Tuna Casserole with Potato Chips
Tuna Casserole with Potato Chips is a from-scratch tuna noodle casserole that is creamy and delicious! The potato chips on top are the perfect topping to this tuna casserole!
When it comes to nostalgic meals, tuna noodle casserole ranks pretty high for me. I don’t remember being particularly excited about eating it as a kid, but these days the casserole brings up cozy feelings of being back home. I guess a creamy, cheesy casserole can do that to a girl! This Tuna Casserole with Potato Chips is now my ultimate comfort food!
While my mom made it with cream of mushroom soup, I knew I wanted to make it completely from scratch. So, I took the classic tun casserole and put a modern day spin on it. For one, I nixed the cream of mushroom soup and made my own creamy mushroom sauce. For a little extra effort, there’s a big payoff in flavor!
I did, however, keep one important thing from the classic recipe, and that’s the egg noodles. I have seen recipes that use other types of pasta, but egg noodles are a family favorite in this casserole. They pair perfectly with the homemade creamy sauce.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Potato Chip Topping! You really can’t go wrong with a potato chip topping, right? The crunchy and salty addition is so delicious and makes this casserole super special.
- Cheesy Casserole. White cheddar cheese adds flavor and makes it a cheesy tuna noodle casserole.
- From Scratch. I nixed the cream of mushroom soup and made my own creamy mushroom sauce. For a little extra effort, there's a big payoff in flavor!
- Easy. The roux is super simple to whip up and from there, you just mix it all together and bake it to bubbly perfection!
- Affordable. This is a super budget friendly dish with pantry staples like canned tuna, pasta, broth, and milk.
This tuna noodle casserole is a total crowd pleaser and classic comfort food that your family will love!
Looking for more comfort food recipes? Check out my Philly Cheesesteak Casserole, Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta, and Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta!
Ingredients
There are many pantry staples in the ingredients for this classic casserole! It's also a great use for a can of tuna that you have in your cupboard that you've been wanting to use.
- Egg Noodles - as mentioned, I love silky egg noodles, especially in this casserole!
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Vegetables - White onion or yellow onion are used in this recipe, along with sliced mushrooms. Cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms are what I typically use but if you have access to some fancy mushrooms, go for it!
- Garlic Powder - I use garlic powder in this recipe to give it that garlicky flavor, but you could certainly add two cloves of minced fresh garlic, if you'd like!
- Salt
- Flour, Chicken Broth, and Milk - these are used for the homemade cream sauce in this tuna casserole. Chicken stock would also work in place of the broth.
- Canned Tuna Fish Packed in Water - white tuna or light tuna both work.
- White Cheddar Cheese
- Potato Chips - Of course there are potato chips for the salty potato chip topping! I used wavy regular potato chips but any type of regular potato chips would work. Ritz crackers or cornflakes would also be great substitutes.
Variations
Different Vegetables - you can use frozen peas instead of mushrooms, if you prefer. Other vegetable ideas are some chopped spinach, bell peppers, diced zucchini, or chopped broccoli.
Different Protein - if you're not a fan of tuna, you can use canned or shredded chicken instead.
Step by Step Instructions
This tuna casserole recipe is made from scratch but that does not mean it is difficult to make. You can even prep this casserole in advance, to be baked at dinner time!
Photo 1. Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and sauté. Season them with salt and black pepper and cook until they are softened, about 7-10 minutes.
Photo 2. Add the flour to the mushrooms and onions and stir to combine.
Photo 3. Slowly add in the milk and broth, and whisk together to form a roux.
Photo 4. Combine the roux with the cooked noodles, tuna, and some shredded white cheddar cheese.
Photo 5. Pour this mixture into a casserole dish, and top with more white cheddar cheese and crushed potato chips.
Photo 6. Bake it until it's bubbling and golden brown. Immediately dig in!
Expert Tips
Serving Suggestions. I recommend serving this hearty dish with a side salad or some roasted vegetables.
Storage. Store any leftover Tuna Noodle Casserole with Potato Chips in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Best Tuna. I always use Safe Catch tuna packed in water, as it is wild caught. I typically use albacore tuna, as it has less of a fishy taste, which is ideal for my kids.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! I love the texture of egg noodles but other shapes would work, too.
If you must 🙂 You could use bell pepper or some frozen peas, instead, if you like.
Yes that will work. I like to use white cheddar to keep the look of traditional tuna noodle casserole but it can be tricky to find sometimes.
Yes! You can assemble the casserole up to the step of baking. Simply cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or the casserole dish lid, and refrigerate until you're ready to bake. I would add 10 minutes to the baking time to account for the casserole starting from a colder temperature. Check the casserole after 20 minutes to make sure the potato chips aren't becoming too brown.
I love using egg noodles because they're super soft and tender.
Other Casserole Recipes to Consider
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Potato Chip Topped Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups milk I used 2%
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 8 ounces canned tuna in water
- 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1 cup crushed potato chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the egg noodles according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, make the rest of the casserole.
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil and butter.
- Once the butter is melted, add the onions and mushrooms, season with salt and garlic powder, and cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the flour to the mushrooms and onions and mix to combine, cooking another minute.
- Slowly stir in the milk followed by the chicken broth.
- Cook another 3-4 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Combine the sauce with the cooked noodles, tuna, and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13” pan and then top with the remaining cheddar cheese and crushed potato chips.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.
- Serve immediately topped with fresh chopped parsley.
- Enjoy!
