Tuna Casserole with Cheddar Cheese

Serves 6 in about 37 minutes. The pot starts with dill weed, then peas.

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)
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1-2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Turn on the Sauté setting. When hot, add the oil, butter and onion. Cook, while stirring now and then, until onion starts to turn translucent.
2. Stir in 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. Leave it to the liquid heat up a little, then turn off/Cancel the Sauté setting.
4. Stir in the egg noodles. Do not stir, just gently spread them in an even layer.
5. Tip in the half and half over the noodles. Do not stir.
6. Tip in the tuna, spreading it gently over the noodles. Do not stir.
7. Tip in the mushroom soup and spread to cover the noodles. Do not stir.
8. Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid.
12. 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).
13. Stir in the peas and give a gentle stir.
14. Tip in the cheese and stir. The casserole will thicken as it cools.
15. When the cheese has melted, serve with a sprinkle of parsley as a garnish.

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.