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Instant Pot Tuna Casserole is comfort food that fills you up and tastes so creamy and delicious! We love this pressure cooker tuna noodle casserole recipe. It’s so much easier and faster to make tuna casserole in the Instant Pot!
Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
I don’t know very many people who didn’t have a tuna noodle casserole in their family’s meal rotation while growing up. We sure did, and it was always one of my favorite meals! Still is.
For this tuna noodle casserole recipe, I have adapted my recipe that I have made for years, and raised my kids on. They all love it. What I found it that it is much better made in the Instant Pot®!
What makes Instant Pot Tuna Casserole better than oven baked?
- Here’s why I think it’s better:
- It cooks much faster than in the oven. Minutes vs an hour!
- No pot of boiling water to deal with. Noodles cook with the sauce.
- One pot! I love a one-pot meal!
- The tuna casserole comes out more saucy and creamy.
- The flavors seems more pronounced.
Can I Add a Crunchy Topping?
Yes you can. See the notes section of the recipe card. But in a nutshell, you can transfer the casserole to a baking dish and add a panko/butter/parmesan topping and broil it.
Or just add crushed potato chips to your serving. Now that’s old school!
How Can I avoid the Burn message?
- That’s always a bummer. The best way to avoid getting the burn message is to follow the recipe carefully.
- Weigh your pasta!: This is the biggest reason people get the burn message when cooking pasta, because the pasta will absorb the liquid. Weighing the pasta is the most accurate way to measure it. You need 1 cup of broth/water to every 4 ounces of dry pasta. You need to be sure that you have enough liquid to create the steam needed to bring the pot to pressure.
- Don’t stir the contents before pressure cooking. Layer the ingredients as directed, but don’t stir until it is done cooking.
- Layer the Ingredients: By not stirring in the thick cream of mushroom soup, you are keeping the thin liquid on the bottom where it can boil and create the steam needed to build the pressure.
I have only had a tiny bit of scorching with this Instant Pot Tuna Casserole recipe, but not enough to give me a burn warning or affect the taste of the tuna casserole at all.
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If you make this pressure cooker tuna casserole recipe, please leave a comment below with a star rating. I’d love to know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 small Sweet Onion, diced
- 3 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Dill Weed, dried
- 12 oz Wide Egg Noodles, uncooked
- 1 cup Half and Half
- 2 (6 oz) cans Chunk Light Tuna, in water, mostly drained
- 2 (10.5 oz) cans Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (or 1 mushroom / 1 celery)
To Finish
- 2 cups Frozen Peas
- 1-2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Turn on the Sauté setting. When hot, add the oil, butter and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to turn translucent.1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, 1 small Sweet Onion,
- Add the broth, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dill. Stir, using a wooden spoon and be sure to scrape up any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot (deglaze).3 cups Chicken Broth,, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ½ teaspoon Pepper, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ teaspoon Onion Powder, ½ teaspoon Dill Weed,
- Let the liquid heat up a little, then turn off/Cancel the Sauté setting.
- Add the egg noodles. Do not stir, just gently spread them in an even layer.12 oz Wide Egg Noodles,
- Pour the the half and half over the noodles. Do not stir.1 cup Half and Half
- Add the tuna, spreading it gently over the noodles. Do not stir.2 (6 oz) cans Chunk Light Tuna,
- Add the mushroom soup and spread to cover the noodles. Do not stir.2 (10.5 oz) cans Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 3 minutes for soft noodles (2 minutes for firmer noodles). High Pressure. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
- When the cook cycle has finished, turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to Quick Release the steam/pressure. **If any soup starts to come out of the steam vent, close it and release the pressure in bursts until the pressure has gone down enough to release the pressure fully.
- When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid.
- Carefully take the pot out of the pressure cooker housing using oven mitts, and set on a heat safe surface (this keeps it from cooking more).
To Finish
- Add the peas and give a gentle stir.2 cups Frozen Peas
- Add the cheese and stir. The casserole will thicken as it cools.1-2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese,
- When the cheese has melted, serve with a sprinkle of parsley as a garnish.2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley,
Notes
Avoiding the Burn Warning
It is very important to have the broth-to-noodle ratio correct to avoid burning from not having enough liquid. 12 ounces of noodles needs 3 cups of broth. The noodles will absorb it. So be sure to use the correct amounts of both. If You Want a Crunchy ToppingYou can transfer the casserole to a baking dish and add a ½ cup Panko / 1 Tbsp melted butter / ½ cup parmesan topping (mix those together and sprinkle on top). Then just broil it for a few minutes. You can also just add crushed potato chips to your serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved this recipe. It was exactly what I always wanted tuna casserole to be. Thank you
Always a favorite for my ten year old daughter. It’s her most requested meal.
Great recipe. I just substituted 3 /12 cups of home-made almond milk for the chicken broth and half and half.
Very good!
My friends love this recipe I’ve made it twice and it was a big hit every time. I’m getting ready to make it again
LOVED!! no burn message 🙂 3 mins under pressure and done! Perfectly cooked noodles and creamy delicious casserole. YAY!
I made this tonight but didn’t add the cheese. Very delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
I’m looking forward to trying this. Can you use a non flavored oat milk or almond milk instead of half/half, for someone who is lactose intolerant but can tolerate the cream of mushroom soup.
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work.
Of course! In fact, I substituted almond milk for both the half and half and the chicken broth.
Can I make 1/2 recipe of this? Would the time change?
The time stays the same.
My son loves tuna casserole so I was thrilled to find an instant pot recipe-the flavor is so much better, I think. This is a family favorite and is in our meal rotation on a regular basis. I also love that it makes enough for two meals for our family of four!!
I make this it was so very good making it again
I have a can of cheese soup. Can I use this instead of the cheddar just to use it up.
I love your recipes and glad I found this one
Yes you can. I would stir it in after pressure cooking.