More time at home, less time (and money) eating out!
**Danielle is one of our guest bloggers from our listening area, you can read more from her blog at A Mom's Best Guess.**
Mr. Guess is an artist, and I’ve mastered the instant pot. So lemme brag with a quick meal plan round up of my top ten favorite dishes to cook in the instant pot.
What is it? A modern pressure cooker that has a safety lock, so it won’t blow up in your face like Grandmama did.
Where to get one? I got a steal on Black Friday a few years ago! Amazon always has them.
Why do you need one? You can take most any meat and veggie and spice on hand and make a full meal in thirty minutes. It takes less time to prep, cook, and clean up from dinner than to put shoes on, drive to fast food, and bring it home. Win!
Any extras needed? A steamer basket is helpful if you’re a unicorn like me and don’t have a microwave to reheat food or like to eat potatoes every other day. Otherwise, no!
R E C I P E S
- Salsa chicken- 1 lb frozen chicken, 1/2 cup salsa, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 oz. taco seasoning. Set timer for 15 minutes. Sit for 5 minutes. Quick release pressure (QR: turn the knob on top and let all steam out). Shred chicken. Add to taco shells with toppings or over salad.
- Creamy Chicken Pasta- a favorite! You’ll memorize this recipe and cook every week. It will for sure impress guests!
- Boiled Eggs- add included trivet to IP. 1 cup water. Add as many eggs as you can side by side (no overlaying). Close lid and cook for 3-5 minutes. 4 is magic! Creamy, hard boiled perfect eggs emerge after a QR. Remove eggs to an ice water bath and peel after a few minutes. Make egg salad with Avocado Mayo, store for breakfasts, or top a salad with protein. No more overcooking eggs!
- Pot Roast- okay, I lied some recipes take 45 minutes. This roast is worth it! Better than cooking all day and worrying about a crock pot being on.
- Veggie Fried Rice!!!- exclamation points necessary. Skip the Chinese takeout and enjoy this one pot meal.
- Creamy Broccoli Chicken- want your kids to eat more veggies? Cook this! Add to pot 1.5 cups chicken broth, 1 cup rice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1.5 lbs frozen chicken tenders. Close lid and cook for 10 minutes then QR pressure. Stir in 4 cups fresh broccoli, chopped and 1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Enjoy!
- Beef Tacos- like the chicken ones… but cow! Add 1 tbsp of oil to the bottom of pot. Turn to sauté. Brown beef (1.5 lbs chuck roast cut into cubes) on all four sides. Pour in a cup of salsa (and extra garlic if your house is sickly!). Manual cook time for 35 minutes. Wait 10 minutes then release pressure. Shred beef and serve on button lettuce leaves. Yum!
- Orange Chicken- my favorite Chinese dish! Cook rice in instant pot first then make this recipe. Tip- chop up extra green onions!
- Spaghetti and Meatballs- Oh yes, noodles and everything! Add to lot 1 lb of your favorite frozen meatballs. Layer with 8 oz uncooked spaghetti, then drizzle noodles with olive oil. Pour over 24 oz pasta sauce then 3 cups water. Don’t stir! Cook for 10 minutes the. QR pressure and stir. It will look watery, but let it sit.
- Everything Soup- two cans beans of choice, drained. Leftover veggies and/or meat from the week . Onion. 2 cups broth. 1 cup water. 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.
- BONUS! Chicken noodle soup- A must for this season. Sauté 1/2 onion, 4 stalks diced celery and 1 cup diced carrots in 1 tbsp real butter. Add to pot 3.5 cups chicken broth, 1/2 tbsp Celtic grey sea salt (the healing salt of soups!),and 2 lbs chicken (can be fresh or frozen) AND 1 drop dill vitality essential oil (KEY for immune health). Cook manual for 8 minutes then QR pressure. Shred chicken and stir in 1-2 cups egg noodles (preference) and 1 cup frozen peas. Serve with love and never have to go to the grocery store for Campbell’s again when a kid is sick.
Are you feeling confident enough to get an instant pot now? Share you favorite recipes and subscribe to my posts for more life/ wellness/ nutrition tips!