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!
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.
How to Make Instant Pot Cheesy Shells
This delicious pressure cooker Cheesy Meaty Shells is not difficult to prepare. Here are the steps to make it
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!
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.
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!
Instant Pot Garlic Noodles
Instant Pot Beef and Noodles
Instant Pot Tortellini Alfredo
Instant Pot Cheesy Garlic Orzo
Instant Pot Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
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!
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!
- ½ lb Ground Beef* (90%-93% lean)
- ½ lb Ground Italian Sausage*
- 1 Onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 1½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 3 cups Chicken Broth (low sodium)
- 12 oz Medium Pasta Shells
- 1 24 oz jar Marinara Sauce
- 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1½ cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
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Set the pot to Sauté setting. Add the meat and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink.
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Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir.
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Pour in the chicken broth and stir.
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Pour in the pasta shells and spread in an even layer. Press them down into the liquid with a spoon, but do not stir.
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Pour the jar of marinara over the pasta and cover it completely. Again, do not stir.
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Put the lid on and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position. Cancel the Sauté setting.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Remove the lid and stir the contents. Add the parmesan cheese and stir. Then add the mozzarella and stir.
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Serve hot, with some crusty bread.
* You can use all beef or all sausage, if desired. You could also use ground turkey, though additional seasonings may be needed for the best flavor.
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R. Galore
This is my go to pasta-in-the-IP recipe. I pretty much make it as written, except I do use beef broth instead of chicken broth and I mix in a couple of dollops of cream cheese along with the shredded cheese. Classic comfort food! Really easy and a good easy to follow recipe if you’re a beginner with the IP.
Sharon Troia
This is the very first recipe I made with my IP..it was so easy and delicious and really made me look like I was an expert!😉 Love this!!
Sandy
Yay! I’m happy that you had a success on your first recipe!
Michael
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is the best, there are literally no leftovers
Jamie
Hi Sandy! If I were to substitute penne pasta instead of shell pasta would the cook time still be the same? My family’s gripe with this meal was that it looked like another meal I make (taco pasta) and they were disappointed that it wasn’t 😛 They might give me an easier time eating it if it has different pasta but I want to make sure the cook time doesn’t need to be adjusted! 🙂
Sandy
Hi Jamie! I usually cook penne for 5 minutes.
Min
Yummy and so easy! My husband was craving lasagna, and that wasn’t going to happen. I used veggie crumbles instead of meat and vegetable broth instead of the chicken. I also had to use a different pasta since we didn’t have shells. Everyone loved it!
Sharon Troia
This is my family’s go to dish now..they ask for it all the time! Thank goodness for Sandy I got my IP as a gift with no idea how to use it…now I look like a pro! 😁This is delicious!
Kathy
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
Sandy
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.