Learn how to make a delicious, creamy Instant Pot Tuna Casserole recipe from scratch, no canned soups in sight. Featuring pasta noodles, creamy cheesy sauce and crunchy topping, this casserole is perfect for a family dinner that is quick, easy and budget-friendly.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Instant Pot Casserole, Tuna Noodle Casserole, Tuna Recipes, Instant Pot Pasta Recipes, Canned Tuna Recipes, Budget-Friendly, Instant Pot Dinner Recipes
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 6
Calories 568kcal
Author Irena Macri
Ingredients
For Pasta Cooking
14ozpastasuch fusilli, shells or penne (14 oz/ about 400 g)
1teaspoonsalt
For the sauce
1tablespoonbutter
1onionmedium, finely diced
1celery stalkdiced
1teaspoonsalt
2cloves garlicdiced
1tablespoonall-purpose flour
1.5cupsmilk
1cupcreamor half & half, or light sour cream
1cupCheddar cheesegrated
1cupfrozen peasthawed out in boiling hot water
10ozcanned tunadrained
½teaspoonblack pepper
⅓cupgreen onionschopped or chives
For the topping
½cupRitz crackerscrushed into crumbs
½cuppotato chipscrushed into crumbs
Extra green onions
Instructions
Pressure to cook the pasta
Add dry pasta, water and salt to the Instant Pot. The water should just cover the pasta.
Secure and lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to 5 minutes (see notes for times) on HIGH pressure. The pressure will take about 10-12 minutes to build up and the timer will start. Once the timer is done, do a quick release to depressurize the pot.
Note: Halfway through, the steam jet will get a bit frothy and fizzy, which is pretty normal when cooking pasta. You can hover a towel above the steam jet to catch some of the liquid.
Strain the pasta and set aside in the sieve. Return the pot to the Instant Pot base.
Make the creamy sauce
Turn the Saute on Normal mode. Melt the butter and add onions, celery and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes to soften, stirring a few times. Add the garlic and stir through.
While still on Saute, add the flour and and stir through for 30 seconds to a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk in batches, combining it with the flour. Then whisk in the sour cream and, finally, grated cheese, again in batches. Turn the Saute off once the cheese has melted into the sauce.
Stir in the peas, chunks of tuna and pepper. Add the cooked pasta and green onions and stir through.
Transfer to a casserole dish and top with crushed Ritz crackers and potato chips, garnish with extra green onions or chives.
Notes
Cooking Times For Pasta Shapes: 5 minutes for Fusilli or Penne, maybe 4 minutes for shells