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Instant Pot Cheesy Meaty Shells

April 6, 2020 by Sandy 13 Comments

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Instant Pot Cheesy Meaty Shells fits the pasta loving bill! A hearty blend of sausage and beef seasoned with Italian seasoning in a rich, tomato-meat sauce. Two kinds of cheeses makes this Instant Pot pasta recipe creamy and delicious!

Cheesy Meaty Shellsin a black bowl

Instant Pot Cheesy Meaty Shells

I love cooking with my Instant Pot, but love it even more when it’s warm out and I can cook without using my stove or oven.

This pressure cooker Cheesy Meaty Shells recipe is so delicious, and is a one pot pasta meal.

No need to boil the pasta shells separately. They will soak up all of the tasty sauce.

This delicious pressure cooker Cheesy Meaty Shells is not difficult to prepare. Here are the steps to make it:

four process images showing the browning of the meat in the pressure cooker before adding spices, liquid and pasta shells

four process images showing the addition of sauce into the pressure cooker pot, setting the pressure cooker cook time and adding the Parmesan cheese to the dish in the pressure cooker
After the pasta is done pressure cooking, do a quick release of the pressure. Do so slowly at first, to make sure none of the sauce is going to spew out with the steam!

two process images showing the addition of mozzarella cheese and stirring the pasta in the pot
After adding the cheeses, just let the pasta sit for a few minutes. Everything will thicken up and become nice and creamy.

You can serve it as is, or add a sprinkling of parmesan on top for even more cheesiness.

closeup of pressure cooker Cheesy Meaty Shells on a black plate

I hope you give Instant Pot Pasta a try. The one-pot aspect of it is wonderful! I have several great pressure cooker pasta recipes here on Simply Happy Foodie!

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Instant Pot Cheesy Meaty Shells pinterest image with the recipe title and Simply Happy Foodie.com logo

If you make this tasty pressure cooker cheesy meaty shells recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. I’d love to know how you liked it!

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5 from 5 votes
Cheesy Meaty Shells on a black plate
Print
Instant Pot Cheesy Meaty Shells
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Instant Pot Cheesy Meaty Shells taste almost like a bowl of lasagna pasta! Rich tomato flavor makes the meat sauce delicious. Two kinds of cheese take this pressure cooker Italian pasta dish over the top!

Course: Dinner, Main Course, pasta
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 6 - 8
Calories: 532 kcal
Author: Sandy Clifton
Ingredients
  • 1/2 lb Ground Beef (90%-93% lean)
  • 1/2 lb Ground Italian Sausage
  • 1 Onion, diced
  • 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 3 cups Chicken Broth (low sodium)
  • 12 oz Medium Pasta Shells
  • 1 24 oz jar Marinara Sauce
  • 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
  1. Set the pot to Sauté setting. Add the meat and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink.

  2. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir.

  3. Pour in the chicken broth and stir.

  4. Pour in the pasta shells and spread in an even layer. Press them down into the liquid with a spoon, but do not stir.

  5. Pour the jar of marinara over the pasta and cover it completely. Again, do not stir.

  6. Put the lid on and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position. Cancel the Sauté setting.

  7. Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial and then the + or - button or dial to select 5 minutes. The pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure.

  8. When the cooking cycle is finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 3 minutes (3 minute natural release). If you like a firmer al dente pasta, don't do this step. Do a controlled Quick Release instead. See next step.

  9. Manually release the remaining steam/pressure by turning the steam release knob to the venting position, or pushing button, if applicable. Do this in short bursts at first so you don't get sauce spewing out with the steam, due to the force. Once you are sure you will only have steam coming out, you can open the vent fully and let it go. This is called a Controlled Quick Release.

  10. Remove the lid and stir the contents. Add the parmesan cheese and stir. Then add the mozzarella and stir.

  11. Serve hot, with some crusty bread.

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Filed Under: Dinner, Instant Pot, Pasta, Recipes

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Comments

  1. Kathy

    November 15, 2020 at 7:37 am

    what size instapot is this recipe for? I have the 3 qt. mini and would like to make this tonight but not sure if I should. This would be my first recipe in the instapot

    Reply
    • Sandy

      November 25, 2020 at 10:15 pm

      6 qt. You can try halving the recipe, but keep the cook time the same in your 3 qt. Then when it is done you will know if there is room to make more next time.

      Reply
  2. Melissa Saxe

    November 10, 2020 at 4:44 pm

    This was delicious. The only thing I would change when I make it next would be to half the Italian seasoning for my kids. Thank you for another great recipe.

    Reply
  3. Meg

    May 26, 2020 at 3:20 pm

    I made this hearty meal for my husband and I while it was 83 outside. He scarfed it down so fast! He said this is one of the top 5 things I’ve made for him in our 5 years together. And the best part is that it took no time, didn’t heat up the house and was so flavorful!! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!

    Reply
  4. Michelle

    April 10, 2020 at 9:18 pm

    This was crazy easy and fast to make, and most importantly, it was a hit with my family. This will be a great option for weeknight dinners when I have to return to commuting to the office again.

    Reply
  5. Cathy Homan

    December 1, 2019 at 10:16 am

    Will beef broth work vs chicken?

    Reply
    • Sandy

      December 1, 2019 at 12:52 pm

      Yes!

      Reply
  6. Rose Smith

    June 23, 2019 at 2:42 pm

    Sandy, if I double the recipe do I double all the liquid? It was great first time out but we have extra mouths to feed tonight.

    Reply
    • Sandy

      June 24, 2019 at 7:20 pm

      Yes, as the pasta needs that liquid. Keep cook time the same.

      Reply
  7. Stephanie Nelson

    May 18, 2019 at 6:09 pm

    We loved this recipe! We were looking for a quick and easy recipe to try in our Instant Pot, and this was perfect. Our family loved it and will use it again. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sandy

      May 18, 2019 at 11:22 pm

      That’s great, Stephanie! I’m happy to know that you liked it. Thank you for your review!

      Reply
  8. David

    October 15, 2018 at 6:15 am

    Sandy, our family just loved this dish! We used ground turkey, and we added a bit of cottage cheese to the top after serving to give it even more of that lasagna taste, and it was just delicious. Made plenty of leftovers for us to save in the freezer, which we love since we are so busy. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sandy

      October 15, 2018 at 9:30 am

      That’s great, David! Cottage cheese is a great idea for a topping! Thank you for your review!

      Reply

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Hi there!

Sandy wearing a black shirt and a red apron I’m Sandy - foodie with a passion for cooking and sharing my tasty recipes. My hubby Paul, our Pug Gizmo, and I live in Washington.

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