THE Casserole–ground beef and vegetables in a creamy tomato sauce make the base of the casserole and then cheesy mashed potatoes are cooked on top. Surprisingly delicious! Use your Instant Pot to quickly get this recipe going!
THE Casserole
I came across a recipe for “the casserole” on All Recipes and had to stop scrolling and see what it was all about. The author stated, “My mom invented this flexible casserole when my first child was born — and it’s been a standard in our household ever since! The soups and veggies may be easily varied.” This casserole reminds me of a dish my mom used to make when I was growing up…we called it shepherd’s pie.
I gave the recipe a shot but changed it up by using my Instant Pot and varying the ingredients a bit. My version turned out so good! I loved it and even though some of the ingredients don’t seem like they will go well together trust me they do! For example, there is a can of cream of mushroom soup mixed with tomato sauce. That just sounds weird. But I promise it all goes together and comes out beautifully.
This casserole makes a large 9×13 inch baking dish (or you can make it all in your Instant Pot if you have an air fryer lid). If you’re serving a smaller crowd you may consider cooking half now and freezing half for later. If frozen just bake in the oven until warmed through when you’re ready to enjoy.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Russet potatoes–you may also use red potatoes or Yukon golds
- Milk
- Butter
- Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
- Diced onion–fresh or frozen
- Salt and pepper
- Canned corn–or fresh or frozen
- Canned green beans
- Cream of mushroom soup–or another cream soup like cream of chicken or cream of celery
- Tomato sauce
- Shredded cheddar–or Colby jack cheese
Steps
- Prepare Instant Pot: Pour 1 ½ cups of water into Instant Pot. Add peeled potatoes to a steamer basket. Lower the basket into the Instant Pot.
- Pressure cook the potatoes: Cover and lock lid into place. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 10 minutes. When time is up move valve to venting and remove the lid.
- Mash the potatoes: Carefully remove the steamer basket. Pour the potatoes into a large bowl. Mash them well. Stir in the milk and butter and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Brown ground beef: Pour the water out of the Instant Pot and dry it out. Set Instant Pot to sauté setting. When display says HOT add in the ground beef and break it up. Add in the onions. Brown the beef until it is fully cooked through. Drain off excess grease. Lightly salt and pepper the beef.
- Add in ingredients: Stir the corn, beans, cream of mushroom soup and tomato sauce into the beef.
- If baking in the oven: Add the beef mixture into bottom of 9×13 inch baking dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top and spread out as much as you can to cover the beef mixture. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 5 more minutes. If baking in the Instant Pot with an air fryer lid: Spread out the beef mixture evenly. Spoon the mashed potatoes evenly over the top and spread them out as much as possible. Air fry for 7 minutes at 350. Sprinkle the cheese on top and air fry for 3 more minutes.
- Serve: Scoop onto plates and serve.
Notes/Tips
- This was an all in one pot meal for us but if you’d like you can serve it with a salad and some rolls or cornbread with honey butter.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 8 quart pot.
- I used a silicone steamer basket* to steam the potatoes. I love this steamer basket and use it frequently. I will never make mashed potatoes again without my Instant Pot! It is the best and fastest way to make homemade mashed potatoes.
- I chose to bake the casserole in the oven but if you have an air fryer lid* for your Instant Pot you may use that instead.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat after freezing you may cook from frozen in the oven or thaw in the refrigerator the night before you want to bake it. Bake covered with foil at 350 until fully warmed through…about 60 minutes from thawed for 90-120 minutes from frozen. Remove foil, sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Other recipes you can make with Russet potatoes are Instant Pot Ranch Potatoes and Instant Pot Breakfast Potatoes.
5 More Instant Pot Beef Casserole Recipes…
Instant Pot Taco Tuesday Casserole
An easy one pot meal of taco seasoned ground beef with rice, roasted garlic enchilada sauce, beans and corn. The casserole is topped with tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and Fritos for a delicious week night meal.
