I’m Sorry Casserole–An Instant Pot casserole with brown rice, cabbage, chicken, a creamy sauce and parmesan cheese.

I’m Sorry Casserole
Sometimes when a neighbor or friend is going through a hard time it’s nice to bring a hot dish of food. It doesn’t solve the problem but it surely helps to show love and concern. Our elderly friends down the street have been struggling with major health problems (both of them at the same time!). There’s not much we can do to help them regain their health but it’s nice to show care by bringing in some dinner or lunch. We brought our neighbor this casserole to tell him “I’m sorry you’re facing this!” He said he could have made a TV dinner but I told him that this was much better than that! I hope he agrees.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Chicken broth–or water and Better than Bouillon
- Brown rice–for white rice options see notes section below
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs–or breasts (frozen is okay)
- Cajun seasoning–I used the store brand
- Cabbage–or cooked broccoli florets
- Sour cream–or greek yogurt
- Mayonnaise–or greek yogurt
- Fresh lemon juice
- Garlic powder–or granulated garlic
- Parmesan cheese–or another type of cheese like mozzarella
Steps
Add broth into Instant Pot. Sprinkle in the rice.

Place chicken on top of rice and sprinkle the chicken with the cajun seasoning.

Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 22 minutes on LOW pressure. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.

Place chicken on a cutting board and chop or shred.

Stir the chicken, cabbage, sour cream, mayo, lemon juice and garlic powder into the pot.

If you have an air fryer lid place it on top of the pot and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Add the cheese on top and then bake for 3 more minutes. If you don’t have an air fryer lid, then scrape the mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Notes/Tips
- Serve with roasted carrots or butternut squash or try serving with a side of fresh fruit.
- If you’d like you can make this with white rice. Add the broth and rice into the pot and then instead of whole chicken breasts or thighs, cut them into bite size pieces. Add in the cabbage at this point. Then pressure cook for 3 minutes with a 5 minute natural pressure release. Continue on with the recipe as stated.
- 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 cabbage are Cabbage, Potatoes and Sausage or Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Casserole.

More Instant Pot Dinners to Bring to a Friend…
Instant Pot Creamy White Chicken Chili
An indulgent white chili recipe with green chiles, onion, chicken breasts, and white beans (dried or canned). Win your next chili cook-off with this recipe.
Call Your Friends Supper
An Instant Pot noodle dish with cabbage, corn, ground beef and cream cheese. It feeds a crowd so call up your friends to join you for dinner!
Italian Friendship Casserole
This easy Italian Friendship Casserole makes enough to serve two families. One for you and one for a friend! It’s got pasta, sauce, meat and cheese…kids and adults both love it. Use your Instant Pot to get the recipe going quickly.
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.


I’m Sorry Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
An Instant Pot casserole with brown rice, cabbage, chicken, a creamy sauce and parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (frozen is okay)
- 1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
- 5–6 cups chopped cabbage or 5–6 cups of cooked broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp mayo
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add broth into Instant Pot. Sprinkle in the rice. Place chicken on top of rice and sprinkle the chicken with the cajun seasoning.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 22 minutes on LOW pressure. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Place chicken on a cutting board and chop or shred.
- Stir the chicken, cabbage, sour cream, mayo, lemon juice and garlic powder into the pot.
- If you have an air fryer lid place it on top of the pot and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Add the cheese on top and then bake for 3 more minutes. If you don’t have an air fryer lid, then scrape the mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot/Air fryer lid

*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.
Why Karen are you not giving your version of this in a crockpot, i don’t particularly like instapot, many people have mentioned it and you are not responding….
Hi Jeannie, sorry I haven’t responded. I don’t have a slow cooker version of this recipe. Honestly, I have had mixed results at best with rice in the slow cooker.
how would I cook this in a crock pot? thank you
★★★★★
Sorry, I don’t have a slow cooker version of this recipe. Honestly, I have had mixed results at best with rice in the slow cooker.
how can I adapt this to a slow cooker? thank you
Sorry, I don’t have a slow cooker version of this recipe. Honestly, I have had mixed results at best with rice in the slow cooker.
Although the ingredients seemed like an odd combination, I had a bag of frozen chicken thighs and half of a cabbage to use up. I decided to give this dish a try because I have never been disappointed by any of your recipes. Lacking sour cream, I substituted with whole milk Greek yogurt. The result was delicious! Hubs and I scarfed it down the first night. We will be making this again and again.
★★★★★
Thanks Kim! The whole milk yogurt is a great idea!
If I want to leave the rice out, weekday should I do? I’m doing keto.
Another new family favorite from your website. I made it with broccoli and would serve it to anyone. My 22yr old son doesn’t eat sour cream or mayo, but he loved this dish. I had two frozen chicken beasts equaling 2lbs, so I increased the broth by 1/4 cup and increased the sour cream by 1/4 cup. Also added some garlic pepper to the sauce. Your recipes are my go to when I need to make a great dinner quickly.
★★★★★
Sounds like a great version! It’s truly one of those recipe you can just add a bit of this or that to make it your own.
I’d like to try this recipe but I’m not interested in going from the instapot to the oven. I’m going to quick release the instapot with 10 minutes remaining and place the raw cabbage between the chicken and the rice and then continue cooking as instructed.
Add the parm and sour cream at the end.
Sounds like a great plan!
I would love to have this recipe written for a crockpot because I do not have an Instant pot. Thank you
Sorry, I don’t have a slow cooker version of this recipe. Honestly, I have had mixed results at best with rice in the slow cooker.
can this be adapted to slow cooker?
I am wondering about the cabbage in this, in your photos it looks like it was sautéed or previously cooked. Since I don’t have a fryer lid; would baking be enough time to cook the cabbage if it’s added raw? Also, since you don’t have a link to a crockpot version, how would you change this to cook in a crockpot ? Thanks very much for your recipes!
me too!
sounds great…
I agree with the others, would like directions to make in a slow cooker.
How can this be made in slow cooker?
def would love to know how to prepare in the slow cooker
★★★★
How would you prepare this casserole in a slow cooker?
I also would like to know this.
how can I adapt this to a slow cooker? thank you
this is my thought re: a slow cooker.
I would cook the chicken first.
since your cooking rice
i would set for 6-8 hrs on high and check it after 6.
I never add sour cream to a recipe that I’m going to cook on high, so maybe wait til the last hour to add. and u could top it with the parmesan cheese. Just a thought. no angry replies please. just trying to help. I have an insta pot and love it. totally worth the money. hint – Christmas!?
Thank you! Everyone needs to be kind in the world we live in today