Instant Pot Unstuffed Pepper Casserole
Don’t you wish that you could dump a bunch of ingredients into a pot and walk away and then return to a scrumptious supper? I think about that all the time. I haven’t been a huge one pot meal person because I feel like everything comes out tasting like chili or soup. Until yesterday.
Yesterday I threw together this amazing unstuffed pepper casserole in my Instant Pot, and while I had to chop up a couple peppers and onions, it was a super low maintenance recipe. Once it was finished, I could not believe how delicious it was after only a few minutes of cooking in the Instant Pot!
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The key to this recipe is to be creative. Use whatever you have in your fridge! The ingredients in this recipe is a great starting point, but you can add just about any veggie you’d like to make it even more delicious. You can also use ground turkey or chicken for a more nutritious twist on this meal.
We found that the final product really masks the appearance of veggies, so it’s a great way to get your little ones to chow down on veggies without having to hear complaints about it!
If you’ve ever made stuffed peppers, they’re so tasty but can take a little while to cook. With this recipe, we were truly surprised at how quickly it was ready. The saute setting on the Instant Pot allows you to cook your ground meat before adding the rest of the ingredients. As a result, the pot retains all that tasty flavor the meat has created which contributes to the flavorful finished product.
As for added toppings, I would be inclined to sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top with some parsley as we have done in these photos. If you want to get even more creative, you can slice up some fresh avocado for added omega-3 fatty acids – which you can never get enough of!
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt & pepper
- 2 large bell peppers, diced
- 1/2 cup white rice
- 14 oz. diced tomatoes (Fire-roasted tomatoes will add lots of flavor!)
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more for serving
- Parsley (for garnish)
- Instant Pot
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Add olive oil, ground beef, onion and garlic.
- Once browned, turn off Saute mode and drain fat (if needed).
- Add the bell pepper, diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, broth, rice, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper - in that order.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to sealing. Cook on Manual HIGH for 5 minutes.
- Once cooked, allow for a 10 minute natural release, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid, sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on top, and lid the Instant Pot with the valve sealed for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Once time has elapsed, remove the lid and serve in bowls, topped with additional shredded cheese and parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
It took our 6 Quart Pot Duo 13 minutes to come to pressure but this will vary depending on the model and size of your Instant Pot.
