Crescent Beef Casserole–jazz up dinner tonight! You’ll start with a pound of ground beef and a few other common ingredients and end with a comforting cheeseburger-inspired casserole with golden brown crescent rolls baked on top.

Crescent Beef Casserole
Now that school’s back in session it’s time to get back to cooking and family dinners. Crescent beef casserole is going to be loved at your dinner table! The ground beef portion of this recipe is so good you could make that part alone and be satisfied. But when you add the cheesy baked crescent rolls on top it brings it to a whole new level.
This recipe can be made in your Instant Pot with an air fryer lid or you can make the whole recipe using your stove and oven. I did half in the IP and half in the oven.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
- Diced onion–fresh or frozen
- Tomato sauce
- Ketchup
- Mustard–I used plain yellow mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Montreal steak seasoning–or another brand you like or make your own
- Garlic powder
- Diced dill pickles–or dill pickle relish
- Pillsbury crescent rolls–the small package
- Shredded cheddar cheese–I used sharp and shredded right off the block
Steps
- Cook the ground beef and sauté onions: Heat a pan over medium high heat (you can also use your Instant Pot on the sauté setting for this step). Add in the ground beef and break it up. Add in the onions. Brown the beef until fully cooked through (about 5-10 minutes). Drain off excess grease.
- Season the meat: Turn heat to low and stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, steak seasoning, garlic powder and dill pickles.
- Lay out crescent rolls: Scrape the mixture into a 8×8 inch baking dish if cooking in the oven. If you are using the air fryer lid on your Instant Pot keep the mixture in the Instant Pot liner. Open the package of crescent rolls and unroll them to lay the dough flat over the top of beef mixture. Some portions of the dough will overlap but mostly it should be in one layer.
- Bake or air fry: Bake at 375 degrees F in the oven for 15 minutes or bake using the air fryer lid at 325 for 12 minutes or until rolls are browned on top and cooked through.
- Get cheesy: Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for 2 more minutes until cheese is melted.
- Serve: Scoop onto plates and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a side of fruit like grapes and watermelon.
- I used my Instant Pot for the first part of the recipe (browning the meat) and then I baked the casserole in the oven. If you have an air fryer lid you can do the whole recipe in the Instant Pot or you can choose to make the whole recipe on the stovetop and in the oven.
- Try doubling the meat portion of this recipe for the protein-lovers in your family. You can serve it alone, with the crescents on top, on buns or over rice.
- The meat portion of this recipe can be gluten free if you use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce. The meat portion can be scooped over rice for a gluten free meal.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with dill pickles are Instant Pot Dill Pickle Pasta Salad and Instant Pot Ultimate Cheeseburger Casserole.

6 more recipes you can make with Pillsbury dough…
Instant Pot Cattle Drive Casserole
A hearty taco-seasoned ground beef and biscuit casserole that will keep you full and ready to work all day long!
Instant Pot John Wayne Casserole
Baked biscuits are topped with a layered mixture of seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos and cheese. An easy weeknight meal that everyone loves!
Instant Pot Runza Casserole
The casserole has seasoned ground beef, onions, cabbage, cheese and crescent rolls. It’s a delicious way to feed your family dinner tonight.
Instant Pot Wyoming Stew
Tender chunks of beef (or elk or deer) in a creamy gravy sauce with veggies and then topped with biscuits. A beef pot pie type of recipe that is ultra comfort food.
Instant Pot Father’s Day Casserole
An easy 4 ingredient breakfast casserole! With eggs, sausage and crescent roll dough it is reminiscent of breakfast sandwiches.
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.


Crescent Beef Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Jazz up dinner tonight! You’ll start with a pound of ground beef and a few other common ingredients and end with a comforting cheeseburger-inspired casserole with crescent rolls baked on top.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 2 Tbsp mustard
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Montreal steak seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup diced dill pickles
- 1 (8 oz) package Pillsbury crescent rolls
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium high heat (you can also use your Instant Pot on the sauté setting for this step). Add in the ground beef and break it up. Add in the onions. Brown the beef until fully cooked through (about 5-10 minutes). Drain off excess grease.
- Turn heat to low and stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, steak seasoning, garlic powder and dill pickles.
- Scrape the mixture into a 8×8 inch baking dish if cooking in the oven. If you are using the air fryer lid on your Instant Pot keep the mixture in the Instant Pot liner. Open the package of crescent rolls and unroll them to lay the dough flat over the top of beef mixture. Some portions of the dough will overlap but mostly it should be in one layer.
- Bake at 375 degrees F in the oven for 15 minutes or bake using the air fryer lid at 325 for 12 minutes or until rolls are browned on top and cooked through.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for 2 more minutes until cheese is melted.
- Scoop onto plates and enjoy!
- Category: Beef
- Method: Oven or Air fryer lid on 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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