Instant Pot Italian Bake–smoked sausage, pasta sauce and cottage or ricotta cheese are topped with a fluffy biscuit and parmesan cheese layer. An easy and fun recipe that your whole family will enjoy!
Instant Pot Italian Bake
If you’re a fan of lasagna you’re going to like this Instant Pot Italian Bake. It has flavors from lasagna but without the noodles. In place of the noodles there is a fun crust made of a biscuit dough and parmesan cheese. The crust is crisped up with your air fryer lid or your oven.
This recipe came together quickly and although it has a longer pressure cooking time than many Instant Pot recipes (because of the pot-in-pot method) it gave me time to pick up my daughter from work and sweep up the kitchen in the meantime.
For the meat portion of this recipe I used beef smoked sausage (I think it was Hillshire Farm). But alternately you could use ground Italian sausage that has been browned and drained. You could also use ground beef or ground turkey that has been seasoned well (I like to use this).
The dairy portion of the recipe is also very versatile. You can use cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, sour cream, whipped cream cheese or a combination of any of those products.
What Equipment Did You Use?
- Instant Pot: I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.
- Mealthy CrispLid, or you can use a Ninja Foodi* or the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid*
- Pan for pot in pot cooking. I use the 3 quart liner* inside the 6 quart liner for pot in pot cooking. Fat Daddios* is also a good choice.
- Pastry Blender* for cutting in the shortening
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Instant Pot Italian Bake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
Smoked sausage, pasta sauce and cottage or ricotta cheese are topped with a fluffy biscuit and parmesan cheese layer. An easy and fun recipe that your whole family will enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 (12 oz) package smoked sausage, sliced into quarter inch rounds
- 2 cups spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese or sour cream)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp shortening or butter
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup water into the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- In an oven safe dish that fits in your Instant Pot (like this one*) add the sausage into the bottom. Then layer the spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese and Italian seasoning on top.
- In a medium mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, salt and shortening. Cut the shortening in with a pastry blender*. Then stir in the milk and parmesan cheese.
- With a spoon scoop the mixture over the top and use a butter knife to spread it smooth.
- Cover the pan with foil. Place the pan on top of a sling/trivet* and lower the dish into the Instant Pot.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 30 minutes. When time is up perform a quick release. Remove the lid.
- Remove the foil. Use your air fryer lid to brown up the top of the crust. I set mine for 400° F for 5 minutes. Alternately you can place your pan in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes until it develops some color.
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*
- Category: Sausage
- 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.
What can you use in place of flour? I have gluten problems so I try to avoid if possible. Can I just leave it out? Thanks, Julie
I would leave out the crust part (1 cup all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3 Tbsp shortening or butter
¾ cup milk)
and just top with the parmesan cheese.
Thanks !!!! I can’t wait to try this !!!!
This is a really good recipe! We use a gluten-free all purpose flour mix that has xanthan gum or a guar gum in it for the crust. Try letthemeatcake.com In related news, my gluten-eating friends loved letthemeatcake.com hawaiian rolls using the gluten-free all purpose flour mix.
How would you bake this in the oven?
I’d throw it in there for 35-40 minutes at 375. Add cheese the last 5 minutes.
I currently do not have the insert that can fit inside my Insta pot. Am I able to use a glass Pyrex dish or any type of Pyrex baking dish? I’ve never done that before so I don’t know if it’s safe to use in an instant pot. Thank you for your answer!
Oven safe pyrex is fine. But I find it takes much longer to cook in the IP so increase pressure cooking time by 15 to 25%
This recipe easily makes the transition to a (lacto-)vegetarian version, simply by using a decent mock Italian sausage (Field Roast is good; the Aldi house brand worked OK) for the meat. I suspect it would also be good with stir-fried mixed vegetables instead of meat, but I haven’t tried that, yet. It also easily accepts some hot peppers and extra onion, garlic and fresh basil to liven it up. So it might be described as a comfort food with some room to grow and experiment (g). It was an instant hit in my family, and there were no leftovers.
★★★★
Thanks for sharing your experience! This will be helpful to others.
Karen. I REALLY hope that Instant Pot is sponsoring you now and if not, they NEED to. You are simply the Instant Pot Queen. You have NO idea how much you have helped my family make easy and delicious and comforting foods without being intimidated by this appliance. I bought mine from a friend who never used it, thanks to you, fell in love with it and have since bought both of my daughters one who also love it! From all your tips, your cleaning tips, your yummy recipes-seriously you rock with the Instant pot! I am even making recipes that I will totally credit you and link to your blog and channel on my own YouTube. I usually avoid food blogs because of all the ads but yours is one I am HAPPY to visit. Thank you SO much for all the yummy inspiration and showing us just how great of an appliance this thing really is!!! Happy Holidays to you and your family!
★★★★★
Ahhhh, this was such a nice comment to read. I like the name Instant Pot Queen!!! Hahaha!!! Make sure to tag me on Instagram and I’ll repost to my stories if you make my recipes!
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
I don’t think so but you could bake it in the oven!
Thank you for adding new recipes that include the air fryer lid. Can’t wait to try this one.
You’re welcome! hope you like it!
I take it the ground meat has to be cooked first?
Yes, sorry I should have said that.
Ground meat?? I thought it was sliced smoked sausage…
For the meat portion of this recipe I used beef smoked sausage (I think it was Hillshire Farm). But alternately you could use ground Italian sausage that has been browned and drained. You could also use ground beef or ground turkey that has been seasoned well.
Do you know when your new cookbook will be arriving? I ordered one.
email me and I’ll check [email protected]