Winter Carnival Casserole–one-pot pasta dish made in the Instant Pot with ground beef, elbow macaroni, crushed tomatoes, a touch of spice and topped with melty cheddar cheese.
Winter Carnival Casserole
Today’s recipe is an easy recipe with ingredients you probably already have on hand. It’s an quick weeknight meal that has ground beef, macaroni, tomatoes and cheddar. A good old fashioned goulash-ish type of recipe. Enjoy! This recipe is adapted from Winter Carnival Casserole on Family Cookbook Project.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
- Kosher salt
- Onion
- Green bell pepper
- Beef broth–or water and Better than Bouillon
- Bay leaf–I buy at Winco in the bulk section
- Elbow macaroni–or cavatappi
- Crushed tomatoes
- Chili powder
- Black pepper
- Brown sugar
- Cheddar cheese–I like sharp
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the beef. Break it up. Brown for 3 minutes. Stir in the salt, onion and green pepper and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain off excess grease (if there is any).
Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot. Add in the bay leaf.
Sprinkle in the macaroni. Dump tomatoes evenly over pasta. Sprinkle in the chili powder, black pepper and brown sugar.
Cover Instant Pot and secure 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 5-10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
Discard the bay leaf. Stir well. Sprinkle cheddar on top and let it melt. Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with garlic bread and green salad.
- After sautéing the beef and veggies, scrape the bottom of the pot well with the broth to avoid a “burn” warning. When adding the crushed tomatoes and seasonings, don’t stir them into the noodle to help prevent sticking or burning.
- Try a blend of sharp cheddar and pepper jack or Monterey Jack for extra flavor.
- 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 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with green bell pepper are southwestern spaghetti and Instant Pot Midwest Pepper Steak.
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.
Winter Carnival Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
One-pot pasta dish made in the Instant Pot with ground beef, elbow macaroni, crushed tomatoes, a touch of spice and topped with melty cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the beef. Break it up. Brown for 3 minutes. Stir in the salt, onion and green pepper and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain off excess grease (if there is any).
- Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot. Add in the bay leaf.
- Sprinkle in the macaroni. Dump tomatoes evenly over pasta. Sprinkle in the chili powder, black pepper and brown sugar.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure 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 5-10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Discard the bay leaf. Stir well. Sprinkle cheddar on top and let it melt. Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot
More Instant Pot macaroni recipes…
Cheapskate Soup
An inexpensive and delicious Italian soup with ground beef, macaroni, carrots, and tomato sauce. An easy Instant Pot or Crockpot recipe.
Beachcomber Casserole
Instant Pot beef and macaroni with Rotel, corn and cheddar.
Jolean’s Casserole
An easy Instant Pot pasta dish featuring savory Italian sausage, mushrooms, and macaroni simmered in crushed tomatoes and beef broth, finished with melty mozzarella and parmesan.
Instant Pot Busy Day Soup
Meatball, macaroni and veggie soup made in just a few minutes!
*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.
Could this be doubled? If so would it change the times? I’m new to cooking in the instant pot so still trying to get an idea of what can and can’t be done with it.
yes it can be doubled. Keep the same cooking time!