Mama Knows Best Casserole–an easy Instant Pot one-pot meal with a rice blend, smoked sausage and vegetables. Easy to make and delicious to eat!

Mama Knows Best Casserole
Mom knows that you’ll love this dinner because it’s super flavorful with bites of smoked sausage and seasoned rice but she also knows that it’s good for you because it has plenty of vegetables included. This recipe uses a little bit of help from Uncle Ben. Not your actual Uncle Ben but Ben from the orange rice box, lol. You can also go with the San Francisco treat if you prefer (rice-a-roni). It’s a solid dinner that my fam all loved and wished there was more (you can double the recipe if you’d like!).
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Olive oil–or butter
- Beef smoked sausage–or kielbasa, andouille
- Onion–white, yellow
- Celery
- Garlic
- Chicken broth–or water and Better than Bouillon
- Ben’s Original Long Grain and Wild Rice with seasoning packet–or Rice-A-Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice Flavor
- Carrots
- Frozen french style green beans–or fresh green beans
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and swirl it around. Add in the sausage and brown for about 3 minutes.

Add in the onions and celery and saute for 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot. Sprinkle in the rice.


Dump the carrots, green beans and contents of seasoning packet on top.

Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 3 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.

Stir. Serve and enjoy!

Notes/Tips
- You can serve this as a one pot meal (it’s got meat, carbs and vegetables) however if you’d like to add a side dish consider fresh fruit, side salad with vinaigrette dressing, biscuits or corn on the cob.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- This recipe can easily be doubled. Of if you want to stretch just the rice part of the recipe you can use 2 packages of Ben’s and double the amount of broth.
- If you’d like you can add in a different type of frozen vegetables besides green beans. Try broccoli, cauliflower or sweet corn.
- 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 celery are Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Pure Nostalgia Casserole and Instant Pot Sober Potato Salad.

More Instant Pot Rice Recipes…
Instant Pot Hibachi Fried Rice
The yummiest fried rice similar to what you order at your favorite hibachi restaurant only it’s made at home in your Instant Pot!
Instant Pot Dynamite Rice
If you like sushi you’re going to love this rice! It’s inspired by a sushi roll but is seriously so fast and easy to make with no crazy ingredients.
Instant Pot Copycat Popeye’s Red Beans and Rice
Creamy red beans with smoky undertones and rice. Lots of satisfying flavor and just as good or better than the real thing!
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.


Mama Knows Best Casserole (Instant Pot Recipe)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
An easy Instant Pot one-pot meal with a rice blend, smoked sausage and vegetables. Easy to make and delicious to eat!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 (12 oz) package beef smoked sausage, sliced into quarter inch rounds
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 ribs of celery, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/8 cup chicken broth
- 1 (6 oz) package Ben’s Original Long Grain and Wild Rice with seasoning packet
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 (12 oz) package frozen french style green beans
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and swirl it around. Add in the sausage and brown for about 3 minutes. Add in the onions and celery and saute for 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Sprinkle in the rice. Dump the carrots, green beans and contents of seasoning packet on top.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 3 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Stir. Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Sausage
- 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.
Can recipe be converted to slow-cooked version?
I haven’t tried this one in the slow cooker but if I did here is how I would make it:
Heat pan over medium high heat. Add in the sausage and brown for about 3 minutes. Add in the onions and celery and saute for 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Add in the broth, rice, carrots, green beans, contents of seasoning packet. Stir.
Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours.
Is there a way to make this recipe lower sodium? My husband and I are both low sodium. Could we use a different type of meat? Thank you for your help.
Sure! Try to find a low sodium smoked sausage or your can use cooked, chopped chicken.
Could I use regular rice instead?
yes you can however you’ll have to add in some seasonings to make it more flavorful since you won’t have a seasoning packet.
I don’t know how you always manage to read “what’s left of my mind” to know what recipe to send us! I was thinking this morning that I needed to find a recipe to use up some celery (my hubby snacks on the tender celery hearts and I cook with the rest of it) and voila! here’s a great recipe. I’m on it & will be back with stars. THANKS!!
We are on the same page Kim!