Instant Pot Creamy Shells and Beef

Instant Pot Creamy Shells and Beef is pure comfort food. This easy Instant Pot dinner recipe is so creamy and cheesy.

 Pasta shells and ground beef are cooked in a tomato sauce and then Parmesan cheese, cream, and cream cheese get mixed in. Instant Pot Creamy Shells and Beef is a little like homemade Hamburger Helper, only much, much better.

Instant Pot Creamy Shells and Beef
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins

Instant Pot Creamy Shells and Beef is pure comfort food. This easy Instant Pot dinner recipe is so creamy and cheesy. Pasta shells and ground beef are cooked in a tomato sauce and then Parmesan cheese, cream, and cream cheese get mixed in.
Course: Main Dish
Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow or sweet onion, diced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (16-ounce) box medium pasta shells, uncooked
1 (24-ounce) jar pasta sauce
3 cups water
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks and softened

Instructions

Add olive oil to the inner pot of an Instant Pot. Turn on "Saute" mode. Add onion and cook until starting to get soft.
Add ground beef and cook and crumble it with a wooden spoon until no longer pink. Turn Instant Pot off.
Add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes and tomato paste and stir.
Pour shells on top of ground beef mixture.
Pourspasta sauce and water on top of shells. Do not stir, but press shells down into liquid with the back of a spoon.
Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is in "sealing" position. Set to Pressure Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.
Do a manual pressure release and when the pin drops, remove the lid. Stir in Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Serve.

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