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October 22, 2022

Having Company Casserole

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Having Company Casserole is a baked pasta casserole with cheeses, pasta, tomato sauce and ground beef. The Instant Pot will help you get this classic casserole ready faster than the stove.

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Having Company Casserole

Having Company Casserole

Oh boy! This is a good one. My mom used to make a recipe a lot like this when I was growing up. We called it mock lasagna. This version is even better. I love the use of the ziti. The tubular pasta gets all the flavors inside and they are a delight to eat. I love the use of the crushed tomatoes plus a little balsamic vinegar that gives it a little punch. This is a make again recipe! And as the name insinuates it’s good enough to make for company.

The Instant Pot cooks up the ground beef and the pasta all in one pot in just a few minutes. I find this much easier than boiling pasta on the stove in one pot and browning the meat in a pan on another burner. No boiling-over water and more free time to take care of the dishes or whip up the dairy portion of the recipe.

There was a little container of leftovers that I was going to eat for lunch this afternoon. Alas, I just went to warm it up and found out my daughter already ate it. Guess I’ll have to make it again!

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

  • Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • Italian seasoning–or you can make your own
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Beef broth–or water and Better than Bouillon Beef Base
  • Ziti–or penne
  • Tomato sauce
  • Crushed tomatoes
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Cream cheese–or neufchatel
  • Sour cream–or plain greek yogurt
  • Cottage cheese–or ricotta
  • Cheddar cheese–or another type of cheese like colby jack

Steps

  1. Brown beef and season: Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When displays says HOT add in the ground beef and break it up. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder to coat the meat. 
  2. Deglaze: Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. 
  3. Layer in ingredients: Sprinkle in the ziti. Dump the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and balsamic vinegar on top, do not stir. 
  4. Pressure cook: Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 5 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid. Stir well.
  5. Whip together the dairy: In a medium bowl stir together the soft cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese. 
  6. Layer ingredients in a pan: In a 9×13 inch pan add half of the meat and pasta. Scoop dollops of the cream cheese mixture over the top. Use a rubber scraper to spread the mixture evenly over the top. Add the remaining meat and pasta on top. Sprinkle with cheese. 
  7. Bake for 20 minutes at 375° F.
  8. Serve: Let sit for 5-10 minutes and then serve. 

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Bake Ziti Lasagna Recipe

Notes/Tips

  • Serve with garlic toast and a green salad. We love the Olive Garden Italian salad dressing.
  • If you don’t have an Instant Pot you can still make this recipe. Brown the beef and season in a pan on the stove. In a separate pot boil and drain ziti according to package directions. Then stir the meat, pasta, tomatoes, tomato sauce and balsamic all together. Finish the recipe starting with step number 5 in the recipe card.
  • 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 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • Other recipes you can make with balsamic vinegar are Instant Pot Chicken Gloria and Instant Pot Flank Steak.
Instant Pot Baked Ziti

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Instant Pot Baked Ziti Recipe with cream cheese
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Having Company Casserole


★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

  • Author: 365 Days of Slow and Pressure Cooking
Print Recipe
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Description

Having Company Casserole is a baked pasta casserole with cheeses, pasta, tomato sauce and ground beef. The Instant Pot will help you get this classic casserole ready faster than the stove. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 8 ounces uncooked ziti
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 4 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When displays says HOT add in the ground beef and break it up. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder to coat the meat. 
  2. Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. 
  3. Sprinkle in the ziti. Dump the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and balsamic vinegar on top, do not stir. 
  4. Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 5 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid. Stir well.
  5. In a medium bowl stir together the soft cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese. 
  6. In a 9×13 inch pan add half of the meat and pasta. Scoop dollops of the cream cheese mixture over the top. Use a rubber scraper to spread the mixture evenly over the top. Add the remaining meat and pasta on top. Sprinkle with cheese. 
  7. Bake for 20 minutes at 375° F.
  8. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and then serve. 

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Instant Pot Baked Ziti Recipe

*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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20 Comments Filed Under: All Recipes, Beef, Instant Pot, Pasta, Other Methods Tagged With: casseroles

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Comments

  1. Nancy says

    January 23, 2023 at 12:31 pm

    I made this last evening. to rave reviews. I made it with penne., otherwise as written. My husband LOVED it. He said it might be the best thing he’s eaten.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 30, 2023 at 6:40 pm

      That is a great compliment! Thank you for the 5 stars Nancy!

      Reply
  2. Jeanne says

    October 31, 2022 at 1:46 pm

    Excellent recipe! Did not make any changes to your recipe, and it was excellent.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 3, 2022 at 11:16 am

      So glad to hear it! Thanks Jeanne!

      Reply
  3. Jeanne M Einsiedel says

    October 31, 2022 at 1:45 pm

    Excellent recipe! Did not make any changes to your recipe, and it was excellent.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 3, 2022 at 11:16 am

      Thanks for the 5 stars!

      Reply
  4. Annette S. says

    October 28, 2022 at 10:24 pm

    The beef broth is to help cook the ziti in the Instant Pot, right? If I’m not using the IP and boiling the ziti on the stovetop, I think I don’t need the broth. Is this correct?

    Reply
    • Susan says

      October 29, 2022 at 4:56 am

      Yes, you are correct. You don’t need the broth if making on the stovetop. That’s what her tip says for making the dish on the stovetop.

      Reply
    • Karen says

      November 3, 2022 at 11:29 am

      that’s right!

      Reply
  5. Devon Nutt says

    October 27, 2022 at 3:26 pm

    Can you cook it in slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 3, 2022 at 11:33 am

      not for this recipe! Sorry!

      Reply
  6. Gabriela Ortiz says

    October 26, 2022 at 5:30 pm

    Does it change for Gluten-free ziti?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 27, 2022 at 1:42 pm

      I’m sure it would…but I don’t know because I haven’t tried using GF pasta in the IP. From what I have heard the gluten free pasta can get really mushy

      Reply
  7. Linda Dulmes says

    October 24, 2022 at 4:41 pm

    Just made this for my daughter’s family as directed. The penne noodles all broke apart. Did it cook too long? I might have left it longer than the 5 minutes in the IP release mode. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 25, 2022 at 7:33 pm

      Oh darn! I am not sure. I would suggest cooking it maybe 3 minutes next time. They weren’t gluten free noodles, right?

      Reply
    • Susan says

      October 29, 2022 at 5:04 am

      Mine did too. Pasta was overcooked, and I used regular, not gluten free pasta. I saw the comments and tried 3 minutes in the instant pot, but pasta still broke and was mushy. I’m going to try the stovetop version next time, omitting the broth.

      Reply
  8. PamG says

    October 23, 2022 at 2:12 pm

    Could you use chicken broth instead of beef broth?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Mshiggy says

      October 23, 2022 at 2:21 pm

      I actually would like to know this as wel, can I use ground chicken or turkey? If so would there be different cooking times? This looks so good!!, can’t wait to try it

      Reply
      • Karen says

        October 25, 2022 at 7:39 pm

        Sure!

        Reply
    • Karen says

      October 25, 2022 at 7:40 pm

      Totally!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Karen. I know that dinner time can be less than relaxing. Busy schedules and cranky kids and a hundred other things can lead to weariness when it comes to putting dinner on the table. I can help! I make homemade, family-friendly slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners and share the recipes with you.

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