Instant Pot Stuffed Shells (shortcut recipe)

Instant Pot Stuffed Shells is a shortcut recipe using frozen stuffed shells that takes barely any time! This will become a busy weeknight staple in your weekly meal plan!

Having quick and easy meals during on busy weeknights makes life a lot easier. Not only does meal planning help with grocery shopping and keeping organized, but it also helps save money and time. I love these Instant Pot Stuffed Shells because it’s a set it and forget it recipe, and requires very very little effort! It only takes 2 items from the grocery store and then pair with a delicious side like this Simple Wedge Salad and dinner is served!

Like I said, it is SO EASY to make these Stuffed Shells!

How to make Instant Pot Stuffed Shells:

**scroll all the way down for printable directions and ingredient list**

• Get all the ingredients together; frozen stuffed shells, a jar of  pasta sauce, and the 6 or 8qt Instant Pot. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the bottom of the instant pot. 
• Add some sauce (delicious homemade marinara recipe here) to the bottom of a dish that is safe to use in the instant pot. I use a corningware bowl, but you could also use a silicone baking dish, cake pan, or springform pan. 
  • Can I put the shells directly into the pot?
    • Maybe. I haven’t tried it because I didn’t want to add more water to the pot and have the sauce be too runny. If you add them directly to the pot, you would need to add at least 1/2 cup of water to the sauce so you don’t get the burn signal; I found it easier to just use a baking dish. 
• Layer the shells in the dish, then top with some sauce, then add any remaining shells on top, and top with some more sauce. Spread the sauce over the shells so that the shells are ‘wet’ with sauce all over. 
• Loosely cover the dish with foil, then place on a removable rack, and lower the rack with dish into the Instant Pot. Place the cover on the instant pot and make sure the pressure valve is in the sealed position.

• Set the Instant Pot to high or manual cook mode, and then set the timer on 15 minutes. 
• Remember when using the Instant Pot, that the time it takes to cook the recipe (15 mins), is not the total time of the recipe. You need to give the pot some time to ‘come to pressure’. This could take 10 minutes or so. 
• When the time is up, move the pressure valve to the side to release the pressure. Careful because steam will come out of the pressure valve. When all the pressure is released, remove the lid. Carefully remove the rack with the dish, then remove the foil (careful). 

• Serve the shells topped with parmesan cheese if desired. 

What side dishes go with Stuffed Shells?

• A Simple Wedge Salad is the perfect side dish to go along with these stuffed shells! You can easily make it in the time it takes to cook the shells!
• Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli is an incredibly easy, fast, and delicious side dish. This lower calorie air fryer option will become a staple side dish!
• Crispy, cheesy, and majorly delicious; these Air Fryer Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts are going to be your new go-to side dish. Only a handful of ingredients and only 132 calories per serving!
• With only 2 ingredients and taking a fraction of the typical time, this Air Fryer Roasted Asparagus will be your favorite way to cook asparagus from now on!

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5 from 12 votes

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Instant Pot Stuffed Shells (shortcut recipe)

Instant Pot Stuffed Shells is a shortcut recipe using frozen stuffed shells that takes barely any time! This will become a busy weeknight staple in your weekly meal plan!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Instant Pot Stuffed Shells

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 package frozen stuffed shells
• 1 jar pasta sauce/marinara sauce
• parmesan cheese to garnish

Instructions

1. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the bottom of the instant pot. 

2. Add some sauce to the bottom of a dish that is safe to use in the Instant Pot. I use a corningware bowl, but you could also use a silicone baking dish, cake pan, or springform pan. 

3. Layer the shells in the dish, then top with some sauce, then add any remaining shells on top, and top with some more sauce. Spread the sauce over the shells so that the shells are 'wet' with sauce all over. 

4. Loosely cover the dish with foil, then place on a removable rack, and lower the rack with dish into the Instant Pot. Place the cover on the instant pot and make sure the pressure valve is in the sealed position. Set the Instant Pot to high or manual cook mode, and then set the timer on 15 minutes. 

5. When the time is up, move the pressure valve to the side to release the pressure. Careful because steam will come out of the pressure valve. When all the pressure is released, remove the lid. Carefully remove the rack with the dish, then remove the foil (careful). 

6. Serve the shells topped with parmesan cheese if desired. 

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Homemade marinara sauce recipe here