygold personally but I have made it with a dairy free plant based alternative for my husband and it is pretty good. I add another pinch of salt in that case.

I like to add some diced onion and some minced garlic to add lots of flavor in addition to the basics of salt and pepper.

Chicken broth is used for liquid to cook this. You could use water but it won’t taste nearly as good as that won’t offer any additional flavor.

What are the best noodles to use?

Wide egg noodles are my choice to make almost any slow cooker casserole. They don’t take long to cook and have a great texture. You will want to boil these to al dente, drain and fold in at the end or they will have a weird texture if you try to cook it all together.

Is chunk tuna better in a casserole?

Yes. Canned tuna should be solid white Albacore for the best results. I do not like flake as the pieces of meat are so very small that you can barely notice it. I like bigger chunks like we use to make air fryer tuna melt.

If you’re making something with fresh meat like our slow cooker cheesy chicken and rice it would take much longer of course. Canned meat is already cooked so you don’t have to worry about bacteria and reaching a certain temp.

Dairy Free Option

If you wanted to make this dairy free you can use lactose free vegan plant based sticks, Country Crock has a great one we use. Frozen peas or diced celery you can add for texture and flavor. We will drain a can of corn at times as you see here which is a nice add in.

Substitutions and Variations

You can soften onions and celery with butter and garlic in a pan on your stovetop first. OR you can just throw all of that into the slow cooker as is. If you wanted to use canned chicken in this instead of “meat from the sea” that would be a good substitute.

Using this as a leftover chicken breast recipe is a great idea too. I hate wasting food. If I buy a rotisserie chicken to make our chicken and rice casserole recipe, I will likely make this the next day. I only use 1.5 breasts for the first meal, then chop up what’s left and make this the next night.

Tips for Success

You do not want to stir ingredients together or the pasta will be more done and too soft submerged into the sauce below. Leaving it on top will allow them to steam sorta’ and get tender, but not fall apart.

Unlike other recipes like this one we don’t use cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup either. A lot of people don’t like canned condensed additions like this so instead it it more homemade. Have leftover ham after the holidays? Make this with it! It’s a great way to change things up but still add protein.

Bread Crumb Topping (Option)

If you want to add a bit of texture to the top, crush butter crackers or potato chips and sprinkle them on top. Do this after you stir all the contents together.

Then sprinkle your final layer of cheddar cheese on the top. Close the lid for about 15 minutes and let that melt. Then you get this crunch with the ooey gooey topping in every bite. Alternatively you can put cheese and breadcrumbs crushed on top of each bowl when served.

Recipe notes, ingredients, and steps are in the printable recipe card here. Nutritional information such as calories and saturated fat are listed there too. Keep in mind it is calculated by the card itself with the exact ingredients listed below. Some canned items may vary.

How to save leftovers

If you do have leftovers of this it heats up nicely the next day too. Just store in an airtight container and transfer to a microwave safe dish. Heat in 30 second increments stirring each time so it warms evenly.