Instant Pot Big Sky Casserole–rice, beans, tomatoes and seasoned ground beef topped with melty cheese.

Big Sky Casserole
Today’s recipe is my Instant Pot adaptation from a recipe on the Amish 365 Blog. The author explains that this recipe comes from, “The Kootenai Amish community [which] is nestled in a mountain valley just a few miles south of the Canadian border in the far far northwestern corner of Montana.” This casserole recipe originates from the Amish community in Rexford, Montana and was given to him when he visited.
I was intrigued since I am from the Big Sky state…although not the northwest corner of the state. Where I’m from we do not have Amish people but there are Hutterites which live in a communal setting. Hutterite culture places great importance on maintaining social harmony, simplicity, and a close-knit community life. It’s worth noting that while Hutterites share similarities with other Anabaptist groups such as the Amish and Mennonites, they have their own unique practices and traditions.
Anyhow…moving on to the recipe! This recipe has a unique combination of ingredients but in the end it all goes well together. It has simple, pantry-friendly ingredients and it takes only a few minutes to put together. You can get creative with the ingredients and add or subtract as you see fit.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Lean ground beef–ground turkey
- Onion–yellow or white
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Beef broth–or water and Better than Bouillon beef base
- Converted rice–or long grain white rice, jasmine rice or basmati rice
- Canned diced tomatoes–or fire roasted tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Great northern beans–or navy beans
- Sharp cheddar–or shredded Mozzarella, Colby, Mexican cheese blends
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the beef and break it up. Add in the onions. Brown for 5 minutes.

Drain off excess grease. Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder.

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

Sprinkle in the rice.

Dump in the tomatoes, tomato sauce and beans.

Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 3 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting.

Sprinkle the cheese on top and let it melt. Serve and enjoy.

Notes/Tips
- Consider serving this casserole alongside a simple green salad with a vinaigrette dressing.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- This recipe is gluten-free.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Get creative! Try adding in sliced mushrooms with the onions. Or add in a can of corn with the beans.
- What is converted/parboiled rice? Don’t confuse converted rice (or sometimes it is called parboiled rice) with pre-cooked or minute rice. Parboiled rice has been processed in its husk by soaking, steaming, and drying. As a result, all the nutrients from the husk are absorbed into the grain before it’s removed. The starch content alters in the process, making cooked parboiled rice less sticky than regular white rice. The rice kernels aren’t clumpy and glued together instead they are more separated. I found a bag of parboiled rice at Walmart next to the normal long grain white rice. Sometimes I buy it at Winco in the bulk section. I have also found it in the orange box (Ben’s brand) next to other rices.
- Other recipes you can make with converted rice are Instant Pot Spanish Rice With Beef and Grand Canyon Casserole.

More Instant Pot Amish Recipes…
Instant Pot Amish Casserole
Egg noodles with seasoned ground beef, marinara sauce, cream cheese and cheddar. An easy dinner made in your Instant Pot that tastes like home.
Instant Pot Amish Chicken Casserole
An easy chicken, stuffing and vegetable casserole. Make it fast in your Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Amish Chicken and Noodles
Thick noodles in a savory chicken gravy with chunks of tender chicken. This Amish classic is best served over a pile of mashed potatoes.
Instant Pot Amish Cabbage and Potato Casserole
Seasoned ground beef with cabbage, potatoes and a creamy sauce.
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.


Big Sky Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Rice, beans, tomatoes and seasoned ground beef topped with melty cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/3 cups beef broth
- 1 cup converted rice
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the beef and break it up. Add in the onions. Brown for 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder.
- Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Sprinkle in the rice then dump in the tomatoes, tomato sauce and beans.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 3 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top and let it melt.
- Serve and enjoy.
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot

*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.
I sort of made this. I don’t eat rice ever. Long, weird story. So as I comprise I will substitute Orzo for rice in recipes. You have to mess with timing a bit for that but it turned out great. Everyone loved it. A full win!!!
★★★★★
Good to know! I think orzo needs only a very short 1 minute cooking time.
what is the cooking time for a regular old fashioned pressure cooker?
That is a great question that I don’t have the answer to! I have never used an old fashioned cooker so I am unfamiliar with how they translate from an Instant Pot.
Can you use quinoa or another grain in place of the converted rice? I have tons of quinoa and farro in my pantry.
yes quinoa will work perfect. Use the same ratios listed in recipe card. Change pressure cooking time to 1 minute with a 5 minute natural pressure release.
can i double the recipe in a 6 quart pot?
or will it be too much content?🙏😊
yes you can easily double it!
I partially cooked regular white rice, doubled the recipe and used fire roasted diced tomatoes in a can from Aldi. This is a fantastic recipe! The picky eaters, even the one that hates tomatoes, barely talked at dinner because they were too busy shoveling. Also, I did cut down on the amount of chili powder. <3
★★★★★
So glad to hear it was a hit, Amanda!
Can you fix this in a slow cooker?
I haven’t tried this one in the slow cooker. I’ve honestly had mixed results with rice in the crockpot in the past.
NormallyI only give 4 stars when I don’t follow the recipe/ingredients exactly, but this one is so spot in perfect it deserves all 5!
Just made this tonight using jasmine rice & added a can of drained corn. Yum! Cooked for 5 min instead of 3 because of the rice.
Will definitely recommend & make again!
★★★★★
I love those ideas for changes! Thanks for the 5 stars Karen!
Can you make this in a crockpot?
add an extra can of beans or lentils to make it vegan. use plant based shredded cheese, too.
Sound like a good idea to me! Thanks for the tips.
olives would be good added to it as well
Yep!
I just made this and it was so simple yet fabulous. I put garbanzo beans in it because that’s what I had. You could put any vegetable in it though. Very good!
★★★★★
Thanks for the 5 stars!