Dolly Parton’s 5-Layer Casserole is perfect for anyone who loves meat and potatoes. This hearty bowl will satisfy your belly and is also budget-friendly.
Dolly Parton’s 5 Layer Dinner is true southern comfort food–made easy in your pressure cooker!
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World-renowned performer, songwriter, and business woman Dolly Parton is legendary. And in Nashville, TN, where I live, she’s a well-loved icon for all things classy, southern, and smart.
We even have a restaurant in our city, called White Limozeen, that pays homage to all things Dolly.
So when I came across a recipe attributed to Dolly on the Chindeep site, I knew I had to try it.
It was simple enough, with just a few ingredients, but the original recipe calls for a cook time of two hours.
I wanted to speed things up a bit (okay, a lot!), so I tweaked the recipe and made it in the Instant Pot. It worked great!
Now, I don’t know if Dolly ever actually made this recipe herself, but I do know that it’s a simple, hearty meal!
More Instant Pot Meals To Help You Survive the 9 to 5 Grind:
- Instant Pot Cheesy Beef and Potatoes
- Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Instant Pot Lazy Lasagne Casserole
- Instant Pot Enchilada Casserole
Instant Pot Dolly Parton’s Casserole Makes Dinner Easy
Whether you’re working 9 to 5 or not, the sentiment in Dolly Parton’s famous song is the same; we are all busy, and there are never enough hours in the day.
When my to-do list is long and I’ve got a full day of work ahead of me, I often turn to my Instant Pot for quick and easy meals.
Dolly Parton’s 5-Layer dinner is loaded with potatoes, onions, beef and tomatoes. It’s simple and straightforward but also hearty and filling.
It seems like just the kind of recipe that Dolly would serve as she gathered with friends and family.
That’s why it’s on my list of the best Instant Pot recipes using ground beef!
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How to Make Dolly Parton’s 5-Layer Dinner
It’s really easy to make this Dolly Parton recipe in a fraction of the time when you use the Instant Pot.
Although I found another Instant Pot version of the casserole that uses the pot-in-pot method of cooking, I personally wanted to cook the ingredients at once in the main insert pot because it’s a lot faster that way.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Russet Potatoes
- Green Bell Pepper
- Diced Tomatoes
- Montreal Steak Seasoning
- Ground Thyme
- Beef Broth
- Cornstarch + Water (optional)
- Shredded Mozzarella (optional)
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Brown the Meat and Add the Potatoes. First, you’ll brown the meat and onions. Drain the grease and set aside while you layer the bottom of the Instant Pot with sliced potatoes and a bit of Montreal Steak seasoning.
Add the Layers and Cook. Next, you’ll create your 5 layers by adding beef and onion, tomatoes and green pepper. Season and pour over the beef broth before sealing and cooking. There’s no need to stir anything just yet.
Serve. Last, you’ll scoop the 5-Layer Casserole into bowls and top with a but of Mozzarella cheese before serving.
Notes and Adaptations:
- If you don’t have Montreal steak seasoning on hand, you can use any steak seasoning or simply add plenty of salt and pepper.
- Forgot to thaw out your hamburger? Simply cook the frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot, then proceed with the recipe.
Recommended Equipment:
- Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker
Dolly Parton's 5-Layer Dinner in the Instant Pot
Dolly Parton's 5 Layer Dinner is the perfect southern "meat and potatoes" comfort food--cooked in the Instant Pot!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion, sliced into strips
- 2 large russet potatoes, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded, cored, and chopped
- 15-oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp Montreal steak seasoning, divided
- 1/4 tsp ground thyme
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- optional: 1 TBSP cornstarch + 1 TBSP water
- optional: shredded mozzarella for serving
Instructions
- Add ground beef and sliced onions to the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Using the Saute function, cook until beef is browned, breaking it apart with a spoon or spatula as it cooks.
- Once beef is browned, drain excess grease and set aside.
- Add sliced potatoes to the bottom of the insert pot. Sprinkle potatoes with 1 tsp of Montreal steak seasoning.
- Top potatoes with beef and onions. Add tomatoes and peppers on top of the beef. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp steak seasoning plus the ground thyme.
- Pour in the beef broth. Close the lid and set vent to the sealed position.
- Select a cook time of 4 minutes at high pressure. Once the cook time is complete, perform a quick release of pressure.
- After the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid.
- If desired, add slurry of cornstarch and water to thicken the liquid to a gravy-like consistency.
- Serve, topped with shredded mozzarella if desired.
Notes
- If you don't have Montreal steak seasoning on hand, you can use any steak seasoning or simply add plenty of salt and pepper.
Recipe adapted from Chin Deep
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 378Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 499mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 28g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
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Hooray for taking the time to convert a tried and true 2 hours in the oven recipe for the electric pressure cooker! I think I will put some mushrooms in mine and maybe some fresh green beans.
Thanks for a great conversion.
You’re so welcome, Jamie! Your additions sound delicious–I could eat green beans in just about anything, haha! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Love this..but how do I use the recipe in my crockpot? Can I cook within 2hours?
Hi Kat! I haven’t tried it in the Crockpot yet, so I’m not sure about the cook time. You could brown the ground beef before adding it to the slow cooker, but I’m guessing it would take closer to 4 hours for the potatoes to soften completely. Sorry I can’t say for sure!