A while ago I wrote a post comparing the Crockpot to the Instant Pot (IP) but did not get into what recipes I have been using in the IP.
I feel like I have not maximized my use of the IP yet but I have found a few recipes that I keep going back to. I do not pre-make meals that I freeze and then dump them in like I do with the Crockpot but do it the other way around. I often make a big meal in the IP on a weekend day and then use left overs during the week or freeze said left overs to use at a later time. It has become my latest tool in my meal planning and prepping journey! As I mentioned previously, it is great if you forgot to defrost meat or if you want to cook beans or pasta quickly and in one pot with all the other ingredients.
My three go to recipes are beef goulash, white bean chicken chili, and chicken marsala. I did not create these recipes but have adapted them to suit my family. I will give credit to each recipe after it. This post is for the recipes and not on how to use the IP.
The IP Goulash recipe is a big success in my house. Anyone with toddlers or children in general knows that if you can make a meal that everybody eats, it is a huge win! The best part of it is that it keeps for the whole week in the fridge, so I have not had to freeze left overs and instead am able to get out 2-3 meals for the whole family each time. It is a hearty meal and perfect for colder weather. Recipe is from pipandebby.com and I will mention the changes I make below, including tips on how to make it lower calorie.
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs beef (can use 90% lean), 3 gloves garlic minced, 1 yellow onion chopped, 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes undrained, 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce, 3 cups water, 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsbp Italian seasoning, 2 tsp seasoned salt (I use regular salt), 16 oz elbow macaroni (can use any whole wheat pasta), 1/4 cup cheddar cheese shredded for topping (I usually use part-skim mozzarella)
Recipe:
1) Set IP to saute mode and add beef, garlic, and onion. Cook until meat is no longer pink (I do not drain any liquid)
2) Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, and pasta to the pot and mix well. Place cover on the pot and set timer to 4 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It takes the IP about 17 minutes to build pressure and then it cooks for 4 minutes.
3) When cooking is done, do an immediate quick release and wait for the float valve to drop.
4) Remove cover and serve with shredded cheese, if you’d like
The Instant Pot white chicken chili recipe is one of my favorite things to make now because it is healthy, it is delicious after you make it, and there is usually so many left overs that can be used for the rest of the week in different ways. I will list the recipe below from a website called Allergy Free Alaska but will also write about my ideas of what I do with the left overs. I almost always make this dish with frozen chicken.
Ingredients: 1 pound dried great northern beans or navy beans (I have used both and I like either but great northern beans are a little creamier), 2 cups chopped onion, 4 garlic cloves, minced, 2 tablespoons cassava flour (optional, I always use cornstarch), 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon ground back pepper, 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes, 7 ounces canned diced green chilies (I don’t like spicy, so I don’t use these), 4 cups chicken broth, 6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I use 2 Costco packs of the individually packaged poultry), 3 tablespoons bacon fat, lard, or vegetable shortening (I use Crisco), sea salt to taste
Recipe:
1) Soak beans in a large mixing bowl while getting all other ingredients together
2) Add onion, garlic, cassava flour or cornstarch, chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, oregano, pepper, diced tomatoes, diced chilies, and chicken borth
3) Strain beans in a colander and rinse with fresh water
4) Add bens to IP and stir all ingredients together. Then add the chicken thighs and push them down into the liquid. It is okay if they are not completely covered in liquid.
5) Now add the lard or shortening to the IP. Place the lid and press the bean/chili key. It will say 30 minutes the first time you make it, so increase it to 45 minutes. When the IP is done cooking, let it cool down/warm for 15 minutes and then flip the steam release valve to venting.
5) when the pressure is released, open the lip and use a wooden spoon to stir the chili and break up chicken. Season with salt as needed. The recipe recommends letting it cool for 30 minutes to thicken but I always make it too close to dinner time and typically let the pressure release and only let it cool for a few minutes before eating!
Serving ideas: tortilla chips, tortillas, rice alongside guacamole/avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream
There is always a lot more beans than chicken for left over. Once there is no more chicken, I will use ground turkey for a new version of the chili or if I am short on time, I will heat up frozen meatballs. You can also eat the beans alone as a side dish for any other meal or as a main course without adding any meat.
I love making chicken marsala for Shabbat dinner with extended family. It feels fancy, like we are in a restaurant but it is easy to make; although it is the more involved recipe of the three listed today. It took me a few tries to find the perfect IP recipe for chicken marsala and still modified it a little. It is from a website called Tastes Better from Scratch. This was definitely the creamiest one without having a large amount of cream or extra fat added. Another bonus is that is used chicken thighs, which are my favorite part of the chicken to use in IP recipes and Crockpot as well. This recipe has 4 servings only, so keep that in mind.
Ingredients: about 3 pounds of boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (you can always add a little bit more as long as you are not going above the line on the IP bowl), 1/2 cup all purpose flour for dredging, salt and pepper, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 8 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms thickly sliced (I used Baby Bella, which are the same or you can even use white mushrooms), 3 green onions, chopped (I didn’t have any, so I used a few tablespoons of regular chopped onion), 2 garlic clovs minced, 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1/3 cup sweet Marsala wine, and 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream.
Recipe:
1) Select saute on the IP and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
2) Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour. Add chicken thighs to the hot oil and cook them for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove the thighs to a plate.
3) Add the last tablespoon of olive oil to the IP with the mushroom, onion, and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes and press cancel.
4) Add the chicken broth to the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Place the chicken thighs on top. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing.
5) Cook on Manual/Pressure setting for 10 minutes (high pressure). When timer beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 12 minutes before opening lid.
6) Press cancel and remove the thighs to a plate. Cover with tinfoil to keep warm.
7) Turn IP to saute setting and add the marsala wine to the mushroom mixture. Bring it to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the heavy whipping cream and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened.
8) Spoon sauce over chicken.
Serving suggestions: noodles, mashed potatoes, brown rice
There are no pics in this post because we always eat everything so fast but promise to get some next time I make them!