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Cheesy Instant Pot Sausage and Rice

Instant Pot sausage and rice is so good! A cheesy casserole packed with smoked sausage, tender rice and vegetables cooked all in one pot in no time at all. 

instant pot sausage and rice

This Instant Pot sausage and rice casserole is amazing!! With shredded cheddar cheese inside and melted on the top, yet another easy one pot meal just added to our list of 101+ Instant Pot recipes. Sponsored by Kroger. (originally published 10/19, affiliate links present)

Instant Pot Cheesy Sausage and Rice

If you and your family love cheesy comfort food this is going to go on your meal rotation! Packed full of smoked sausage and creamy rice, it’s an easy dinner both adults and kids ask for again. I just pick up a package of Kielbasa at the store and I have the rest to make this happen every single week.

You can use other high pressure machines to make this too. IP is here but a Crockpot express or Ninja Foodi works the same way. For the latter you use the lid that is not attached. You just need to saute the meat and use high pressure with the rice and all of those have that.

FIRST – You should sign up for my free newsletter so you get new posts emailed to you twice a week and never miss out on anything! Now let’s start with a few basic tips:

For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.

star wars instant pot

Ninja Foodi Sausage and Rice

Can we talk about flavor for a minute here??!! This pressure cooker sausage and rice dinner is PACKED full of it. How?? Well, you can see where it came from below. Yep, smoked sausage. All you have to do is slice it into half moons and throw them right in. We’re all about easy meals here on The Typical Mom blog. 😉

You can see where I started here. Using precooked meat will make things a bit easier. I have used raw sausages before when making InstaPot jambalaya but it doesn’t slice as well with the casing. You have to spend a bit of time cooking that at the beginning too since pork needs to be cooked to a safe internal temperature.

Use whichever you prefer, even Italian sausages will work if that is what you love the most.

instant pot sausage recipe

Cajun Sausage and Rice Instant Pot

How is it SO easy? Well, this Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage (I bought at Kroger) is already fully cooked! That means you just need to warm it up a bit really. I like to saute it just a bit with a little olive oil and diced onions before throwing in all the other ingredients so it gets golden brown.

It’s also packed full of traditional spices we all love in order to deliver exceptional flavor in anything it’s added to. Have you tried it?? I first used it to make my slow cooker cheesy potatoes for brunch and I just couldn’t stop there.

If you wanted to make this spicy I would do so now so it kinda’ bakes on to the meat. Add 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/8 of a teaspoon for a more medium heat.

pressure cooker sausage and rice

Frozen Sausage and Rice Instant Pot

If all you have is right out of the freezer you will need to steam them first. I would follow our how to cook frozen brats instructions minus 1 minute because it will be cooked longer inside the pot later. You just want to cook the insides so they are safe and can be sliced too.

  1. Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage – cut into half moons
    1. could choose andouille sausage for some heat
  2. Olive oil
  3. Onion
  4. White rice – uncooked, long grain
  5. Beef broth
  6. Frozen mixed vegetables
  7. Cream of mushroom soup
  8. Cheese – shredded sharp cheddar is best
  9. Garlic salt and pepper
  10. Cajun seasoning could be added for a bit of heat

You’ll start by sauteeing the first 3 items together to brown the outsides of your sausage pieces just a bit. This is not a necessary step, but I recommend doing it to get a bit of caramelization on the meat. Makes it so darn yummy.

instant pot recipes

Then you’re going to add in your vegetables, condensed soup and beef broth. You can do this two ways:

  • I like to whisk the broth and cream of mushroom soup together in a separate bowl, and then pour that into my pot.

You could just dump it all in and stir together to remove the lumps too. I just think it is easier to use a whisk and smooth it out separately beforehand.

Don’t get me wrong, I have done it both ways especially when I’m in a hurry. It works no matter what. I just like to share my experiences with you and give you several options. 😉

instant pot rice recipe

What is important to know when making anything with white rice: Make sure you deglaze your Instant Pot after browning your meat. If you don’t you may receive the burn notice on the screen. You are going to use uncooked white rice. Long grain or Jasmine is my preference.

Rice casseroles cooked in a pressure cooker need to be layered with the rice sprinkled on top!

  • It is important that you DO NOT stir all the contents after you add your uncooked rice.
    • If you do it will likely trigger the burn message, and will stick to the bottom which will be difficult to get off.
  • Sprinkle it in when you add the rice on top of all your other ingredients.

Then just use a spoon to gently submerge it into the top of your liquid. Following this last direction will ensure that your Instant Pot casserole will come out perfectly every time!

instant pot sausage casserole

Now let me share the basic steps to follow: First you’re going to add the oil and diced onions into your pot. Set to saute. A 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot or any brand of pressure cooker will work. Add the sausages cooking until browned on the outsides.

  1. Pour a bit of your both into the pot and scrape any stuck on pieces off or your pot may say BURN when it’s preheating or cooking.
  2. Turn your pot off and add your frozen vegetables. In a bowl whisk together your condensed soup and remaining broth until smooth. Pour that in too.
  3. Sprinkle in your rice on the top and gently submerge into the liquid. Do NOT stir!
  4. Close lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 9 minutes.
  5. Then allow for a 3 minute natural release. Followed by a quick release
  6. Take lid off, stir in half the cheese and let it rest for 10 minutes to thicken. Then add other half on top, put lid on and let it sit for 5 minutes to melt.

