Nancy’s Casserole–a creamy, one-pot Instant Pot pasta made with tender chicken thighs, sautéed mushrooms, penne, and spinach in a savory parmesan-balsamic sauce.
Nancy’s Casserole
This satisfying one pot meal is made with minimal fuss in your Instant Pot. With tender bites of chicken, mushrooms and penne pasta covered in a creamy parmesan sauce this dinner is comforting and hearty. The pops of color from spinach and peppers add some variety. You can easily swap out the penne with another short cut pasta like macaroni, rigatoni or cavatappi. Enjoy!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Butter
- Mushrooms
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Chicken broth–or water and Better than Bouillon chicken base
- Penne pasta–or another short cut pasta
- Cherry pepper–or half red bell pepper
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs–or rotisserie chicken, boneless chicken breasts
- Half and half–or cream, evaporated milk
- Cornstarch
- Parmesan cheese
- Balsamic vinegar–or red wine vinegar
- Spinach–or 1 cup of peas
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in 2 Tbsp of the butter and let it melt. Add in the mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
Sprinkle in the penne and pimento. Top evenly with the chicken. Add in the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
Stir in the half and half. In a small bowl stir together 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp cold water until smooth. Then turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Stir the slurry into the pot to thicken the sauce. Once thickened turn off Instant Pot.
Stir in the parmesan, vinegar and spinach.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.
- Try swapping out the spinach with cooked peas or broccoli.
- 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 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with spinach are Instant Pot Spinach and Ravioli Lasagna and Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip.
- Recipe adapted from Nancy’s Chicken Casserole on Umami.
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.
Nancy’s Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter, divided
- 4 ounces quartered mushrooms
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 1 cherry pepper, diced (or half a red bell pepper)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup half and half or cream
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups chopped spinach
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in 2 Tbsp of the butter and let it melt. Add in the mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
- Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Sprinkle in the penne and pimento. Top evenly with the chicken. Add in the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Stir in the half and half. In a small bowl stir together 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp cold water until smooth. Then turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Stir the slurry into the pot to thicken the sauce. Once thickened turn off Instant Pot. Stir in the parmesan, vinegar and spinach.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Instant Pot
More Instant Pot recipes with pasta and mushrooms…
Instant Pot “Stole My Boyfriend” Tetrazzini
The best chicken tetrazzini! It’s got the most flavorful creamy sauce (with no cream of soups), spaghetti, chicken and mushrooms. Make it with your Instant Pot!
Mountain Music Casserole
Italian sausage with spaghetti, mushrooms, roasted garlic sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Instant Pot Amish Beef Noodles
Tender bites of roast with mushrooms and egg noodles. A homey, comforting dish.
*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.
37