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.