This Instant Pot Tex Mex Pasta with Ground Beef meal can be on your table in just a few minutes using a skillet or your Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker). Your family will love how creamy and cheesy this pasta casserole turns out. Feel free to use ground beef or any ground meat you prefer.
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 5 minutesminutes
Time Needed for Instant Pot to Pressurize:: 10 minutesminutes
Total Time: 30 minutesminutes
Servings: 8servings
Calories: 545kcal
Ingredients
1lb.lean ground beef
1/2tsp.each smoked paprika and chili powder
1tsp. onion powder or granulated onion, optional
1 tsp. garlic powder or granulated garlic, optional
1medium red bell pepper, optional seeds and membranes removed, diced
1/2lb.penne or mini penne pasta, may substitute any shape of pasta desired
10 1/2oz.can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
10 1/2oz.can Campbell’s cream of chicken soup
8oz. can tomato sauce
10oz.can diced tomatoes and green chiliesundrained
1 cupchicken, beef, or vegetable broth
16oz.shredded colby-jack or monterey jack cheese, I love to use Alma Creamery Cheese, a great KS productoptional
1/4cupchopped fresh cilantro, optional
1cupcrushed tortilla chips, optional
Instructions
To Cook This Pasta in the Instant Pot
Using the sauté setting on your Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker), cook and crumble the ground beef with the spices and bell pepper (if using) until fully cooked throughout; drain any beef fats that accumulate.
Next, layer the penne pasta on top of the ground beef in the Instant Pot; top with both cans of soup; pour the tomato sauce, broth, and tomatoes and green chilies over all the ingredients already in the Instant Pot. DO NOT STIR!
Lock the Instant Pot lid into place; choose the High Pressure setting for 5 minutes, bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure. When the timer sounds, perform a Quick Release to remove all pressure from Instant Pot. Carefully unlock and remove the Instant Pot lid; give the contents a gentle stir to combine. To serve, top each pasta serving with cheese, cilantro, and tortilla chips. (We also like to add sour cream as a topping, too, but this is completely optional - use your favorite toppings.)
To Cook This Pasta in a Skillet
Cook the penne pasta according to package directions; reserve.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef with the spices and bell pepper (if using) until fully cooked throughout; drain any fats that accumulate.
Reduce the heat to medium; add the soups, tomato sauce, broth, tomatoes and green chilies, and cooked pasta to skillet with the ground beef, stirring to combine and cooking until the pasta is nicely hot throughout. To serve, top each bowl of pasta with cheese, cilantro and crushed tortilla chips....and any other favorite toppings, you desire. (We like sour cream!)