Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Casserole

This Instant Pot stuffed pepper casserole is so flavorful and simple to make! Like deconstructed stuffed peppers but cooked in your pressure cooker and way easier than the old fashioned method! With ground beef and rice you can make it as cheesy as you want.

Instant Pot Unstuffed Peppers

So we love stuffed peppers here at the house…yes even my kids. They are a little labor intensive since you need to blanch peppers, stuff them, precook the rice etc.. Since my family loves these flavors so much I thought “I should be able to make this without all the work, but the same ingredients.” Totally worked!

When I first made a deconstructed version I tried it as an easy Ninja Foodi recipe the other day. It came out great!! All the wonderful flavors you love in one pot and no precooking or boiling required to make this easy. Not only can you skip cooking the rice but you can saute the meat right in the same pot. That means less dishes too.

Ninja Foodi Stuffed Pepper Casserole

If you’ve never had stuffed peppers may I say I hadn’t either before I married my husband. It is something he remembered his grandma making so he taught me this easy stuffed green peppers recipe she used and I made them as often as I had time.

I knew there was a much easier way to get the same flavors, but a lot less tedious prep time. This is how to do it for sure. You literally throw it all in and cook in under 20 minutes. The only thing you need to ensure with this method is that you do NOT stir in the rice.

Just sprinkle in at the end and gently submerge. If you have been using this machine for a while you understand this trick and why it is done. You don’t want it sitting on the bottom or it will stick, burn, and it may cause the display to show the burn message. NO good.

Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Casserole Typical Mom

Here are a few questions you might have before you get started. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed. Yes it will look different from your childhood but is a game changer because it tastes the same!

Do I cook rice before adding to a casserole?

Nope, I never do with any one of my Instant Pot casseroles. Just sprinkle on top, submerge into the liquid but do NOT stir or it may trigger the burn message. That is a real time saver for sure. Don’t worry, it will become just as fluffy and tender as if it were cooked all by itself. Here’s what it looks like, yummy right??!! The kids love it!

Instant Pot Bell Pepper Casserole

Too many steps can make me just not want to make something when I barely have an hour at home to cook.  I wasn’t sure exactly how this one was going to turn out but the rice was cooked perfectly the first time around.

This deconstructed stuffed pepper recipe is packed with flavor! I will say that if I have my choice I will use half a pound of spicy ground sausage and half lb. of ground beef. You do want some fat for more flavor so nothing less than 80/20 should be used in my opinion.

When adding additional seasonings I do so gently because we love the flavors as is and the pasta sauce itself. Of course you can amp it up with more by adding a bit more chili powder if you like a little heat. 😉 That part is totally up to you……

One Pot Stuffed Pepper Casserole

If you need this to be dairy free you can find lactose free cheeses at the store, or just leave out.

1. Instant Pot or pressure cooker – I have a basic 6 qt version
   1. I HIGHLY suggest you get a non stick pot too!
2. White rice – we like Jasmine rice
   1. I haven’t tried it with brown rice yet but believe others have
   2. NO need to precook white rice beforehand, that’s handy
3. Bell peppers (we like a few colors)
4. Onion

Ground beef – you could use ground sausage too – This is how to defrost Instant Pot frozen ground beef in case you forgot to thaw it out the night before. 😉

Pressure Cooker Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole

We have made air fryer ground beef for prep before too.

1. Mozzarella cheese (optional but a definite must for us here)
2. Jar of spaghetti sauce
3. Can of petite diced tomatoes
4. Beef broth or water but broth is so much tastier
5. Spices
   1. I’d season with salt and pepper at the end
   2. Adding cheese on top at the end is a must for us too

Pressure Cooker Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Here is a quick step by step of how I made this. I would recommend watching the video I made in this post before starting. It will give you a good idea of exactly what I did.

1. Add olive oil. Set your Instant Pot to saute, normal or low and start to brown your ground beef.
2. When it is still slightly pink add in diced bell peppers and onion and continue to cook together so onions/peppers soften and beef is browned.
3. Turn Instant Pot off to avoid burn notice.
4. Leave ground beef on bottom of pot. Pour in spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, spices, chiles, uncooked rice, and either water or vegetable broth on top (broth is better). DO NOT STIR!

Close the lid on your Instant Pot or pressure cooker, close steam valve, and set to manual, pressure cook, low for 10 minutes cook time.  (if you don’t have the ability to put it on low set for 7 minutes on high)

• Allow to naturally release steam for 5 minutes, then let out rest.
• Stir and serve topped with mozzarella cheese.

How do you save a leftover casserole?

Make sure it reaches room temperature before transitioning what’s left into airtight containers. I like to store as much as I would reheat at a time. Transfer to microwave safe dish and warm. Below is a printable version of this unstuffed pepper recipe. Throw it into your recipe box or just come back and see us every time you want to make it.