Celestial Casserole–a creamy Instant Pot chicken and rice dish featuring arborio rice, tender chicken, veggies, and Gruyère cheese for a risotto-style meal with minimal effort.
Celestial Casserole
This heavenly dish is very simple but it tastes so good! It’s a one pot meal that all cooks in the Instant Pot, so cleanup is easy. Arborio rice and Gruyère give it a risotto-like flare without constant stirring. With lean protein, vegetables, and a touch of Greek yogurt, it’s quite balanced. Enjoy!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Butter
- Onion
- Water
- Better than Bouillon chicken base
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Poultry seasoning
- Smoked paprika
- White wine vinegar
- Arborio rice
- Rotisserie chicken–or 14 ounces raw chicken like thighs or breasts
- Carrot
- Spinach–fresh or frozen
- Plain greek yogurt–I used Fage 2%
- Gruyere cheese–or Parmigiano Reggiano
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the butter and swirl it around until melted. Add in the onion. Saute for 4 minutes.
Stir in the water and chicken base. Scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
Stir in the garlic powder, pepper, poultry seasoning, smoked paprika and vinegar.
Sprinkle in the arborio rice. Add chicken and carrot on top of rice.
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 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
Stir in the spinach, yogurt and cheese.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with fruit salad and green salad. Broccoli or asparagus is also a good side dish.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Arborio rice is a short-grain Italian rice known for its creamy texture when cooked, commonly used in risotto, and can be found in the rice or international foods aisle of most grocery stores.
- Other recipes you can make with arborio rice are Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Risotto and Avgolemono Soup.
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.
Celestial Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
A creamy Instant Pot chicken and rice dish featuring arborio rice, tender chicken, veggies, and Gruyère cheese for a risotto-style meal with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp Better than Bouillon chicken base
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
- Dash of smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 10 ounces cooked rotisserie chicken (or 14 ounces raw chicken, cut into bite size pieces)
- 1 carrot, peeled and large diced
- 1 cup chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (I used 2%)
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the butter and swirl it around until melted. Add in the onion. Saute for 4 minutes.
- Stir in the water and chicken base. Scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Stir in the garlic powder, pepper, poultry seasoning, smoked paprika and vinegar.
- Sprinkle in the arborio rice. Add chicken and carrot on top of rice.
- 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 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Stir in the spinach, yogurt and cheese.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
More Instant Pot rice and chicken recipes…
Dirty Casserole
A Cajun-inspired one-pot meal featuring smoky sausage, tender chicken, and flavorful rice cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot.
Guardian Angel Casserole
Tender bites of chicken with hearty brown rice in a creamy sauce made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. An easy dump and go dinner.
Genius Casserole
A zesty, Mediterranean-inspired Instant Pot rice dish featuring tender chicken, herbs, feta, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
Huntsville Casserole
Creamy chicken with long grain and wild rice and vegetables made in the 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.
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