Instant Pot Tuna Casserole

A black bowl with spiral pasta, peas, and tuna on a linen napkin.

5 from 14 votes

Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole is a remake of a retro casserole without any processed ingredients for a tasty pantry staple dinner. A quick, affordable, tasty dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword instant pot tuna casserole, quick tuna pasta dinner, tuna casserole

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

Servings servings

Calories 479kcal

Author Eileen Kelly

Equipment

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.

Notes

Be sure to check Variations, Expert Tips, and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help make a delicious recipe.

Note 1: Dairy-Free, use olive oil. Divided and used as 1 Tablespoon for sauteing the vegetables. 2 Tablespoons to make the roux.

Note 2: Regular milk can be used.

Note 3: Always taste before serving and if needed, adjust any seasoning.

Note 4: We prefer solid white albacore tuna, chunky white can be used. Also, try not to use tuna packed in oil. The extra oil can make the sauce greasy.

Note 5: Cashew cheese can be used if dairy-free.

Note 6: To ensure the ingredients cook correctly and prevent the " burn message", do not mix ingredients.

Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.

Nutrition