This Instant Pot Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole is a super easy dinner that the whole family will love. Loaded with ground beef, potatoes, and cheese, this is a hearty dinner you can whip up any night of the week.
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What You’ll Need
The ingredients for this Instant Pot Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole are very basic. You probably already have most of these items in your kitchen. And if not, you’ll easily find them at your local grocery store.
From the refrigerator, you’ll need:
- Ground beef
- Shredded cheddar cheese
From your pantry/spice cabinet, you’ll need:
- Russet potatoes
- Garlic
- Chicken broth
- Italian seasoning
- Paprika
- Salt
- Black pepper
Equipment needed:
- Instant Pot (6 qt capacity or larger)
- Potato peeler
- Medium bowl
- Small bowl
- Wooden spoon
How to Make Instant Pot Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole
I don’t mind cooking, but I’d rather spend my time playing a game with the kids, going for a walk with my husband, or writing back to my readers. That’s why my recipes are almost always fast and easy, like my Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes (Funeral Potatoes) side dish recipe.
This Instant Pot Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole is a no-frills meal. It’s easy to keep the ingredients on hand and it’s a meal everyone in the family appreciates.
Step 1: Brown Ground Beef
First, we need to brown the ground beef. Press “Saute” on your Instant Pot, wait for the display to read “Hot,” then add your ground beef and minced garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring constantly and breaking up the beef, until no longer pink.
Drain the fat and remove the beef to a separate bowl. If you are new to your Instant Pot or have had burn issues with other recipes, you should deglaze your inner liner before moving on.
To deglaze the inner liner, return it to your Instant Pot. Select saute and wait for the display to read “Hot” then add 1/2 cup of water. Next, use a wooden spoon to scrape up any ground beef that has stuck to the bottom. Turn the pot off and discard the water.
If you’ve used your Instant Pot a lot and haven’t run into the burn error before, you can skip this step. I never deglaze and have never had a burn error, but other users get burn errors consistently if they don’t deglaze. If in doubt, deglaze.
Step 2: Prepare Potatoes & Seasoning
Next, peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/4 inch slices. In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Layer Ingredients
Now it’s time to get everything in the Instant Pot to cook! Add 1/3 of the potatoes, 1/3 of the ground beef, 1/3 of the shredded cheddar, and 1/3 of the seasoning. Repeat the layers twice more.
When you’re done layering, it should look like this:
Pour chicken broth over the layers and then secure the lid.
Step 4: Pressure Cook
Make sure the valve is sent to sealing. Then, select “Manual” and set the time for 15 minutes. When the pot beeps to indicate it’s done cooking, move the valve to venting for a quick release.
Once the pressure is fully released, carefully remove the lid. Your Instant Pot Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole is ready to serve!
To incorporate some vegetables into your dinner, serve with green beans or a side salad.
Ready to make this Instant Pot Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole? Here’s the recipe card with exact measurements.
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📋 Recipe
Instant Pot Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4-5 russet potatoes
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Saute ground beef and garlic in Instant Pot until browned; drain.1 lb ground beef, 1 clove garlic
- Wash, peel, and slice potatoes into ¼-inch slices.4-5 russet potatoes
- Mix Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- Layer 1/3 of the potatoes, 1/3 of the ground beef, 1/2 cup of cheese, and 1/3 of the seasoning mix; repeat layers 2 more times.1 ½ cups cheddar cheese
- Pour chicken broth over the layers.1 cup chicken broth
- Secure lid and set valve to sealing.
- Set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot beeps, do a quick release of the pressure. When the pressure is fully released, carefully remove the lid.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Instant Pot Resources
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Instapot, for some reason, signaled burn, so it stopped on me twice. Ended up putting the contents in a baking dish and using the oven for 30 to finish. Was just too hot? Was curious if 5 minutes is plenty, but I’ll never know:)
Several people commented saying they put the broth in the pot first, and that prevented them from getting the burn notice. A few people also added an extra 1/2 cup of broth.
Have any previous commenters tried frozen hashbrowns instead of the sliced potatoes? I wonder if that would stop the burn notice.
I also put the broth in first. I set for only 7 minutes and add the cheese afterwards. Works great. Love this for a quick dinner. Thank you so much!
I made this today. I was home sick and was tired of eating soup. I did not follow the directions as written, remember I am sick, but just threw everything in and did not layer. I added the cheese after everything else cooked because I forgot, sick remember? Well the results were outstanding.
Will definitely make again but next time I will follow directions as written! This would make a good pot luck meal too, Just double it.
I’m sorry you’re sick, I hope you feel better soon. I’m glad you liked the recipe and want to make it again. Thanks for commenting.
Love it but would love to try it with ground turkey. Have you tried that and if so, did you find it need any more or less seasonings?
