Tuna Noodle Casserole

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and generously butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Don't just spray it — actual butter helps the edges caramelize beautifully.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the egg noodles just until al dente according to package directions. They'll finish cooking in the oven, so slightly underdone is perfect here. Drain thoroughly.

   ⏱ 8 min
3. While the noodles cook, melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and turn golden brown — this takes about 5 minutes and concentrates their flavor significantly.

   ⏱ 5 min
4. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir constantly for 1 minute. This cooks out the raw flour taste and creates the base for your sauce — don't skip this step or you'll taste flour in the final dish.

   ⏱ 1 min
5. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Keep stirring and let the mixture bubble gently until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. It should look like a proper cream sauce.

   ⏱ 3 min
6. Remove the skillet from heat and immediately stir in the shredded cheddar, salt, and pepper. The residual heat will melt the cheese perfectly — if you keep it on the burner, the cheese might seize up and get grainy.
7. In the prepared baking dish, gently fold together the drained noodles, flaked tuna, frozen peas, and cheese sauce until everything is evenly coated. The peas will thaw from the heat of the other ingredients.
8. Toss the panko breadcrumbs with the melted butter until they're evenly moistened, then scatter them across the top of the casserole. This ensures they'll turn golden and crispy rather than just browning in spots.
9. Bake until the edges are bubbling vigorously and the breadcrumb topping is deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving — this helps the sauce settle and makes serving much cleaner.

   ⏱ 25 min