Big Sky Casserole

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

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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.

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More Instant Pot Amish Recipes…

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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.