Kodiak casserole is a cheesy, saucy pot of ground beef and tender egg noodles in a tangy, smoky sauce of picante sauce, BBQ sauce, tomato sauce and green chiles, finished with melted cheddar. It’s a hearty weeknight dinner, and in the Instant Pot it’s on the table in under half an hour.
How to make Kodiak casserole: brown ground beef with onion and celery on the sauté setting, add broth, layer dry egg noodles and the sauces on top without stirring, pressure cook for 1 minute, let it sit 5 minutes, then stir and melt cheddar over the top.
Why You’ll Love It
- 26 minutes start to finish, and only 1 of them at pressure.
- One pot. The beef browns, the noodles cook and the cheese melts in the same insert.
- No boiling noodles. They go in dry and cook in the broth and sauce.
- Sweet, tangy and a little smoky from the BBQ and picante sauces together.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef. One pound of lean ground beef. You’ll still drain the grease after browning.
Broth. Two and a half cups of chicken or beef broth. Either one works; it’s the liquid that cooks the noodles.
Egg noodles. Eight ounces, uncooked, straight from the bag.
The sauces. A 4-ounce can of diced green chiles, an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce, 1/2 cup picante sauce such as Pace, 1/4 cup BBQ sauce and a tablespoon of Worcestershire. Together they make the whole sauce.
Cheddar. One cup, shredded, for the top.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup onions, diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
- 8 ounces egg noodles, uncooked
- 1 can diced green chiles (4 ounces)
- 1 can tomato sauce (8 ounces)
- 1/2 cup picante sauce (Pace)
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
How to Make Kodiak Casserole
1. Brown the beef and vegetables. Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. When the display says HOT, add the ground beef and break it up. Add the onions and celery and brown for about 5 minutes, until the beef is no longer pink and reaches 160°F. Drain off the excess grease. Stir in the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Add the broth. Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot so nothing is sticking.
3. Layer the noodles and sauces. Sprinkle the egg noodles evenly over the broth. Then add the green chiles, tomato sauce, picante sauce, BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce on top. Do not stir.
4. Pressure cook. Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid, with the valve set to sealing. Set the manual or pressure cook button to 1 minute.
5. Rest and release. When time is up, let the pot sit for 5 minutes, then move the valve to venting to release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid.
6. Stir and add the cheese. Stir. Sprinkle the cheddar on top and let it melt, until the casserole reaches 165°F. Serve.
Layer It, Don’t Stir It
The whole method comes down to the order things go into the pot, and to keeping your spoon out of it until the end.
Bottom: beef and broth. Brown the beef, drain it, season it, then pour in the broth and scrape the bottom clean. Nothing should be stuck to the pot when the lid goes on.
Middle: dry noodles. Scatter the egg noodles in an even layer over the broth instead of dropping them in a heap. Don’t mix them in.
Top: the sauces. Spoon the green chiles, tomato sauce, picante sauce, BBQ sauce and Worcestershire over the noodles and leave them sitting there. Don’t stir.
After the beep: wait, then stir. One minute at pressure is all it gets. Let the pot sit for 5 minutes before you vent it, then open the lid and stir everything together. The noodles should be tender and coated in a thick red sauce. The cheddar goes on last, right on top, to melt.
Kodiak Casserole for a Crowd
Feeding a bigger group? This casserole also bakes in the oven, in a Dutch oven-sized batch for a party. Brown 2 pounds of ground beef with 4 cups diced onions and 2 garlic cloves in a Dutch oven. Add 3 medium green peppers and 4 cups diced celery, a 5 3/4-ounce jar of pimiento-stuffed olives and a 4-ounce can of mushrooms (both with their liquid), a 10 3/4-ounce can of condensed tomato soup, an 8-ounce jar of picante sauce, an 18-ounce bottle of barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire and 3 to 4 cups of cooked medium egg noodles. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour, until bubbly, and sprinkle 1 cup of cheddar on just before serving.
Tips for Success
Why is my casserole greasy?
The fat from the beef stayed in the pot. Drain the grease right after browning, before the seasoning and broth go in.
Why did the bottom stick?
Browned bits were left on the bottom of the insert. After you add the broth, scrape the whole bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon so nothing is sticking before the noodles go in.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Reheat covered on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven until it reaches 165°F; from frozen, it takes about one and a half times as long. USDA FSIS does not recommend reheating leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
If your family likes beef and noodles, try slow cooker Amish ground beef noodle casserole and ground beef stroganoff next. For more one-dish ground beef dinners, there’s Big Mac casserole, stuffed pepper casserole, tamale casserole and slow cooker Amish beef and corn casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a Kodiak casserole?
Ground beef, onion, celery and egg noodles in a sauce of picante sauce, BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, green chiles and Worcestershire, with cheddar melted on top.
Can I make it in the Instant Pot instead of the oven?
Yes, that’s how this recipe works: 1 minute at pressure plus a 5-minute rest, instead of an hour in a 350°F oven, with the noodles going in dry.
Can I use beef broth instead of chicken broth?
Yes. Either one works, in the same 2 1/2-cup amount.
Final Notes
Have the noodles and all the sauces open and measured before the beef goes in, so you can layer them the moment the broth is in. Tell me in the comments if you made the pot version or the big oven batch.
Kodiak Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup onions diced
- 1 rib celery diced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
- 8 ounces egg noodles uncooked
- 1 can diced green chiles 4 ounces
- 1 can tomato sauce 8 ounces
- 1/2 cup picante sauce Pace
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. When the display says HOT, add the ground beef and break it up. Add the onions and celery and brown for about 5 minutes, until the beef is no longer pink and reaches 160°F. Drain off the excess grease. Stir in the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot so nothing is sticking.
- Sprinkle the egg noodles evenly over the broth. Then add the green chiles, tomato sauce, picante sauce, BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce on top. Do not stir.
- Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid, with the valve set to sealing. Set the manual or pressure cook button to 1 minute.
- When time is up, let the pot sit for 5 minutes, then move the valve to venting to release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid.
- Stir. Sprinkle the cheddar on top and let it melt, until the casserole reaches 165°F. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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