Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch

1 . Stage

Preheat the oven and prepare the dish Preheat the oven to 400°F and position a rack in the center. Grease a 9- x 13-inch (3 quart) baking dish.

2 . Stage

Cook the mushrooms Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms release their liquid and soften, 3-5 minutes.

3 . Stage

Make the mushroom sauce Stir in the flour to make a very thick paste; cook 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in the milk 1 cup at a time. Add the salt, pepper, and onion powder. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until somewhat thickened, about 5 minutes. (The sauce will be thinner than canned condensed soup, but it will thicken as it bakes). Stir in half the cheese. It should melt pretty fast. Remove from heat.

4 . Stage

Cook the pasta Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta; stir, then reduce the heat to maintain a boil without the pot boiling over. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles have just a bit of bite in them. (Cooking time can vary quite a bit depending on the brand of noodles you use. Start checking after 3 minutes, but likely they’ll need to boil 5-8 minutes.) Drain the noodles and return to the pot.

5 . Stage

Assemble the casserole Pour the mushroom sauce over the noodles; stir to combine. Add the tuna; use a spoon to break large pieces into smaller, bite-size pieces, if necessary. Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the casserole, then top with the chips.

6 . Stage

Bake the casserole Bake until the chips are just lightly browned and the cheese is melted, 20 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Leftovers! You can keep tuna noodle casserole leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.