Instant Pot Amish Casserole
Egg noodles with seasoned ground beef, marinara sauce, cream cheese and cheddar. An easy dinner made in your Instant Pot that tastes like home.
Instant Pot Rita’s Casserole
A delicious way to eat spinach! Ground beef, pasta, marinara sauce, spinach and mozzarella cheese are combined to make a quick and easy dinner.
Instant Pot Hobo Hotdish
A casserole take on hobo dinners. Ground beef, carrots, onions and celery in a creamy sauce.
Crescent Beef Casserole
Jazz up dinner tonight! You’ll start with a pound of ground beef and a few other common ingredients and end with a comforting cheeseburger-inspired casserole with crescent rolls baked on top.
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.
THE Casserole
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Ground beef and vegetables in a creamy tomato sauce make the base of the casserole and then cheesy mashed potatoes are cooked on top. Surprisingly delicious! Use your Instant Pot to quickly get this recipe going!
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced onion
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
- 1 (15 oz) can green beans, drained
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
- 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
Instructions
- Pour 1 ½ cups of water into Instant Pot. Add peeled potatoes to a steamer basket. Lower the basket into the Instant Pot.
- Cover and lock lid into place. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 10 minutes. When time is up move valve to venting and remove the lid.
- Carefully remove the steamer basket. Pour the potatoes into a large bowl. Mash them well. Stir in the milk and butter and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Pour the water out of the Instant Pot and dry it out. Set Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the ground beef and break it up. Add in the onions. Brown the beef until it is fully cooked through. Drain off excess grease. Lightly salt and pepper the beef.
- Stir the corn, beans, cream of mushroom soup and tomato sauce into the beef.
- If baking in the oven: Add the beef mixture into bottom of 9×13 inch baking dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top and spread out as much as you can to cover the beef mixture. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 5 more minutes. If baking in the Instant Pot with an air fryer lid: Spread out the beef mixture evenly. Spoon the mashed potatoes evenly over the top and spread them out as much as possible. Air fry for 7 minutes at 350. Sprinkle the cheese on top and air fry for 3 more minutes.
- Scoop onto plates and serve.
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot/Air fryer lid/Oven
*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.
« Le pâté chinois » is a typical Quebec (Canada) dish. The traditional recipe is ground beef that is pan-fried with onions. The meat is poured into an ovenproof dish. We put on the meat (without mixing) some corn icream. Add mashed potatoes on top. If we follow the traditional recipe, it will be made like this. We also add on the top of the meat a little bit of butter in order to help to roast the top with a nice golden coloring. We cook 30 minutes to 350 degree, and we finish to Broil some minutes for a beautiful coloration. Bon appétit !
Now I’m drooling! Sounds so amazing!
I made this tonight. It was pretty good. I did cheat by using instant potatoes because I just didn’t have it in me to peel potatoes. I didn’t use my instant pot, just my skillet and the pot to make the instant potatoes. I finished it off in the oven. I put some garlic powder in the potatoes and it definitely took the dish up a couple of notches. I did think the tomato sauce was a little bland. I may try tomato soup next time. Otherwise it was good.
★★★★★
Tomato soup would be a good substitute!
I was always told that “Shepard s Pie” was made from Sheep Meat. If it was made from Beef it was called “Chinese Pie”
I dont understand why anyone would anything from Turkey. Just Me
Hi Bill,
Shepherd’s pie and cottage pie (not Chinese pie) or the French version hachis Parmentier are all the same thing. The terms are, can and have been used interchangeably for hundreds of years. Based on one’s own personal use of the term, they may call shepherd’s pie one with lamb or mutton and one with beef Cottage pie. Some variations use veal, gizzards or pork. It’s all the same thing. Yes, you can even use turkey. Why? because it’s healthier than beef and a lot cheaper than lamb.
This recipe certainly does sound like the Shepherd’s Pie I used to make. I would like to try it but I do not like using canned soup. Can you think of a substitute? Thank you so much Karen for all you do!
You could make a substitute version: https://www.culinaryhill.com/homemade-cream-of-mushroom-soup/