Cheesy Ranch Ground Beef Casserole

Cheesy Ranch Ground Beef Casserole–an easy Instant Pot dinner made with ground beef, creamy Arborio rice, ranch seasoning and melty cheese for a rich one-pot meal.

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Cheesy Ranch Ground Beef Casserole

I love that this recipe gets so creamy without needing a can of cream soup. The Arborio releases starch as it cooks and creating an almost risotto-like texture (without having to stand at the stove stirring forever). The ranch seasoning is another one of my favorite shortcuts because it adds tons of flavor all from one packet. It’s also the kind of recipe that’s easy to change up depending on what you have on hand. Toss in some mushrooms, broccoli, peas, or spinach, or try a different cheese to make it your own. Enjoy!

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Lean ground beef–or ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork
• Minced dry onion–or diced fresh onion
• Dry ranch dressing mix
• Beef broth–or chicken broth
• Arborio rice–no good substitute; short-grain rice is the closest option (do not use long-grain rice without adjusting the recipe)
• Cream cheese
• Cheddar cheese–or Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, mozzarella, parmesan
• Milk–or half-and-half. The milk is optional and only needed if the casserole thickens more than you’d like after standing.
• Sliced green onion

Steps

Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the beef and break it up. Add in the onion. Brown for 5 minutes, drain off excess grease. Stir in the ranch dressing mix.

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

Sprinkle in the rice. Add cream cheese on top.

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

Stir in the cheese. Add milk, as needed, to loosen up (I stirred in 1/3 cup).

Serve topped with green onion.

Notes/Tips

• Serve with steamed broccoli or roasted green beans.
• You can easily double this recipe to feed 6. Double all the ingredients and keep the cooking time the same.
• Try adding in 4 oz of chopped mushrooms when you brown the beef.
• Try adding in a handful of frozen peas or some spinach after the pressure cook time is up.
• This recipe can be gluten free if you use gluten free ranch dressing mix.
• I used my 4 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3, 6 or 8 quart pot.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. The texture of the rice may soften slightly after thawing, but it will still taste delicious.
• Arborio rice creates a creamy, risotto-like texture without requiring constant stirring. I buy my arborio rice in the bulk section at Winco. Other recipes you can make with arborio rice are Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Risotto and Rich Uncle Chicken.

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.