Tuna Casserole with Potato Chips is a six-ingredient bake: egg noodles covered in cream of mushroom soup whisked with milk, topped with drained canned tuna and a layer of crushed potato chips, then baked until the chips turn golden. No cheese, no peas, no bread crumbs, just a crunchy salty top on a creamy noodle base. It takes 35 minutes and serves 6.
How to make it: Boil the egg noodles in salted water, drain them and spread them in a greased 13×9 dish. Pour the soup and milk over them, scatter the tuna on top, then cover everything with crushed chips. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chips start to brown and the center reaches 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- Six ingredients: noodles, salt, tuna, soup, milk and chips.
- A crunchy top: the potato chips bake into a salty, golden crust.
- Pantry dinner: everything keeps in the cupboard.
- 35 minutes: boil, layer, bake.
Ingredient Notes
Egg noodles: 8 ounces of medium egg noodles, cooked in water with 2 teaspoons of salt.
Tuna: 2 cans, 5 ounces each, drained completely. Leftover liquid makes the casserole watery.
Cream of mushroom soup and milk: one 10.5-ounce can whisked with 1 cup of milk.
Potato chips: 1 cup, crushed. Any kind you like works; kettle chips give an extra-crunchy top.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces egg noodles (medium)
- 2 teaspoons salt, added to the noodle cooking water
- 2 cans tuna (5 ounces each), drained
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup (10.5 ounces)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup potato chips, crushed
How to Make Tuna Casserole with Potato Chips
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cook the noodles. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the salt. Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions.
3. Fill the dish. Drain the noodles and pour them into a greased 13×9-inch casserole dish.
4. Add the soup. Whisk the cream of mushroom soup and milk together, then pour it over the noodles.
5. Top with tuna and chips. Top the noodles with the drained tuna, followed by the crushed potato chips.
6. Bake and serve. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chips are starting to turn golden brown and the center of the casserole reaches 165°F. Serve immediately.
Why Put Potato Chips on Tuna Casserole?
For crunch and salt. A layer of crushed chips bakes into a crisp, salty top over the soft, creamy noodles.
- How many: this recipe uses 1 cup crushed for 8 ounces of noodles. For a thicker crust, use up to 2 cups.
- Which kind: use your favorite. Kettle chips are extra crunchy.
- When they go on: here they go on before baking and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until they start to turn golden brown. You can also bake the casserole 20 to 25 minutes first, then add the chips and bake 10 minutes more.
The Basic Ingredients
At its simplest, tuna noodle casserole comes down to three things: egg noodles, canned tuna and a can of cream soup, loosened here with a cup of milk. The potato chips are the fourth, and they’re what set this one apart from bread-crumb or cheese-topped versions.
Because the list is so short, it’s a good first casserole for kids and new cooks, and an easy base to build on. Add vegetables, stir in cheese or change the soup, and the method stays exactly the same: cook the noodles, layer, top and bake.
What Makes Tuna Casserole Taste Better
- Drain the tuna completely. Any leftover liquid thins the sauce and makes it watery.
- Cook the noodles al dente. They keep softening in the oven, and overcooked noodles turn mushy.
- Season the sauce. A little garlic powder, paprika (regular or smoked), salt and pepper whisked into the soup and milk gives it more flavor.
- Serve it hot. The chips are crunchiest straight from the oven.
Variations
- Vegetables: stir in chopped mushrooms, bell peppers or celery, or drained corn and peas.
- Cheesy: add shredded cheddar to the filling and a little more on top with the chips. For the version with cheddar, peas and a bread-crumb top, see our old fashioned tuna casserole.
- Different soup: use cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom.
- More chips: double the topping to 2 cups.
- A little heat: a pinch of ground red pepper and fresh black pepper in the sauce.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers; hot food can go straight in. They keep 3 to 4 days. The chips soften overnight.
Freeze before baking: Assemble the casserole in a freezer-safe pan without the chips and without baking it, wrap it tightly in foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw it completely in the refrigerator, add the chips, then bake as directed. Cream sauces don’t always freeze well and may separate a little.
Reheating: Reheat covered on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven until it reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Add a green side like smothered green beans or spinach salad with warm bacon dressing, or a cold marinated cauliflower salad. Butter biscuits are good for the creamy sauce.
Another canned-fish dinner: canned salmon patties.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make tuna noodle casserole with potato chips?
Layer cooked egg noodles, cream of mushroom soup whisked with milk, drained tuna and crushed potato chips in a 13×9 dish and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
Why put potato chips on tuna casserole?
For a crunchy, salty top over the creamy noodles.
Do the chips go on before or after baking?
Before, in this recipe. You can also add them for the last 10 minutes.
What makes tuna casserole taste better?
Well-drained tuna, al dente noodles and a little garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper in the sauce.
What are the main ingredients in tuna noodle casserole?
Egg noodles, canned tuna and cream of mushroom soup, with milk to loosen the sauce. The chips go on top.
Can I freeze tuna casserole with potato chips?
Freeze it unbaked and without the chips for up to 3 months, then add the chips and bake.
Final Notes
Drain the tuna well, keep the noodles al dente and don’t skimp on the chips. If you add cheese or peas, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Tuna Casserole with Potato Chips
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces egg noodles medium
- 2 teaspoons salt added to the noodle cooking water
- 2 cans tuna 5 ounces each; drained
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup 10.5 ounces
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup potato chips crushed
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the salt. Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions.
- Drain the noodles and pour them into a greased 13x9-inch casserole dish.
- Whisk the cream of mushroom soup and milk together, then pour it over the noodles.
- Top the noodles with the drained tuna, followed by the crushed potato chips.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chips are starting to turn golden brown and the center of the casserole reaches 165°F. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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