Nothing beats a hearty, home-cooked meal. Eating at a restaurant or ordering in can be a treat every once in a while rather than an entire lifestyle. But the problem with home cooking is that it can take some time to create fantastic tasting and healthy meals, the time that most people don’t have.
Enter the instant pot! If you don’t have one of these nifty pots yet, then seriously consider purchasing one. An instant pot cuts your cooking time in half, and sometimes more. They can basically cook anything, but what they’re best at is cooking food that takes a lot of time.
Some people think an instant pot is nothing more than just a pressure-cooker, so what’s the big deal? Actually, it’s not like a pressure-cooker. They are multi-cookers, and sears, browns, and sautes food, as you would with a skillet on the stove. They can also steam delicate foods like veggies. You can bake your own bread, cook rice, and if all that isn’t enough, you can even create some fantastic desserts. If time is important to you, as well as eating healthy, then make space on your kitchen counter for an instant pot.
With holidays nearing, why not let this holiday season really stand out with these recipes that you can use for everyday meals or for special gatherings and occasions of friends and family. With a lot of recipes to choose from, you can be sure that your table will be set with appetizing meals from starters to desserts. It’s time to dig in and see how easy it is to prepare elaborate meals with an instant pot!
Instant Pot Turkey
With thanksgiving just around the corner, you no longer have to sweat it out in the kitchen, waiting for a deliciously moist turkey to cook. When choosing a turkey, make sure that it fits into the instant pot. The lid has to be closed properly, and you want to have enough room for the turkey to cook well. There should be a space between it and the top and sides of the pot. No oven bags or foil is needed! You can literally cook a turkey in about 60 minutes compared to the hours it would take in an oven. This will give you plenty of extra time to prepare other dishes that everyone is ready to dive into. More importantly, you’ll relieve yourself of the stress of putting together a dinner for everyone.
Pot Roast
Instant pot roast sounds like a new game, but it’s one of the signature recipes of an instant pot. It’s so popular that it’s often the first recipe people want to try. For a perfect pot roast, you’d want to sear the meat first to give it that brown color. It’s best to cook the meat separate from vegetables that you can add later since they won’t need as much time to cook as the meat. After a little time, you will see some steam releasing from the valve. That’s the way the pot works, so don’t panic. The pot releases excess steam as it comes up to temperature, which takes several minutes, and then will start cooking while you can go and have a nap.
Pasta
There are a variety of pasta recipes that you’re going to love to make in your pot. Macaroni and cheese night is a fun night, and it won’t take you longer than around 6 minutes from start to finish to have it cooked. So even on the days you’re busier or exhausted, you can still have a decent meal quickly. When cooked in an instant pot, you won’t have to deal with the water foaming as it does when making pasta on the stove. Pasta usually needs babysitting to get it perfect, but you can just put it in an instant pot, walk away, and then come back to a nice warm plate of mac and cheese, or any other type of pasta dish you’re craving with no fuss or mess. Since there are different types of pasta, if you find the pasta under or overcooked to your taste, then you just might need to add or subtract a minute or so from the cooking time the pot is set on for the pasta.
Soups
A nice hot bowl of soup is our best friend in winter to keep warm. It’s also a pretty good friend in summer too, when we want to have something light to eat. Classic chicken noodle soup, meaty chilies, creamy soups, and hearty chowders are all insanely easy to make. Caramelize vegetables first, such as onions and garlic or celery, for a richer taste by using the ‘saute’ feature on your pot. You could also reduce the amount of liquid to be used because the liquid won’t evaporate in the pot, so you don’t want your soup to be too thin. Also, if you’re adding cream for a thicker consistency, do so after the instant pot cooking phase is over. This is because the pot cooks better with thin liquid.
Desserts
Love cake and puddings and different dessert sauces? So does your instant pot. Cheesecake, chocolate, carrot cake, and almost any type of cake, as well as creamy puddings you like, are a great treat and easy to make. You want to bake the cake in a pan and not straight into your pot, so use a cake pan that is a suitable size and fits into the pot. You might like to seal the top of the pan tightly with foil to avoid steam getting in there. Moist cake is nice, but mushy cake is not so nice.
You and your instant pot can start a long-term, serious and loving relationship. Knowing the ingredients in all your meals means you and your family can have healthy meals every day, without taking all the time to create them. Usually, instant pot cooking is 2 to 6 times faster than traditional cooking, so you’re saving a lot of time. These pots deliver variety, and there are lots of novel recipes online just a click away from you.
