How to Make Instant Pot Casserole

This Instant Pot casserole with chicken, pork or beef and pasta is amazing! Cooked in one pot, follow this method to make a ton of new meals.

Ever wondered how to make an Instant Pot casserole where the noodles and meat come out tender? I have made SO many Instant Pot recipes over the years and I’m ready to share these tips with you! Then you can add chicken, shredded pork or ground beef and create your own.

• There is a trick to making an Instant Pot casserole for sure!

If you don’t have enough liquid you’ll trigger the burn notice. Add too much pasta and it won’t come out tender like you want it. If you stir the pasta or rice in and you’re REALLY in trouble!

I will talk about it all below, and include a new recipe for what we call, Instant Pot pork pasta. You could easily use shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey too, it’s super versatile.

The main ingredients you’ll need to make a pressure cooker casserole are:

1. Pasta – I like using small to medium sizes and NOT long noodles. I have only used those to make our Instant Pot spaghetti.
2. Broth – You can use chicken, beef or vegetable. Water can alternatively be used but doesn’t lend nearly the flavor that this does.
3. Meat – If using leftover precooked meat you can skip the step where you saute it with olive oil first.
4. Cheese is of course optional but it’s a must in our house.
5. Sour cream will make your dish creamy, but is also optional. 
6. Cornstarch whisked together with a bit of cold water works well to thicken it up, set to saute first and add when it’s bubbling.

I have occasionally added vegetables too but those are tricky if you’re using fresh. Frozen mixed vegetables are pretty safe and won’t get to mushy. We used those in our pressure cooker chicken noodle casserole recipe.

Now for the important tips so you’ll be successful and you won’t get the dreaded BURN on Instant Pot notice on the screen:

First: I HIGHLY suggest you buy this non stick pot right now!! It will make cleanup easier, but more than that it will almost eliminate the burn notice from appearing on your pot.

• The pot has a ceramic non stick coating which is an added barrier between the heating element and your food.
• Some pots are SUPER temperamental and say burn even when nothing is happening you should be aware of, this pot will prevent a lot of that from occuring.

Now: Whether you cook your meat with olive oil on saute, or use precooked meat, you MUST leave it on the bottom of your pot. Spread it out across evenly.

Then: You’ll want to layer your other ingredients on top of that, followed by your cups of water or both. Broth is SO much better for flavor. The ratio of noodles to broth varies but should look similar to below.

Lastly: Sprinkle your uncooked noodles or rice on the very top and DO NOT SUBMERGE or STIR it in!! Just gently press them down into the liquid just so they’re wet.

• THIS last step is key to making any Instant Pot casserole recipe a success! Most failures are because someone has not followed this direction.
• If you don’t you will most likely receive the burn notice and all your starches will be stuck to the bottom horribly!

Another tip is you’ll want to quick release the steam after cooking on high pressure so the noodles don’t get mushy. If you’re using rice I usually natural release for 2 minutes to allow it to fluff up inside.

What do you need to make this pressure cooker casserole below?

• Electric pressure cooker
  • any brand, a Ninja Foodi works too
• Precooked shredded pork – beef or chicken would work too
• Noodles
• Chicken broth
• Garlic powder and other seasonings
• Cream cheese
• Cheese
• Cornstarch is good to thicken it up a bit

We have used long grain white rice instead of pasta before, like in our Instant Pot hamburger casserole. I don’t use brown rice as it alters the timing a lot and we prefer the other.

If you’d like to make a version of this with white rice, use our Instant Pot chicken rice casserole recipe so you can get a feel for how that style works.

Pressure cooking is really the way to go if you want quick cooking times and the ability to eat together as a family more often. I used my slow cooker a lot in the past, but this magic pot has been a game changer for me to make more homemade meals.

Looking for other Instant Pot casseroles you might love too?

• I love our Pressure cooker enchilada casserole too.
• Our pressure cooker lemon chicken casserole was a hit.
• Then try this Instant Pot pizza pasta for the kids.

You can print recipe below.

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5 from 3 votes

Instant Pot Casserole

This Instant Pot casserole with chicken, pork or beef and pasta is amazing! Cooked in one pot, follow this method to make a ton of new meals.

Course Entree, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword beer can chicken, casserole, cream cheese, instant pot, leftover, pork

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 593kcal

Author The Typical Mom

Ingredients

• 2 c shredded pork or shredded chicken or beef, precooked already, leftovers are great
• 2 c noodles we used rotini, uncooked
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp parsley
• 4 c chicken broth
• 8 oz cream cheese room temp
• 3 c cheese cheddar, shredded
• 1 tbsp cornstarch optional, to thicken

Instructions

• Place shredded meat across bottom of pot, then sprinkle uncooked noodles on top with seasonings on top of that.
• Pour in your broth. Close lid and steam valve and set to pressure high for 5 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release for 2 minutes when done, then quick release.
• Stir contents, sprinkle in cheese, stir so it melts.
• Set pot to saute. Cut room temp. cream cheese into chunks and add into pot. Slowly stir so that melts too and makes casserole creamy.
• When bubbling add cornstarch into small bowl and whisk in water until it is smooth. Add into pot and stir so it thickens, turn pot off now.
• Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes to continue to thicken up before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Casserole

Amount Per Serving (2 oz)

Calories 593 Calories from Fat 342

% Daily Value*

Fat 38g58%

Saturated Fat 21g131%

Cholesterol 135mg45%

Sodium 1905mg83%

Potassium 283mg8%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 14g16%

Protein 30g60%

Vitamin A 1192IU24%

Vitamin C 12mg15%

Calcium 497mg50%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.