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–+ servings
healthy tuna noodle casserole

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Course: Dinner, Main Dish
Cuisine: Casseroles, Comfort Food, Fish, Pasta, Seafood
Recipe Type: 90/10 Kid Friendly, 90/10 Regular, Instant Pot®
Author: Heidi Boortz
Servings : 6

Ingredients

  • 8 oz 100% whole grain egg noodles or any whole grain noodle (SEE NOTES)
  • 1 cup frozen sliced carrots
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 1 cup frozen diced onions
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter divided
  • 3 Tbsp 100% whole wheat flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard no sugar listed in ingredients
  • 3 cans canned tuna in water, 6 oz each
  • 1 cup frozen green peas
  • 1 cup 100% whole wheat panko or make your own (SEE NOTES)
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350.
  • While pasta is cooking, in a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir vegetables into pasta.
  • In the pan used for vegetables, melt remaining butter. Whisk in flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk, about 1/4 cup at a time. Stir until smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir into pasta mixture. Stir in tuna, peas, and mustard.
  • Pour pasta mixture into a casserole dish. Top with parmesan and panko. Bake at 350 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Instant Pot®

  • Add noodles and 4 cups water to instant pot insert. Lock lid. Set valve to sealing. Program for manual-high and 4 minutes.
  • When cook time is up, choose quick release or natural pressure release (either is fine for this recipe).
  • While noodles are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet. Once melted, add celery, carrots, and onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir vegetables into pasta.
  • In same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Stir in flour. Slowly stir in milk and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add tuna and butter mixture to pasta and vegetables. Add dijon mustard and peas. Stir well. Top with parmesan and panko. Program for sauté. Cook 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve.

Notes

NOTE 1:  There are whole grain egg noodles available on the market but they can be difficult to find.  If you can find them, this dish will be a bit more like the original.  However, even we used spirals when testing because the store only had enriched egg noodles.
NOTE 2:  If you can't find whole wheat panko, just put 2 pieces of whole grain bread in the food processor and pulse until it's like bread crumbs.