I haven’t tried it with ground turkey, but I think it should be fine without any additional seasonings. If you’re using ground turkey to make it healthier, you could also use reduced fat cheese and low sodium broth.
We used ground turkey browned with half a Vidalia onion, and our own seasoning mix. I thought the Italian seasoning wouldn’t fit my kids’ palates so I used Lawry’s, garlic and smoked paprika. I didn’t measure how much. We also used Manchego cheese and beef broth. I cooked it according to the directions then broiled it with IP fryer lid. It was delicious!
Sounds like a delicious version of the recipe! That’s the great thing about recipes, you can modify them to fit your family’s preferences. Thanks for commenting.
I made this last night. I got the dreaded “Food Burn” message. When I dug down to the bottom of the pot with my wooden spoon there was a thick buildup of cheese. I haven’t had much success doing anything to fix this so I just got out a baking dish and spooned it into that. I baked it until the potatoes softened. Very tasty! Thank you.
So sorry you got the burn notice. Unfortunately, you’re not the first person who has told me this. I need to revisit the recipe and give it several more tries to come up with a version that is foolproof for everyone. Thanks for the feedback and glad you were able to find a workaround!
Easy and delicious! I put about 1/2 cup extra liquid because I believe my pressure cooker says you must cook with at least 1 1/2 cups of liquid. I have a 6 quart. Anyway, nothing burned or stuck to the bottom and it was yummy, fast and easy to make! Thank you for this recipe! Please share more fast and easy pressure cooker recipes. Love your website name, by the way.
Thanks for sharing how you made the recipe work for your instant pot. I’m glad the recipe turned out for you and that you liked it. That’s so sweet of you to mention that you like my website name. Thanks for commenting.
I did love the recipe, I did add one onion, diced, and sauteed it with the ground beef I did get the “burn” notification, even though I deglazed after browning, but it did not alter the final product. Next time, I will layer with the ground beef/onion mixture on the bottom.
I’m glad you liked the recipe, thanks for letting me know. Some people suggested adding some of the broth to the bottom of the pan before the other ingredients to help not receive the burn notice.
I had the same problem. I used extra broth and after that burn notice my IP just didnt wanna pressure cook it was like saying on but nothing sounded like it was pressure cooking….normally you can hear it and also the lid was able to open everytime usually i cant open the lid without releasing pressure….its now in the oven and I hope it was worth the headache.
I love this recipe BUT… the first time I made it, no problem… every time since, I get the dog gone burn message even though I thoroughly deglazed the pan and made sure I had enough liquid. My husband wants me to throw out the IP. The As-Seen-on-TV brand that I had before never had an issue. I’m going to go PIP next time. But the taste is wonderful that’s why I keep trying. I’ll definitely check out some of your other recipes! Thanks for this one. ;D
I’m glad you like the recipe. I hope it works better the next time. Thanks for commenting.
This was perfectly cooked – no burning whatsoever. My IP is the generation before the burn notice ones. I’ve never had any problem with any recipe burning! Next time I’ll add some onions and hubby wants me to do bacon but I’ll probably cook that separately and add it afterward. This is a keeper!
Thanks for letting me know the recipe turned out well for you.
I had a leftover 1/2 cabbage head, so I shredded it and added it to this recipe. Also, since I had only 80% lean ground beef, I browned the beef on the stove and drained well before adding it to the Instant Pot. Yes, another pan to clean, but still not much additional work.
Delicious!
Loved this recipe!!! I Chopped onion and cooked with the meat and garlic and substituted a season all for the paprika. It was awesome.
Thanks so much for sharing this one!!!
Thank you! This is a definite keeper! I Worried the potatoes would stick, so I used a lb of frozen mixed vegs, put 1/3 on the bottom, then alternated layers as in the recipe. It still burned Just a bit on the outer circle, but not badly. No burned taste at all. This was yommmmmy!! (I only put hamburger on one side of the IP, none on ‘my’ side). Going now to check out more easy Instant Pot recipes!!!
Added chopped onion when I browned the beef. Also poured broth in first as others had suggested and did not get any burning in IP. Really good topped with hatch green Chile’s!
Yum! Since it seems several people have had burn issues, I put extra broth (I also used beef broth, not chicken). There was broth left after cooking, so I just served using a slotted spoon. Basic, yummy, easy meal. Thanks for the recipe!
Super easy you make. Directions were simple to follow. I didn’t have a problem with any burning. Although when draining the beef I did leave some grease behind. All in all. Family loved this
I made this today and it was delicious. I had no problems with burning though I put a bit of broth on the bottom then meat per a suggestion by another commenter. Was super easy and full of flavor. Will definitely make again.
