Instant Pot Tuna Casserole

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I’m excited to share this Instant Pot Tuna Casserole recipe with you. Tuna noodle casserole is one of those things most people grew up on! I wasn’t lucky enough to grow up on it but I’ve loved it since I tried it in my 20s! I tried to keep this recipe as homey and comforting as possible. It’s super easy to make and you won’t believe how delicious it is!

Making Pasta in the Instant Pot

If you haven’t tried making pasta recipes in the Instant Pot, you are missing out! It is incredibly easy and the cleanup is a breeze. See, there’s no need to drain the pasta so when you’re done, you only have one pot to clean up. With a family of 7, easy cleanup is key in my book.

If you’re scared of a starchy mess when you release the pressure, I have a trick for mess-free pasta in the Instant Pot. This is for when you’re making plain pasta for things like mac and cheese. So, after making this Instant Pot Tuna Casserole, try one of my other Easy Instant Pot Pasta Recipes and fall in love with making pasta in your pressure cooker!

Using the CrispLid or Oven to Finish it Off

My recipe for Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole has a crispy potato chip topping. It’s the perfect finishing touch! You can, of course, transfer the tuna casserole to a baking dish and crisp the potato chips in the oven. The second way to crisp the topping is to use the Mealthy CrispLid.

If you don’t already know what it is or what it can do, you can see my review on the CrispLid. If you don’t have one, you can purchase it on the Mealthy website.

The CrispLid turns your pressure cooker into an air fryer and broiler. It makes it easy to make the tuna casserole in the Instant Pot and then simply unplug your pot, and use your CrispLid to crisp the potato chip topping to your liking. Works great to brown cheese on pasta as well.

How to Make Tuna Noodle Casserole in the Instant Pot

Let’s get started making this easy and delicious Instant Pot Tuna Casserole recipe. Start by setting out your frozen peas. If you put them in water they’ll thaw faster.

Prepare the Cream Sauce

Next, you’ll prepare the cream sauce. First, add the flour into the heavy cream and whisk until smooth. Then add the Better than Bouillon to the cream and mix it well. Lastly, add the evaporated milk slowly mixing as you go until you have a smooth sauce. Set the cream sauce aside for now.

Sauté the Onion and Celery

Push the Sauté button on your Instant Pot and adjust the heat level to Normal. When the digital display reads Hot, add a tablespoon of butter to the pot and allow it to melt. Then add the onions and celery to the pot and toss them in the butter. Sauté them for a few minutes until the onion is soft.

Add the Stock, Salt, and Pepper

Once the onion is soft, cancel out of the Sauté function. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper to the pot and deglaze the bottom of the liner by scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Add the Noodles and Tuna

Now add the egg noodles to the pot and push them down as much as possible. They won’t all be submerged in the broth, but that’s ok. They’ll all be fully cooked by the time the casserole is ready to serve. Now, dump the cans of tuna, with their juices, on top of the noodles without mixing.

Cook the Casserole

Close your pot and set the knob to Sealing. Cook on high pressure “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” for 2 minutes. After the cooking time is finished, allow for a 1-minute Natural Pressure Release. Once that has passed, leave the pot on Keep Warm and release the rest of the pressure. When the pin drops you can open your pot.

When opening the pot, some of the noodles on top may look a little undercooked. That’s ok. They will finish cooking through the next steps.

Add the Remaining Ingredients

Gently mix in the remaining butter, peas, cream sauce, and one cup of shredded sharp cheddar. Let the casserole sit on Keep Warm, occasionally giving everything a stir, until the peas warm through and the cheese has melted. This will take about five minutes.

Add the Crunchy Potato Chip Topping

If using a CrispLid, add the potato chip topping and the rest of the cheese and follow the timing instructions on the recipe card below. If using the oven to crisp the topping, transfer the pasta to a baking dish and then add the topping. Bake it according to the instructions below. Once the crispy topping is golden, remove the CrispLid from the Instant Pot or remove the baking dish from the oven and serve and enjoy!

I know you and your family will love my easy Instant Pot Tuna Casserole! Let me know in the comments when you make it and don’t forget to give it a star rating!