Joining the Cult of the Instant Pot

For Valentine's Day this year, my husband gave me an Instant Pot. Now, to some, this may not sound like a very romantic gift. Fortunately, my husband knows me well enough to know that I enjoy cooking, and I enjoy cooking with new and interesting gadgets. And he noticed how my ears perked up when my sister was waxing rhapsodic about HER new Instant Pot at Christmas. And he also knows me well enough to have gotten a red one.

So, over the past few months, I have been dipping my toe into the Cult of the Instant Pot.

First of all, let me say that I am, indeed, a big fan of the Instant Pot. But I am not a member of the Cult. Here is why: first of all, although the Pot is wonderful for many things, it is not wonderful for everything. The Cult insists that pretty much every kind of food can - and SHOULD - be made in the Instant Pot. This is simply untrue. Although the Pot is wonderful for a lot of things, including rice pudding, cheesecake, pot roast, pulled pork and chicken, hard boiled eggs, and cooking any kind of meat from frozen, it just doesn't make sense to me to use it for macaroni and cheese, bread, and other dishes that either weren't meant to be steamed, or don't take any less time in the Instant Pot.

But although I am not a member of the Cult, I do love my Instant Pot, and I do want to share some of my favorite recipes with any readers out there who may either have an Instant Pot or be thinking about getting one.

Cranberry Orange Meatballs (link to original recipe)

I always have a bag of frozen cocktail meatballs from Costco on hand. Usually I just thaw them in the microwave, then simmer them in jarred sauce for a while and serve them with spaghetti. But this lovely sweet-tart recipe works well over rice as an entree, or saute for a little extra time at the end to really get the sauce thick and gooey for a nice appetizer.

1 tablespoon olive (or vegetable) oil
72 frozen meatballs (I used about 1/4 of the big Costco bag)
1/2 cup water
1-15 oz. can jellied cranberry sauce
1/2 cup orange marmalade (about half a small jar)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dry minced onion

Spread the oil on the bottom of the pot liner and arrange the meatballs evenly in the pot. Pour the water over the meatballs, then spoon the cranberry sauce and marmalade over and sprinkle with garlic powder and minced onion. DO NOT STIR. Seal the pot and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Do a quick release and when pin drops, remove lid and stir. To thicken the sauce, set pot to saute and cook for 5-10 minutes, until desired thickness.

Beef Tips (link to original recipe)

I made a few changes to this recipe, based on what I had on hand. I did use the red wine (because I always have red wine on hand!!) but you could easily just use a little more beef broth. The original recipe actually called for consomme instead of broth, but I think the flavor of the broth was perfectly fine. I also left out the bell pepper in the original recipe because my kids aren't fans, and I didn't miss that either. But the lovely thing about recipes like this is that you can adjust them to your own personal tastes very easily.

2 lbs. beef, cut into bite-size cubes
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika (or use smoked paprika for a nice, rich flavor)
vegetable oil for sauteeing
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I omitted this)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups beef stock (use 1-3/4 if omitting red wine)
1/4 cup red wine (optional)

In a large ziploc bag, combine flour, salt, pepper, mustard, and paprika and shake to combine, then add beef and shake well to coat. Set the Pot to saute (or use a large skillet on the stovetop) and heat some oil, then brown the beef on all sides. Do it in several batches to avoid crowding the meat. Set aside when done. Add a little more oil to the pan and saute the onion and pepper until soft, then add the garlic and saute for a few more minutes. Add the red wine (or 1/4 cup of stock) and deglaze the pan with the vegetables still in it. Add the remainder of the stock. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes, followed by natural pressure release until the pin drops. Set to saute and simmer until sauce reaches desired thickness. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Swedish Meatballs

Another great recipe using frozen Costco meatballs, Swedish meatballs are an old family recipe and I wasn't sure if this version would work. But my whole family loves them, especially served over rice with a side of cranberry sauce.

1 lb frozen meatballs (again, about 1/4 to 1/3 of the big Costco bag)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 to 1 onion, diced (or use 1/2 cup frozen chopped onion)
1-3/4 cup beef broth
1 cup half and half (or heavy cream)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Set the Pot to saute and heat the olive oil, then saute the onions until translucent. Deglaze the pot with about half the beef broth. In a separate bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients except meatballs, until smooth. Pour into Pot and add meatballs. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes (if using thawed meatballs, cook for 2 minutes). Use quick pressure release, then remove meatballs and set to saute. Whisk in 2 additional tablespoons of cornstarch, if desired, and cook to desired thickness. Add meatballs back into sauce and serve over rice or egg noodles.

Smoky Lentil and Potato Soup (link to original recipe)

I love soup of nearly any kind; I love lentils; I love potatoes; and I really, REALLY love smoked paprika. So this recipe is pretty much my perfect dish for a cold, rainy day. The lentils were just the tiniest bit al dente, so if you prefer them very soft, you may want to add a minute or two of cook time. Also, I bet this would be amazing with a little crumbled and browned sweet Italian sausage added in. This is a really large recipe but you can cut it in half without changing the cooking time.

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup celery, diced (can be omitted)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cups lentils (brown, red, or a combination)
8 cups chicken stock
8-10 oz. chopped spinach or kale (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated parmesan for garnish (optional)

Set the Pot to saute and heat the oil. Saute the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery for a few minutes. Stir in cumin, paprika, and salt. Add potatoes, lentils, and stock. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes and quick release. Stir in spinach or kale, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a sprinkle of grated parmesan.

Roasted Potatoes and Carrots (link to original recipe)

My husband is not a fan of the stringy texture of pot roast, but the whole family loves the soft potatoes and carrots that go with pot roast. We use it as a side dish with meats that we grill or roast in the oven. If you prefer to cut the potatoes and carrots into bite-sized pieces, simply reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 pounds carrots, cut into large chunks
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into halves or quarters
1-1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Spike seasoning (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon salt plus some onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, and oregano)
Chopped parsley (optional)

Set the Pot to saute and heat the oil, then saute the onions for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and saute for an additional 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Seal the Pot and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then natural pressure release for about 10 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure and garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Rice Pudding (link to original recipe)

My family is not a big fan of rice pudding, but I am very happy to enjoy the entire thing over the course of a week or so! It's delicious warm or cold, with cinnamon or berries or whipped cream or without. Be sure to rinse the rice, as it really does make a difference in the texture.

1 cup long-grained rice
2 cups milk
1-1/4 cup water
1/8 cup sugar (this recipe is quite sweet so feel free to reduce or omit)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used a little more)
Cinnamon, berried, or whipped cream, for garnish (optional)

Rinse rice well, using a fine mesh colander. Add milk, water, sugar, and salt to Pot and stir. Stir in rinsed rice. Seal and cook for 20 minutes on Porridge setting (or manual high pressure). Allow to natural release for 10 minutes, the quick release remaining pressure. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Serve warm or cold, with or without garnish.


Happy cooking!