Karate Kid Casserole

Karate Kid Casserole–Instant Pot chicken spaghetti with vegetables and parmesan cheese. An easy and delicious one pot meal.

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Karate Kid Casserole

This is my Instant Pot take on chicken cacciatore. I love Karate Kid so I stopped scrolling when I saw a recipe for Mama LaRusso’s Chicken Cacciatore on The Gluttonous Geek. Don’t we all love Daniel Larusso’s mom, Lucille? You know she would be cooking up good Italian dinners for her son to fuel his waxing on and off and his painting the fence. Lol. It’s one of those meals that feels hearty, but not heavy, and because it’s packed with veggies, it’s nourishing. Also, making it in the Instant Pot means minimal cleanup (hello, one-pot meals!). You get to just set it and forget it. We all adored this dinner and I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tonight!

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Olive oil–or canola, vegetable
• Onion–yellow, white
• Mushrooms
• Kosher salt
• Carrots
• Garlic–fresh or jarred
• Chicken broth–water or Better than Bouillon chicken base
• Spaghetti–thin, whole wheat or other
• Boneless skinless chicken thighs–or chicken breasts
• Crushed tomatoes
• Italian seasoning
• Tomato paste
• Low sodium soy sauce
• Sugar
• Parmesan cheese–or parmigiana reggiano

Steps

Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and swirl around. Add in the onion and mushrooms and a pinch of kosher salt. Saute for 3 minutes. Stir in the carrots and garlic and saute for 1 more minute. 

Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot. 

Break the spaghetti in half and lay it in a criss cross pattern in the pot.

Lay the chicken on top of the spaghetti and sprinkle a pinch of salt over the chicken. Pour the crushed tomatoes over the top. Then add the Italian seasoning, tomato paste, soy sauce and sugar on top. 

Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5-10 minutes and then move valve to venting and remove the lid.

Stir in the parmesan cheese.

Serve and enjoy!

Notes/Tips

• Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.
• I love using chicken thighs for this recipe because they stay moist and tender. You can use chicken breasts if that’s what you have on hand. Just be aware that breasts can dry out a bit more quickly.
• Try adding in a handful of chopped bell peppers. These add color and sweetness.
• For a pop of flavor and color add some fresh chopped basil onto each individual portion.
• If you’re an olive lover, add a handful of black or green olives when you add in the parmesan cheese. They bring a slightly briny, salty element that contrasts with the sweet tomatoes.
• I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 8 quart pot.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight, and warm it up on the stove or in the microwave when you’re ready to enjoy it again.
• Other recipes you can make with tomato paste are No Cap Soup and Ground Beef Lentil Casserole.

Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for. 

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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.