Strange But True Casserole–This is an Instant Pot recipe that you make with what you have on hand and what you like! Mix and match your favorite ingredients.
Strange But True Casserole
When you want flexibility in cooking but still a basic recipe to help you along try this strange but true casserole! It’s a pasta dish with meat, red sauce, a creamy element, a vegetable and cheese. You have so much latitude in which ingredients go into your own version of the casserole. After you make it let me know which ingredients you chose!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
Check out all the different ingredients that you can use in this recipe! Pick one item from each category.
Pick one type of meat:
- Ground Beef
- Ground Turkey
- Ground Pork
- Sliced Smoked Sausage
One type of onion:
- Yellow or White Onion
- Shallot
- Minced dried onion
- Onion powder (1 teaspoon)
One type of Salt:
- Kosher salt
- Table salt (¾ tsp)
- Fine Sea Salt (¾ tsp)
One type of Garlic:
- Garlic powder
- Garlic cloves (fresh or jarred)
One type of broth:
- Chicken broth
- Beef broth
- Vegetable broth
- Better than Bouillon and water (2 tsp of BTB and 2 cups of water)
One type of pasta:
- Spaghetti–whole wheat, thin or regular (3 minute pressure cook time)
- Fettucccine or Linguine (5 minute pressure cook time)
- Penne (4 minute pressure cook time)
- Rigatoni (3 minute pressure cook time)
- Macaroni (4 minute pressure cook time)
- Bowtie pasta (4 minute pressure cook time)
One type of tomato:
- Tomato sauce
- Spaghetti sauce
- Crushed tomatoes
One type of creamy component:
- Cream cheese
- Cream of mushroom/chicken soup
- Sour cream–don’t pressure cook, stir it in after
- Alfredo sauce
- Ricotta or cottage cheese–don’t pressure cook, stir it in after
One type of vegetable:
- Green or red bell pepper
- Mushrooms
- Bag of frozen vegetable
One type of cheese:
- Cheddar
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan
Seasonings:
- Black pepper (or white pepper)
- Italian seasoning (or make your own)
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the ground beef and break it up. Add in the onion. Brown for 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
Stir in the salt, garlic powder, pepper or Italian seasoning. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
Break the spaghetti in half and add it into the pot in a criss cross pattern.
Dump the tomato sauce, cream cheese and green peppers on top. Don’t stir.
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. Move valve to venting and remove the lid.
Stir in the cheese and serve.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a green salad and vinaigrette dressing. I like Newman’s Own light balsamic vinaigrette. This is also tasty with a side of garlic bread.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 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.
More Instant Pot Spaghetti Recipes…
Instant Pot Assassin’s Spaghetti
Instant Pot Assassin’s Spaghetti looks like normal spaghetti but it is spaghetti with an attitude! It’s got a flavor kick that you’re going to love. The spaghetti is cooked in a simmering tomato liquid and it absorbs all of the moisture (no colander needed!).
Instant Pot Red Eagle Spaghetti
A one pot meal of spaghetti and meatballs that comes together quickly.
Instant Pot Southwestern Spaghetti
An easy one pot spaghetti dinner with southwestern seasonings, geren bell pepper and cheese. A fun and delicious twist on normal spaghetti.
Instant Pot Bev’s Spaghetti
A thick and chunky spaghetti sauce with flavorful Italian sausage pressure cooked in your Instant Pot or slow cooked in your Crockpot.
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.
Strange But True Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This is a recipe that you make with what you have and what you like! Mix and match your favorite ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (or turkey or pork or sliced smoked sausage)
- 1 cup diced onion (or 1 diced shallot or 1 Tbsp minced dried onion)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder (or 3 minced garlic cloves)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (or white pepper)
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or make your own)
- 2 cups chicken broth (or beef broth or Better than Bouillon and water)
- 8 ounces spaghetti (or another type of pasta like penne)
- 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce (or spaghetti sauce or crushed tomatoes)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (or 1 can cream of mushroom/chicken soup or 1 cup sour cream or 1 cup alfredo sauce)
- 1 green bell pepper, cored and diced (or 8 ounces sliced mushrooms or a bag of frozen vegetables)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar (or mozzarella or a half cup of parmesan)
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the ground beef and break it up. Add in the onion. Brown for 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
- Stir in the salt, garlic powder, pepper or Italian seasoning. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Break the spaghetti in half and add it into the pot in a criss cross pattern.
- Dump the tomato sauce, cream cheese and green peppers on top. Don’t stir.
- 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. Move valve to venting and remove the lid.
- Stir in the cheese and serve.
- Category: Pasta
- 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.
Made this recipe today and loved it. I didn’t use the soup or cream cheese. But I did use ground turkey and the seasoning was very good.
Thanks for the 5 stars Tonna!
Thanks for this recipe, was a stormy day and I didn’t want to schlep to the store so I raided the pantry! Used beef bouillon, ground beef and added a couple of sausage links we had on hand . I used bell pepper and mozzarella and cream of cheddar soup. Didn’t have tomatoes or sauce so substituted a family size can of tomato soup. Added the spices and herbs from the recipe and it was awesome. Family asked if we could have this again.
That’s so awesome. I love how you made it with what you had and your family asked for it again!
Thank you for this recipe. It’s exactly what I was looking for. I made this last night and used leftover meatballs, enchilada sauce, poblano peppers, and fresh cabbage with egg noodles. It was perfect and was ready in snap.
Awesome Nancy! I love the idea of using meatballs.
It was good made with ground chicken and beef broth. Topped it with fresh mozzarella and basil once it wàs done.
yum the basil sounds great!
Hello – this looks like another terrific recipe. Could you make this in the crockpot? The pressure cooker/instapot and I do not get along. lol Would you please give instructions? Thank you so much.