I just tried this recipe for the first time in my 8qt Duo. I took all the comments into consideration. I deglazed the pot, sprayed it with cooking spray, put the broth in first the meat, potatoes, cheese. I still got the burn notice within 15 mins. This is the first time in 6 months that I have ever gotten the burn notice. I ended up dumping everything in a casserole dish and finished it in the oven. I’m wondering if using a less starchy potato and not adding the cheese til the end would work better?
Hi Nichole, thank you so much for your detailed feedback. I haven’t been able to recreate the problem when I make it and I’ve had a few friends try as well, so I haven’t been able to pinpoint the problem. When you got the burn error, what was burnt to the bottom? Was it the potatoes? And was there any liquid in your pot when you opened it or had it all been absorbed by the potatoes already? Trying to figure out if re-ordering the ingredients or adding liquid will help.
It was burnt on the bottom. Looked like meat and potatoes both got burned. There was still quite a bit of liquid so who knows 🤷♀️ I was able to finish it in the oven so nothing was wasted 🙂
Same for me, so aggravating! Next time if I make again I will tr UKy PIP! First ever burn notice, followed recipe exactly!
Tasty but had to wrestle with the dreaded burn notice. I browned in one pot and completely switched to a second pot for pressure cooking so I didn’t have to deglaze. Got the notice before it was pressurized, I put back in a clean pot #1 and added more water. Another burn notice. Ended up dishing up into bowls and microwaving about 2-1/2 minutes.Tasty! Might try it in a slow cooker next time. But I am interested if someone does solve this problem.
Several people commented saying they put the broth in the pot first, and that prevented them from getting the burn notice. A few people also added an extra 1/2 cup of broth.
The first time I made this I got the burn and had the potatoes all stuck to the bottom. Next time I put have the broth right on the bottom of the pot to create a little barrier and then put 1/3 of the meat followed by the potatoes and cheese and keep layering ending with potatoes and cheese and the rest of the broth. This way no potatoes ever touch the bottom. I have never got the burn message since and make this a couple times a month. It’s one of my family’s favorites now. Maybe if you put these tips right in the recipe, you won’t see so many fails.
Thanks Staci! I’m going to add your tips as you suggested. Really appreciate that you took the time to share them!
Tried this tonight, BURN within 5 mins of coming to pressure. I DID deglaze like I always do when I sauté anything and I EVEN used my non stick ceramic insert for this, had to dump everything out and salvage the meal with the oven. So aggravated.
I have a 2 year old 6qt IP and rarely get a burn notice but I have heard that a lot of people with newer models, and particularly the larger 8 qt model have issues with burning. I would layer the ingredients differently and instead of putting potatoes on the bottom, put the meat in as a first layer instead, as starchy things like potatoes and pasta can stick and cause burning.
Use non stick spray every time you cook with your IP. It makes a huge difference.
This did not work well for me. Followed instruction’s and the first go my instant pot read BURN so I emptied the contents and washed the insert, sprayed it with cooking spray and put the food back in. Within minutes was getting the BURN notice again. Emptied the contents into a dutch oven and cooked it on the stove.
I’m baffled why this happened not once…but twice. Please test this recipe again and figure out what the problem is. The recipe is very tasty and this is the first one I’ve had actually burn in the instant pot. I’ve made other recipes browning ground beef first and then just adding the other ingredients and not had any problems or even a little food sticking to the bottom.
Thanks for the feedback Teresa. Since I don’t get the burn in my own pot, I’m going to have some other friends attempt it and see how we can tweak the recipe to get more consistent results.
I also got a burn notice even with cleaning the bottom of the pot. I have an 8quart duo. I doubled the recipe including the broth. It seemed to go back and forth between burn and cooking just fine.
Thanks for the feedback. Did you deglaze the pot after browning the beef? Trying to narrow down where the recipe is going awry for some.
I did. After a few minutes it started the timer and did the cook cycle and finished normally. I did have a decent amount of potato stuck to the bottom of the pot, but nothing I couldn’t scrub off.
Ok, good to know. Might have to have a few of my friends try this out and see what I can do differently to get more consistent results. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience with the recipe and your feedback!
I followed your instructions exactly and I got the burn alert on my istant pot. DID you have This problem? What can I do to avoid this?
Hi Madison, I’m so sorry you got the burn error on this recipe. I haven’t had this problem, but on another recipe, I’ve posted that starts with browning ground beef, a few readers had the same problem there. The recommendation from other users has been to deglaze the inner liner after removing the beef. You just put the inner liner back in after removing the beef and fat, turn on saute mode and wait for it to get hot, then add 1/2 cup of water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape away any bits that are stuck to the bottom. I’ll add this note to the instructions to help others avoid the same problem. I’m not sure why it happens to some people and not others.
Corinne,
Do you see any reason I could not use a 5qt IP?
Judie