Instant Pot Explosion Casserole–it’s like stuffed peppers exploded in this easy Instant Pot dinner. Cheese, peppers, rice, and fire roasted tomatoes make this dish so flavorful.
Instant Pot Explosion Casserole
This kind of meal is my jam. I love all in one pot meals. I love stuffed peppers. I love throwing everything in a pot and coming back to dinner in just a few minutes (7 minute pressure build up time + 3 minute cooking time + 5 minute natural pressure release = 15 minutes).
If you’re a stuffed pepper fan but don’t like picking out the perfect peppers (isn’t there a tongue twister about Peter Piper picking some peppers?). And if you don’t like coring the peppers and stuffing them then this is the recipe for you. You get all the goodness and none of the hassle. The most hands-on part of this recipe is browning the ground turkey. (You might also like Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup, Instant Pot Taco Stuffed Peppers, Instant Pot/Slow Cooker Mexican Stuffed Peppers).
A Few Ingredient Notes:
Ground Turkey/Beef: I used ground turkey for this recipe. I don’t know if it’s just me or the brand I choose but I always have a ton of liquid that comes off the turkey. Because of this I decided to cook 1 cup of rice in only 1 cup of broth instead of what I usually use (which is 1 ½ cups). If you don’t have liquid coming off your meat then you may want to increase your broth amount to 1 ¼ or 1 ½ cups.
Fire roasted tomatoes: Try to find these at your grocery store next to the regular diced tomatoes. They add a ton of flavor!
Rice: I used long grain white rice and only used a 3 minute pressure cook time with a 5 minute natural pressure release. The rice was plenty soft. You can also use basmati or jasmine rice (same cooking time). If you want to use brown rice I would not add the peppers in at the beginning. Brown rice requires a 22 minute pressure cook time and the peppers will be complete mush. I would sauté them on the stove and stir them in after the rice is done.
More Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love…
Instant Pot Dude Ranch Chicken
Instant Pot Chuck Wagon Dinner
Instant Pot Snow on the Mountain
Instant Pot Shipwreck Casserole
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Instant Pot Explosion Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
It’s like stuffed peppers exploded in this easy Instant Pot dinner. Cheese, peppers, rice, and more make this dish so flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 cup chicken or beef broth
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1–2 green or red bell peppers, cored and diced
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. When the display says HOT add in the turkey/beef and break it up. Add in the onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off sauté setting.
- Sprinkle in the the rice, garlic salt, cayenne, Italian seasoning, tomatoes, tomato paste and finally the peppers. Don’t stir, the ingredients should be layered.
- Cover the Instant Pot and lock the lid into place. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 3 minutes. When the time is up let the pot sit for 5 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Stir well. Sprinkle the cheese on top, let melt. Scoop onto plates and serve.
Notes
I used ground turkey and there was a lot of liquid that came off of it. I chose to only use 1 cup of broth because of that reason. If you are using ground beef you may want to increase the broth to 1 ½ cups.
You can make this in the 3, 6 or 8 quart pot.
- Category: Beef/Turkey
- Method: 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.
Nancy says
Wow! This was delicious, east and quick. Perfect for an evening meal.
Karen says
Thanks Nancy! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Deborah says
Does rice need to be washed rinsed first?
Karen says
I didn’t rinse my rice but you sure can!
Norma says
This recipe sounds yummy but I don’t have an Instant pot and don’t care to get one. Would you please include a slow cooker or stovetop version?
Some of the other dishes shown look yummy too. Conversion?
Sharon says
It was wonderful. I used ground turkey with beef broth and added 1 T. of Worcestershire sauce. The only slight problem I had was the rice was a bit chewy (I live in a high altitude state). Would you recommend cooking 4 minutes and perhaps sacrificing the perfectly-cooked peppers, or would you keep it at 3 minutes and try a 10 minute stand time instead of 5 minutes? I will definitely make it again and await your recommendation. You have the best recipes ever.
Karen says
I would try 4 minutes with a 8-10 minute natural pressure release
Nancy says
I’ve made this recipe without changes three times (except
I doubled the cayenne pepper)
It’s quick and delicious.
I’m cooking for one so this recipe provides additional meals.
Passed it on to my sister who also gave it a thumbs up!
Karen says
Nice! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Kim B. says
Absolutely amazing! And WAY easier than stuffing peppers. If you like this recipe, you will also love Karen’s Instant Pot Stuffed Bell Pepper soup. I have left-overs in the ‘fridge right now. Yum!
Karen says
I agree! That soup is so good!
Juliane says
How would I adjust for Converted/parboiled rice? I use that a lot now since I can get it in bulk, but rarely see it included as an option in recipes.
Thanks
Kim B. says
Karen uses this a lot & I’m pretty sure the cooking time is the same as plain white rice. I use it all the time myself.
Juliane says
Thanks
Karen says
Yes Kim is right. I would use the same time.
Elle says
Karen thank you! This is fantastic. Made it tonight for dinner. Crazy easy. Used low sodium or sodium free product, real garlic, mild can of fire roasted salsa. And frozen sliced peppers. My husband loved it wants me to make it for football Sundays 🙂 Was only 11 points a serving on WW green plan.
Karen says
Awesome! So glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks for the 5 stars Elle!
Diane says
Excellent! This is a lazy mans stuffed peppers! I have made them in the oven for years, no more. This was perfect, added sausage to this. Absolute winner! Thx Karen.
Karen says
It’s a great one! I love the idea of sausage!
