SUPER EASY / NATURAL RELEASE
Beef, Barley, and Mushroom Casserole
6 servings
Here’s the first of our grain main courses: a favorite soup turned into a savory, sloppy joe–style casserole. Sloppy joe fillings can be sweet, but this preparation is quite savory and even “dry”—in keeping with its casserole consistency, rather than the filling for a messy sandwich (which you can find on here). This main course can be even more savory if you use grass-fed beef. Because of the way a pressure cooker works, the barley picks up lots of the beefy flavor. And because we opted for ground beef, rather than a cubed cut of meat, the casserole is relatively easy to prepare.
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)
8 ounces thinly sliced cremini mushrooms
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced (2 teaspoons)
¾ pound lean ground beef
1 cup pearl barley
1 large round red tomato, chopped (1 cup)
1 tablespoon packed fresh sage leaves, chopped
Up to ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1⅔ cups beef or chicken broth
1.
Press the button for: SAUTÉ
Set it for: MEDIUM, NORMAL, or CUSTOM 300°F
Set the time for: 15 minutes
If necessary, press: START
2. Melt the butter in a 3-, 6-, or 8-quart cooker. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring more frequently, until they give off their internal moisture and it evaporates to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic until aromatic, just a few seconds.
3. Crumble in the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally to break up any clumps, until the meat loses its raw, pink color, about 2 minutes. Stir in the barley, tomato, sage, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until the barley is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
4. Pour in the broth, turn off the SAUTÉ function, and scrape up any browned bits on the pot’s bottom. Lock the lid onto the cooker.
5.
Set the machine for: PRESSURE COOK
Set the level for: MAX
The valve must be: 
Set the time for: 18 minutes with the KEEP WARM setting off
If necessary, press: START
Set the machine for: PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL
Set the level for: HIGH
The valve must be: Closed
Set the time for: 25 minutes with the KEEP WARM setting off
If necessary, press: START
6. When the machine has finished cooking, turn it off and let its pressure return to normal naturally, about 25 minutes. Unlatch the lid and open the pot. Stir well, then set the lid askew over the pot and set aside for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.