Instant Pot Tuna Casserole is comfort food without any processed ingredients and a little twist to put this over the top delicious.
We use coconut milk to add a nice umami flavor combination with tender noodles, flaky tuna, velvety peas, and dill.
This pantry staple dish is taken to the next level of yumminess. It is luscious and a fabulous family dinner.
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❤️ Why this recipe works
- Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole takes a classic casserole to the next level of ease with this simple recipe.
🔪 Ingredients
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- olive oil or unsalted butter
- onion
- celery
- garlic
- all-purpose flour
- coconut milk
- chicken stock
- dried dill
- salt
- pepper
- dry small pasta
- solid white tuna packed in water, drained
- frozen peas, defrosted
- cheddar cheese
🍲 Equipment
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
- Press Saute on the Instant Pot. When the vessel is warm, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil or butter.
- Add onion and celery to the hot oil. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, saute for another minute to release the flavor of the garlic.
- Remove the vegetables to a small bowl, set aside. Shut off the Instant Pot.
- Pour the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil into the vessel of the Instant Pot. Stir in the all-purpose flour and whisk to form a brown roux.
- Whisk the coconut milk into the roux. Be sure to stir up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Mix in the chicken stock, dill, salt, and pepper.
- Add back in the sauteed veggies. Then, layer in the pasta, tuna, and cheese. (Do not mix) See Note 6.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to manual pressure, high for 5 minutes. The noodles will be soft. If you prefer harder noodles, set time to 3 minutes.
- Once cook time is complete, do a quick release.
- Stir in the peas and let sit for 2 minutes.
- Taste, if needed adjust seasoning. Serve and enjoy.
⭐ How to store, reheat, and freeze
Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator in a covered airtight container for 3 days.
Freezer - Leftovers can be stored in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the microwave, following manufacturer's instructions.
The leftovers can also be defrosted in the refrigerator for a few hours and reheat the tuna casserole in the oven at a preheated temperature of 350°F.
💭 Expert Tips
Expert Tip: Once the brown bits are scraped from the bottom, hit the cancel and let the vessel cool slightly before continuing with the recipe.
- I have been finding my 8-quart pot gets a frequent burn message. To prevent it, after using the saute function, be sure to bring up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pot with your liquid. In this recipe, the coconut milk.
📋 Frequently Asked Questions
It is believed that this casserole originated in the Pacific Northwest of the United States in the early 1950's.
📖 Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe? Here are some ways that you increase the flavor of this dish.
- Add in salmon in lieu of canned tuna.
- Use any small pasta you have handy for this recipe.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
A fantastic side dish is an easy Arugula salad.
🍽 Similar recipes
Some of my favorite pantry recipes include our Linguine with White Clam Sauce, One-Pot Chili Mac, Skillet Texas Hash, and Creamy Ham and Peas Pasta.
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Eileen xo
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter Note 1
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup coconut milk Note 2
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dried dill Note 3
- ½ teaspoon salt Note 3
- ½ teaspoon pepper Note 3
- 1 pound dry small pasta
- 5 ounce solid white tuna packed in water, drained Note 4
- 1 cup peas, defrosted
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese Note 5
Instructions
- Press Saute on the Instant. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil or butter.
- Add in onion and celery to the hot oil. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, saute for another minute to release the flavor of the garlic.
- Remove the vegetables to a small bowl, set aside. Shut off the Instant Pot.
- Pour the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil into the vessel of the Instant Pot. Stir in the all-purpose flour and whisk to form a brown roux.
- Whisk in the coconut milk into the roux. Be sure to stir up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Mix in the chicken stock, dill, salt, and pepper.
- Add back in the sauteed veggies. Then, layer in the pasta, tuna, and cheese. (Do not mix) See Note 6.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to manual pressure, high for 5 minutes. The noodles will be soft. If you prefer harder noodles, set time to 3 minutes.
- Once cook time is complete, do a quick release.
- Stir in the peas and let sit for 2 minutes.
- Taste, if needed adjust seasoning. Serve and enjoy.