Dawn W says
Loved this recipe, from start to finish- easy, fast and it made it to my favorites box. I’m new (ish) still to the IP cooking but am loving it with so many of Karen’s recipes. The hubs commented “this is incredible!” So that’s a win. I added some condensed cream of tomato soup (1/2 can) for some intense flavor but the rice sucked up all the broth/ juice for left overs. Absolutely wonderful meal though!!!! Oh, and I’ve shared with a friend who made it and adored it😉
Karen says
Wow so glad to hear it Dawn! Thanks for the 5 stars!
Paula says
Thank you for the info, I’ll give it a try…
Paula Shean says
Hello,
Thank you so much for emaling me all of these wonderful recipes…a question…my husband is allergic to tomatoes and several of your recipes call for canned, diced tomatoes…what is the best substitute for the tomatoes…I know they really can’t be left out because the liquid is needed in the recipe…thanks again!
Karen says
Oh that’s hard. So no tomato products whatsoever? You could try a green mild salsa. You could add in a little bit extra broth.
Joan says
If I halved the recipe for the 3 qt pressure cooker, would half of the broth and half of the 14.5 can of diced
tomatoes be enough liquid for the pressure cooker? Obviously I’m new at PC and really appreciate your
help.
Karen says
It will be close…you may get the burn signal. This will be good for you to read: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-halve-instant-pot-recipes/
Billy Hall says
Easy and nothing to change! This one is added to our favorite file.
Karen says
Woo hoo!! Thanks Billy for the 5 stars.
Glen says
LOVE stuffed peppers. This explosion can be done in an instant though (compared to waiting for cooking, stuffing, then baking). And this one s DELICIOUS!!
Karen says
AGREED!
Kim B. says
Can’t wait to try this one. We absolutely love the Stuffed Pepper Soup recipe, I have leftovers in the fridge right now & tons of peppers from the garden chopped up in the freezer ready to use. I always make your recipes the first time exactly like you print them & then if I want to get a little crazy I do it the next time around, but I have a question….do you think it’ll be ok to add a T. of Worcestershire sauce to this? I always add 1 T. to the soup recipe & it makes it sooooo good. Thanks. I’ll be back with stars.
Karen says
Oh yes that would be perfect!!
Kim B. says
WHOA! Was so delicious. Now I can have this in the summer & the stuffed pepper soup in the winter. Game on! BTW, I think you’ve got my husband trained now. When he comes in & sees the IP on the counter he starts salivating, just like Pavlov’s dogs. What a hoot! He doesn’t even ask what’s for supper anymore, he KNOWS it’s gonna be good.
Karen says
Lol Kim! When he hears that IP chime he ALWAYS comes in
Linda C says
How would I switch this to brown rice?
Karen says
If you want to use brown rice I would not add the peppers in at the beginning. Brown rice requires a 22 minute pressure cook time and the peppers will be complete mush. I would sauté them on the stove and stir them in after the rice is done.
Allie says
Hello Karen, Allie from Nevada here. A note on using ground Turkey. Yes it is very WET!! So I always fry first in a skillet. I use iron. As you fry it’ll get very watery but just keep going, turning/mixing, till nearly dry. Keep turning so it don’t burn. When well cooked and dry put in your instant pot then keep going in the recipe from that point on were you start adding other things. Yes you dirty another dish, and maybe mess up the stove a little but in long run well worth it. I’ve been cooking with ground Turkey for several years, better for you and me, and being a diabetic less fat is so much better for me. Hope this helps somebody, Allie
Karen says
Thanks so much for the tip Allie!
DINAH MOREAU says
I want to make this recipe but every time I try rice or pasta it sticks to the pot. Any helpful hints?? Thank you for all your amazing recipes!
Karen says
Sorry this happens to you. I would just make sure to layer the ingredients. Do not stir. Sprinkle in the rice into the broth, do not stir it in.
DINAH MOREAU says
I will let you know how it comes out when I make it. I just hesitated to try because of past experiences. Do you use pam or anything like it? I will try it as you said! Thank you so much!
Karen says
I don’t use pam but I know others have had success with that!
Gaylene says
🥰 When I received this email today, I knew instantly (hehe) what we were having for dinner! I actually had everything on hand which made it even better! And Oh Em Gee! This stuff is delicious! I may eat the whole pot before my Hubby gets home from work! Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes!
Karen says
That really is the best when that happens! I’m so glad you liked it!
Joan says
U have pretty much just been doing the instant pot meals but I wonder how many or if any could be fixed in the crock pot.
Thanks so much,
Joan
Karen says
Hi Joan, if they can be cooked in the crockpot I put the instructions in the recipe card. Sometimes they just aren’t a good fit for the crockpot.
Lisa Hartjes says
My daughter and I are diabetics, and I’m thinking about this but with riced cauliflower. Dobyou have any tips for doing that?
Karen says
Rice cauliflower would cook quickly. I would do a zero pressure cook time with a quick release. Let me know how it goes!
Carol says
Saw your question. If you intend to use riced cauliflower, you would need to leave out the 1 cup of water that is intended to cook and be absorbed by the rice. If not, this dish will be swimming.
I would do the instant pot Recipe. (minus rice and water) microwave the riced cauliflower. . Cook the food in the instant pot for 1 min. Plate up the cauliflower, then top with the explosion topping.
I will be doing it using the pot n pot method as I will be reducing the dish to 3 Servings.
Karen says
Oh yes, thank you Carol. You are right. The water won’t be needed. Really you could do your version on the stove in a pan. That would probably come out better!
Carol says
I personally would do it (recipe using cauliflower) in the instant pot as I love how the spices are infused into the dish.