Yes!! The cooking time is just that fast! It thickens a lot as it sits too and is great the next day as leftovers. Just microwave in 30 second increments stirring in between to reheat it. Once it is done it’s time for LOTS of cheese!! Can you leave out the cheese? Yes, but ummmm it’s pretty amazing with it. Totally your choice really. Look at this spoonful!

instant pot casserole

Kielbasa Sausage Recipe

What can you serve with this Instant Pot sausage recipe? I don’t really serve anything with it but you could add:

  1. More steamed vegetables
  2. Sliced baguette
  3. Rolls
  4. Side salad

So what are you waiting for?? Head to your local grocery store and grab a package of Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage so you can make this Instant Pot recipe this week! Then try our Instant Pot beef stew casserole like this cheesy Instant Pot chicken broccoli rice dish.

They will have all the other ingredients there too, all you have to do is print the recipe below. Take it with you so you don’t forget a thing and let us know what you think!

hillshire farm smoked sausage

Want to see a few of my favorite things that I am totally obsessed with?? Take a peek and see how many you might already have…twinsies!

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4.67 from 18 votes

Instant Pot Sausage and Rice

Instant Pot sausage and rice is so good! A cheesy casserole packed with smoked sausage, tender rice and vegetables cooked all in one pot in no time at all.
Course Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, german
Keyword casserole, instant pot, pressure cooker, rice, sausage
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 289kcal
Author The Typical Mom

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put pressure cooker on saute and add olive oil. Then slice sausage into half moon pieces. Put these and your diced onion into your pressure cooker.
  • Cook just until sausage is lightly browned on the outsides. Then turn pot off. Add 1/4 cup of your broth into your pot and scrape with a wooden spoon to get any stuck on pieces off = deglazing your pot.
  • Sprinkle in all of your seasonings and your frozen vegetables.
  • In a bowl whisk together the remaining broth with your can of cream of mushroom soup until smooth, pour this into your pot.
  • Stir all contents together.
  • Sprinkle uncooked rice on to the top but DO NOT STIR. Just gently push down so it is submerged into the liquid.
  • Put lid on, close steam valve and set to high pressure for 9 minutes. Then allow to naturally release steam for 3 minutes before letting out remaining steam with a quick release.
  • Add in 1/2 of your cheese and stir gently into rice casserole. Allow to rest with lid off so it thickens for 10 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and place lid back on for 5 minutes so cheese melts. (even if you don't add extra cheese, let it sit for at least 10 minutes with lid off to thicken up)
  • Serve and enjoy!

Video

Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Sausage and Rice
Amount Per Serving (3 oz)
Calories 289 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 22mg7%
Sodium 1179mg51%
Potassium 239mg7%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 1729IU35%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 161mg16%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Recipe Rating




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Kimmycristo

Sunday 6th of November 2022

Honestly we were shocked that it was so tasty because it was so simple. It's a keeper!

The Typical Mom

Sunday 6th of November 2022

Oh good!!

Shannon

Sunday 29th of May 2022

Used the recipe for insta pot pressure cooking time, wild rice turned out chewy and just the tiniest bit Al dente, maybe leave the lid on for 4 minutes of natural release but I was in a hurry to try it, it smelled so good! Cooked ground elk Italian sausage in coconut milk, beef broth and stewed tomatoes and mixed in a little yogurt at the end for the kids. I loved it, thanks!

Alice

Tuesday 17th of May 2022

I like to add sliced mushrooms and sauté with the onions and sausage. This is super versatile and I’ve made it with diced leftover ham instead of sausage and added a variety of veggies. Super easy and a quick dinner. Also makes good leftovers for lunch.

The Typical Mom

Saturday 21st of May 2022

Love leftovers

Tammy

Sunday 6th of March 2022

Love all of your recipes I’ve tried so far! This is the first one I’ve ever had an issue with. Followed exactly and deglazed after browning the sausage and onion and got a burn message. I dumped everything out of the pit and scraped the pot clean. Put it back in the pot with more broth and got it again. I was so mad!! I just took it and out it in a pot on the stove to finish it off. What could have caused this to happen?

Amy

Saturday 25th of March 2023

@Tammy, I had this happen too. I stopped putting the cream of mushroom soup in until the end. Since I did that I haven’t had the burn message.

Paula

Friday 4th of March 2022

The possibilities are endless with the combinations you can use in this recipe! I used turkey sausage, chicken bone broth, the entire bag of frozen mixed veggies, and some freshly roasted jalapeno peppers. I added some Susie Q's seasoning (Santa Maria style seasoning, perfect for EVERYTHING). I was super careful with my rice and it didn't get completely cooked, but next time I will add a couple minutes. For now, I didn't want to pressure cook again after I added the (extra sharp freshly shredded) cheese, so I threw it in the oven covered with foil to "steam" it a bit better before I serve it. I'll add cheese on top before serving. Since I taste-tested... I can tell you, it's AMAZEBALLS! Already thinking about the options for next time...

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