This Potato Chip-Crusted Casserole Was Our Most Popular Recipe of the Week

But not just any old potato chips!

Low-effort dinners are the MVPs of spring (who wants to spend time drudging over dinner when the sun is finally out?), and tuna noodle casserole always seems to make it to the top of that meal roster. However, one variation of the comfort food classic is gaining more attention than the rest.

We love tuna noodle casserole for how easy and accessible it is, but this version gets a delicious (and downright fun) flavor twist from a favorite snack food. In fact, this crispy spin on the casserole was the most popular recipe on our entire site last week.

One-Pan Tuna Noodle Casserole is taken from ordinary to over-the-top with a delicious crust of sour cream and onion potato chips. The all-in-one meal comes together in under an hour, and all you need is one pot. You’ll love how easily this meal comes together, and your kids will love that they get to eat potato chips for dinner (but really, who wouldn’t?).

We could all use one less thing to think about, and with this crowd-pleasing recipe, that thing can be dinner.

Why We Love This Recipe

Perfect for a busy weeknight, this recipe uses already-prepared ingredients (that you probably already have in the pantry and fridge) to bring dinner together in a snap. Even the pasta is already cooked, so you can take out the extra step of boiling it. The one-pot prep makes both cooking and clean-up a breeze. 

Canned tuna is one of our favorite budget ingredients as it adds easy flavor and protein to any meal, but the taste can often be pungent and off-putting. In this dish, the blend of lemon, Worcestershire, and other seasonings mask that noticeably “fishy” taste from the tuna for a flavor that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy.

Sour cream and onion potato chips are the crown jewel that tops this casserole, adding loads of crunchy texture and irresistible flavor to the dinner. Cream of mushroom soup and Monterey Jack cheese combine to create a thick, creamy sauce that coats every noodle in flavor. After just 30 minutes in the oven, the casserole comes out hot and bubbly with a toasty, crave-worthy crust on top.

Inexpensive ingredients, plus a uniquely delicious flavor, keep this dinner in our weekly rotation. Plus, you can top it with as many crispy chip crumbs as your heart desires—we don't judge here.

How to Upgrade This Recipe

This recipe is a great base, but it can be personalized for perfection. You can use salt and vinegar chips as the topping instead of sour cream and onion, or opt for ridged chips instead of flat. To make the meal even heartier, add another can of tuna to the mix.

Though cream of mushroom soup is suggested, feel free to swap in cream of celery, cream of onion, or cream of potato soup, depending on what you have on hand—any creamy soup will make the dinner delicious.

Some users have added in extra cheese, sautéed onions, or mushrooms to amp up the meal. Frozen spinach gives the dish its veggie power, but if you want to add even more greens, toss in a bag of green peas as well to stick to traditional tuna noodle casserole components.