If you're a fan of classic Philly cheesesteak but also love a good bowl of pasta, then you're in for a treat with this Instant Pot Philly cheesesteak pasta recipe. This dish combines the flavors of Philly cheesesteak with the comfort of a hearty pasta meal, making it a perfect dinner option for any night of the week. With the help of the Instant Pot, this recipe comes together quickly and easily, allowing you to enjoy a delicious and satisfying meal in no time.
Who doesn't love cheesesteak? Ok, I am sure there are a lot of people who do not and that is ok - we like what we like. We love them here and that's why I created a pasta meal that added similar flavors.
It isn't quite the same as going to Philly and getting a cheesesteak that oozes down your hand as you eat it, but it is going to be something your family will love.
There are some differences between the beloved sandwich and this pasta, but I know you will love it! It's quick and easy to put together, perfect for a busy weeknight.
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Ingredients
There are some changes you can make to the ingredients for this Instant Pot Philly cheesesteak pasta. We make it as written, but you may decide to change it up a little bit to your taste!
Olive oil - This is only needed if you use very lean beef. Leave out if you are using 85% or lower.
Ground beef - I like to use 85% or 90% here. If you use a higher fat ground beef, you will want to drain some of the fat.
Onion - Yellow or sweet are the best.
Garlic - We use fresh chopped garlic, but you can substitute with garlic powder. 3 quarters of a teaspoon would equal about 3 cloves.
Bella brown mushrooms - Optional, but we do recommend them. The kids won't know if you chop them small! You can use your favorite mushrooms in place or even leave them out if you don't like them.
Peppers - While peppers are not usually on a Philly cheesesteak, we did add them to our cheesesteak pasta. We use red, yellow and green (stop light peppers.) You can use your favorites.
Beef broth - I like to cook with unsalted and add my own salt, but you can use regular broth. If you use regular broth, you do not want to use a full teaspoon of salt. Either cut it down or leave it out and add at the table.
Au Jus gravy - This one can be tough (surprisingly) to find in the same brand at each store. I have made this Instant Pot Philly cheesesteak pasta with a 10.5 ounce can, a 12 ounce jar and even a packet of powdered gravy mix with extra water. More on that below.
Pasta - We use medium shells when making this dish, but you can use your favorite. I do recommend something like shells, penne, bowties or something similar in shape. Don't use spaghetti noodles for this pasta recipe.
Cheese - Our favorite in this is 6 cheese Italian (shredded bagged cheese), but you can use your favorite! You can even add Velveeta if you prefer. Whatever cheese you add, be sure to add it after pressure cooking and not before.
Sour cream - While not on a cheesesteak, it does add a great flavor to the cheesesteak pasta!
The Spices
The spices in the Instant Pot Philly cheesesteak are kept simple. Don't forget garlic powder IF you are not using fresh cloves.
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika ground
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Substituting the Jarred Au Jus
I can go to the same store and one day there will be a 10.5 ounce can and another day there will be a 12 ounce jar. I have also gone and they have had neither! Every single time I make this Instant Pot Philly cheesesteak pasta, I have to get a different kind of au jus it seems. You can use either size gravy here.
So what do you do if you can't buy the prepared gravy? Get a packet of gravy mix! No you do not have to prepare the gravy before adding so it's not a huge inconvenience. And there is almost always packets of au jus gravy mix.
Do NOT use the whole packet here. Add 1 Tablespoon of the dry mix and 1 more cup of broth (or water) to your Instant Pot when you add the broth and pasta.
That's it, you substituted the au jus gravy that can be hard to find!
Making the cheesesteak pasta
This is a very simple dish to make so I am sure you will love it on a busy night!
Chop up your veggies before turning the Instant Pot on. Keep the onions and garlic separate from the peppers and mushrooms. They get added at different times.
Turn your Instant Pot onto sauté - normal is the temperature I use. Once it is hot, add the olive oil and the ground beef. Take note that if you are using a higher fat beef, you don't need the oil.
Cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring to break it up before adding the onions and garlic. Cook or another 2-3 minutes until the beef is fully or most of the way cooked. If you have too much fat from your beef, you may want to drain some before adding the rest of the ingredients. I don't drain it with 85% or higher here. Hit cancel.
You shouldn't need to deglaze with the fat from the beef, but if you do then use a little bit of the broth to do so. Stir in the broth, au jus, seasonings and pasta. Stir well to combine and pat the pasta down gently so it is in the broth most of the way.
Add peppers and mushrooms to the top. Do not stir them in.
Put the lid on and turn the valve to sealing. Hit the Pressure Cook/Manual button (some models say manual and some have pressure cook.) and adjust to 6 minutes if using shells. If you are using a different pasta, take the cook time from the box and divide it in half for your pressure cook time. Use the longer time. If it says 10-12 minutes, the divide 12 in half.
When done, do a manual release and when the pin drops remove the lid carefully. Stir in the sour cream and the cheese. Allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Other great Instant Pot dishes
As a note:
We have the 6 quart Instant Pot. This will not work as written in the 3 quart but could probably be adjusted to a smaller meal. You can also use the 8 quart for this dish as written.
It takes our Instant Pot about 20 minutes to build up pressure for this dish. That was included in the total time for the recipe.
Your pasta dish may be a little runny at first, kind of like a thick soup. It will thicken to a perfect pasta dish as it rests after adding the sour cream and cheese.
Recipe
Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil Optional, see notes
- 1 pound ground beef lean
- 16 ounces pasta
- 4 cups beef broth unsalted
- 12 ounces au jus gravy see notes
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheese 6 cheese Italian is recommended
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 cup baby bella brown mushrooms chopped, optional
- ½ green pepper chopped
- ½ yellow pepper chopped
- ½ red pepper chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt see notes
- ½ teaspoon paprika ground
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute normal temp and heat up. Once hot, add in the olive oil (if using lean beef) and ground beef. Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring to break it up.1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound ground beef
- Add in the garlic and onions, cook another 2-3 minutes until the beef is fully or almost fully cooked.Hit cancel.1 yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Stir in the broth, au jus, salt, paprika, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Stir in the pasta and gently pat the pasta down so it is mostly covered in broth.4 cups beef broth, 12 ounces au jus gravy, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 16 ounces pasta
- Spread the peppers and mushrooms over the top, do not stir.1 cup baby bella brown mushrooms, ½ green pepper, ½ yellow pepper, ½ red pepper
- Put the lid on and turn the valve to sealing. Push the Pressure Cook/Manual button and set for 6 minutes(see notes about times.) It took ours about 20 minutes to build pressure.When done do a manual release and carefully remove lid when the pin drops.
- Stir in the sour cream and cheese. Let stand for about 5 minutes and enjoy!½ cup sour cream, 2 cups shredded cheese
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