Instant Pot Taking a Nap Casserole has rice, ground beef, black beans, salsa, green peppers and cheese. Add the ingredients into the pot and take a nap while everything cooks.

Instant Pot Taking a Nap Casserole
Summer time is rough for me when it comes to sleep! My kids, who are both teenagers, think they need to hang out with their friends every night. I can’t go to sleep until they come home and most of the time I have to pick them up. Then while they are sleeping late in the morning I am up and at ’em like normal…so I’m losing sleep every night. By the middle of the afternoon I feel like I need a nap! I love taking a 20 minute nap. It’s the perfect length to make you feel rested but not too long where it affects your sleep at night. I’m notorious for my afternoon naps and love falling asleep on any couch or anyone’s bed that I can find (“kids don’t bug me, I’m taking a nap!”). I love putting my phone on “do not disturb” and having siri wake me up in 20 minutes. It refreshes me and let’s me move on with my day. Sooooo…anyway! I hope you like naps too and can get them in sometimes.
This recipe is the perfect one for putting everything in the pot and pushing start. Then go and take a 20 minute nap (it takes about 10 minutes to come to pressure and then it has a 5 minute pressure cook time with a 5 minute natural pressure release). Even if you’re not a nap taker you can use that time to fold the laundry, do the dishes or tidy up your living room. The Instant Pot is great for making more time!
I love this recipe because it has rice and beans and lots of flavor. I usually have all the ingredients at my house to make it too. I love it when that happens. I hope you enjoy this dinner and your nap!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Chicken broth–or water and Better than Bouillon
- Converted rice–or white rice
- Picante sauce–I used Pace’s brand and it was mild
- Black beans–or pinto beans
- Green bell pepper
- Shredded cheddar cheese–I like sharp
Steps
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 salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder.

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

Sprinkle in the rice.

Dump in the picante sauce, black beans and the peppers. Don’t stir.

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

Sprinkle in the cheese and let it melt and serve.

Notes/Tips
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some Fritos or tortilla chips. We love the Don Julio Lightly Seasoned Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips.
- I used my 3 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 6 or 8 quart pot.
- This recipe is gluten free.
- To make this recipe dairy free leave out the cheese.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- What is converted/parboiled rice? Don’t confuse converted rice (or sometimes it is called parboiled rice) with pre-cooked or minute rice. Parboiled rice has been processed in its husk by soaking, steaming, and drying. As a result, all the nutrients from the husk are absorbed into the grain before it’s removed. The starch content alters in the process, making cooked parboiled rice less sticky than regular white rice. The rice kernels aren’t clumpy and glued together instead they are more separated. I found a bag of parboiled rice at Walmart next to the normal long grain white rice. Sometimes I buy it at Winco in the bulk section. I have also found it in the orange box (Ben’s brand) next to other rices.
- Can I use brown rice? Yes you can. Decrease the broth by a quarter cup. Use a 22 minute pressure cook time with a 10 minute natural pressure release. Don’t add the green peppers in to pressure cook or they’ll be completely pulverized. You can add them in afterwards or you can saute them on the stove if you don’t want crispy peppers.
- Other recipes that call for picante sauce are Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Salsa Pasta and Instant Pot 5-Ingredient Salsa Chicken.

More Instant Pot Recipes with Black Beans…
Greg’s Taco Lasagna
Layers of tortillas, seasoned ground meat, black beans, refried beans and cheese. A delicious and fun way to enjoy the flavors of tacos!
Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans
Flavorful quinoa with salsa, black beans and sliced avocado. A fast and easy meatless meal or an amazing side dish.
Instant Pot Cheesy Cowboy Soup
A hearty soup with beef, potatoes and cheese. A perfect supper for your hungry cowboys and cowgirls!
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.


Taking a Nap Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Instant Pot Taking a Nap Casserole has rice, ground beef, black beans, salsa, green peppers and cheese. Add the ingredients into the pot and take a nap while everything cooks.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked converted or white rice
- 1 cup mild picante sauce
- 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 or 2 green bell peppers, cored and diced
- 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 salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder.
- Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Sprinkle in the rice. Dump in the picante sauce, black beans and the peppers. Don’t stir.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 5 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting and remove the lid. Stir.
- Sprinkle in the cheese and let it melt and serve. (We like serving this with a dollop of sour cream on top).
- Category: Beef
- 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.
This was delicious! I did you kidney beans instead of black beans but it was still a winner. I would just like to know to the nutritional value. Thanks for posting..I know it will be on our favorite list.
So glad you liked it Patti! If you scroll to the bottom of the recipe card the nutritional information is listed 🙂
Just made this tonight for dinner. Excellent, and will make it again. I used a Mexican blend cheese. Also used salsa instead of picante, personal taste. Another time I think I’d toss in a can of diced tomatoes.
★★★★★
Thanks Nancy! Tomatoes are always a win in my book!
Tasty and moist! I used chili beans in sauce (instead of black beans) and brown rice insteadof white. I still added spices: black pepper, chili powder and garlic powder. I cooked it for 22 mins per your directions for brown rice. Separately I sautéed a green pepper in butter and added it at the end of the cooking time with the cheese. Hearty and flavorful!
★★★★★
Thanks Elizabeth! So glad you enjoyed this dinner!
Easily the fastest Instant Pot recipe I have made to date. Earned my spouse’s “You are making this again!” award.
All easily found ingredients, super simple prep. It’s the kind of recipe that begs for substitutions as you see fit for flavour of the day
Thanks for posting it.
★★★★★
if I use brown rice, how much longer should I cook everything?
I believe that Karen said somewhere else that brown rice takes 22 min. You could use her recipe filter and look it up, just to be sure ;-D
★★★★★
Made this tonight, I didn’t have bell peppers and used spicy salsa instead of mild picante and topped with a dollop of sour cream. Deeeelish!
★★★★★
If I use veggie crumbles instead of ground beef, should I add them when I add the broth?