Instant Pot Poor Man Husband Casserole–a layered noodle casserole with ground beef, marinara sauce, cheddar cheese, cream cheese and sour cream.

Instant Pot Poor Man Husband Casserole
I was searching the internet looking at recipes and found something called poor man husband casserole. The original author stated, “This budget-friendly dish gets its name from the fact that it only requires a few simple ingredients that you likely already have on hand. The casserole can be easily customized to suit your taste, and it’s sure to please even the pickiest eaters.”
It’s a noodle bake casserole and I had everything on hand to make it so I gave it a shot. I did, of course, change some things around from the original recipe and converted it from an oven recipe to an Instant Pot recipe. I love anything that resembles lasagna and this dish fit the bill. It’s a layered dish with meat, pasta, dairy and marinara sauce.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
- Minced garlic–or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- Italian seasoning–or you can make your own
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Beef broth–or water and Better than Bouillon Beef Base
- Egg noodles–or another type of pasta like spaghetti or macaroni
- Marinara sauce–or tomato sauce
- Balsamic vinegar–or red wine vinegar
- Sour cream
- Cream cheese–or cottage cheese
- Cheddar cheese–or mozzarella cheese
Steps
- Brown and season the beef: Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the ground beef and break it up. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher salt and pepper.
- Deglaze the pot: Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking.
- Layer in the ingredients: Sprinkle in the egg noodles. Pour the marinara sauce evenly over the noodles. Add in the balsamic.
- Pressure cook: Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid. Stir well.
- Prepare the dairy: In a bowl whisk together the sour cream and cream cheese until smooth.
- Layer the ingredients: Scoop half of the mixture in the Instant Pot into a separate dish or container (for just a moment). Spread the sour cream mixture over the noodles that remain in the Instant Pot with a rubber scraper. Scoop the remaining noodles in the container over the top of the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Bake: Place air fryer lid on top and bake at 300 degrees for 5 minutes. If you don’t have an air fryer lid then you can finish off this dish in your oven. Add half of the cooked noodle mixture into a 9×9 inch baking dish. Spread the sour cream mixture over the top. Add the remaining noodles on top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a side salad and garlic bread.
- I used my 6 quart Duo Crisp 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 egg noodles are Instant Pot Amish Beef Noodles and Instant Pot Hamburger Hotdish.

More Instant Pot “Poor Man” Recipes…
Instant Pot Poor Man’s Beef Manhattan
Ground beef and gravy served over creamy mashed potatoes and white toast.
Instant Pot Poor Man’s Casserole
Smoked sausage, yukon gold potatoes, green peppers, onions and seasonings make an inexpensive but totally delicious meal!
Instant Pot Poor Man’s Meal
An easy and cheap 6 ingredient recipe of meat and potatoes. Make it fast in your Instant Pot.
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.


Poor Man Husband Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
A layered noodle casserole with ground beef, marinara sauce, cheddar cheese, cream cheese and sour cream.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups beef broth
- 6 ounces egg noodles (half a bag)
- 2 cups marinara sauce or tomato sauce
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the ground beef and break it up. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher salt and pepper.
- Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking.
- Sprinkle in the egg noodles. Pour the marinara sauce evenly over the noodles. Add in the balsamic.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid. Stir well.
- In a bowl whisk together the sour cream and cream cheese until smooth.
- Scoop half of the mixture in the Instant Pot into a separate dish or container. Spread the sour cream mixture over the noodles that remain in the Instant Pot with a rubber scraper. Scoop the remaining noodles in the container over the top of the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Place air fryer lid on top and bake at 300 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
If you don’t have an air fryer lid then you can finish off this dish in your oven. Add half of the cooked noodle mixture into a 9×9 inch baking dish. Spread the sour cream mixture over the top. Add the remaining noodles on top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot
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*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.
Everybody loved it!! I think I will only add 1 Cup of broth next time. It will be even better tomorrow😋
★★★★
Thanks Sharon!
Can other noodles b use. My son has CKD they suggest not to use egg noodle people have CKD.
yes you can use another type of pasta like spaghetti or macaroni although you’ll want to increase cooking time to 3-4 minutes.
can these be made in a crock pot
I have not tried this recipe in the crockpot. I don’t think it would make a great candidate for the slow cooker since it has noodles and dairy…both items have mediocre results in the slow cooker.
Thank you! This looks very yummy! I’ll be trying it out.
I hope you like it Jan!