Instant Pot Teriyaki Apricot Chicken

“MOM, chicken AGAIN????!!” How many times have I heard that? Ugh. I came up with this boneless chicken recipe to change things up a bit. It’s an easy one-pot meal that the whole family will love. Feel free to change up the fruit you use, I used the apricots because I happen to have a can of apricots that I didn’t know what to do with. I thought you could easily substitute pineapple or mandarin oranges, whatever YOU happen to have in your pantry!

*NOTE* The key to successfully making recipes in the Instant Pot without getting a BURN notice is to NOT STIR the ingredients that you are going to pressure cook. Carefully stack the ingredients on top of each other (even the sauce!) and you will not have a problem.

Ingredients

• Boneless chicken breasts (I used 6, but you can add or subtract from that) If you use thin breasts, they can be FROZEN!!
• 2 Cups White Rice with 2 Cups Water
• Medium sized Onion, diced
• 2 tsp Ginger
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 4 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• Can of Apricots (chunks)
• 3/4 Cup Teriyaki Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s brand)
• 1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 3 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

SLURRY INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp Corn Starch
• 4 Tbsp Cold Water

1. Rinse rice well and put in instant pot with 2 Cups of water.
2. Using stacking technique, (see NOTE above), Add meat, spices, onion and apricots (fruit). DO NOT STIR.
3. Add Teriyaki Sauce. DO NOT STIR.
4. Cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes, with a 10 minute Natural Release.
5. Add Brown Sugar and Vinegar. Stir.
6. Change Instant Pot function to SAUTE.
7. Make Slurry: Combine Corn Starch and Water and whisk together.
8. Add Slurry to thicken while you carefully stir mixture and chicken.

Any questions? Did you make this recipe? Please leave feedback/comments below! I would love to hear from you! ENJOY!!!

Suzy

Instant Pot Taco Bowls

This is a great weeknight dinner that can be made hands-off, so you can get some other stuff done while it’s cooking. It’s a little unusual, because I don’t saute the meat, I cook it in a block (like it comes in the package), essentially steaming it. A big PRO is that you can cook the meat FROZEN, just in case you didn’t get it out of the freezer in time to cook! (Oh no, none of us would do THAT, now would we? wink wink!!)

Ingredients

• 2lbs Ground Beef, Chicken or Turkey (frozen or thawed)
• 1 bag Corn Chips (or Pre Made Taco Bowls-a bit pricey!)
• 2-15oz cans Black Beans, drained
• 24oz jar of Salsa
• 12oz jar Chili Con Queso
• 1lb bag frozen Corn
• 1 cup Water

1. Add water to bottom of inner pot, and place ground meat on trivet
2. Cook meat. FROZEN: 25 mins on High Pressure, THAWED: 15 mins on High Pressure. Natural release for 10 mins. Check meat temperature to ensure safe cook (Beef: 145F-165F, Turkey/Chicken: 165F)
3. Remove trivet. DO NOT DRAIN WATER. Crumble meat in pot.
4. Stir in beans, salsa, corn and con queso with meat.
5. Pressure cook 0 (YES ZERO) mins on High Pressure, IMMEDIATELY Quick Release.
6. Line serving bowls with a layer of corn chips and spoon mixture over them. Add toppings, if desired.

SUGGESTED TOPPINGS: Sour Cream, shredded Cheddar Cheese, Taco Sauce, Avocados, Diced Onions or Chives.

Any questions? Please leave comments below and I’ll be sure to answer any questions you may have. I’d love to hear from you!! Enjoy!!

Suzy

Cool Summer Pasta Salad

This is one of those recipes that you can use your Instant Pot for or not. I did use mine, since it’s summertime here in New Jersey, and the humidity is over the top. No boiling noodles, and you can assemble and serve it all in one pot! There’s no photo of this, as my family ate it all up in one sitting!!

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 lb uncooked Pasta (I used Rigatoni, but you can use whatever you have on hand)
• 6 Cups Water (to cook pasta)
• 15 oz. Canned Corn, drained
• 6 oz. Cheddar Cheese, cubed
• 1 Medium Onion, diced
• 1 Large Cucumber, diced
• 2 cans Tuna, drained

Dressing

• 3 Tbsp. Honey
• 2 Tbsp. Dried Basil (I used 2 short stalks of fresh basil)
• 1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
• 2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic (or 2 cloves, minced)
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Boil pasta. If using your Pressure Cooker, use 6 cups of water per 1 lb. of pasta, and cooking time is 1/2 of what is on the box, minus 1 minute. (EXAMPLE: If box says 10 minutes, then 5 minutes is half time minus 1, so 4 minute cook time)
2. Drain pasta and cool in freezer for 15 minutes. You could also put it in an ice water bath, which is quicker but more hands on.
3. Add remaining “Salad” ingredients and stir well, until everything is incorporated into pasta.
4. In small bowl mix together Dressing ingredients. You can use a handheld blender, small food processor, or a whisk for this. Sauce should be smooth and creamy.
5. Pour sauce over ingredients in bowl and mix well. Store any leftovers in refrigerator. YUM!!

Have you made this recipe?? Please leave any comments or questions below, as I would love to hear from you! Enjoy!!

Suzy

 

Instant Pot Honey Mustard Chicken Sausage

I made this last night for dinner in my 6 Qt Instant Pot. Quick prep and clean up, and it was delicious! As with most of my Instant Pot recipes, if you don’t have the sausage, you can do substitutions. Pork Chops, Boneless Chicken Breasts, or Chicken Thighs, just to name a few! After all, it’s all about the sauce!!

Ingredients

• Chicken Sausage or substitution meat
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 1/2 Cups Mayonnaise
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 1/2 Cup Spicy Mustard

1. Place meat on rack in pot. Add water. Pressure cook for 6 minutes on High, Natural Release, 5 minutes.
2. Remove meat, drain all but 1/2 Cup of water.
3. Whisk together Mayonnaise, Honey and Mustard in a bowl, and add to water. Whisk until smooth and add meat, coating in sauce.
4. Saute mixture until it starts to bubble ( 3-5 minutes-keep an eye on it!). Set Instant Pot to Keep Warm and cover for 15 minutes.

This smooth and creamy sauce is a great alternative to the usual jarred sauces (so much SALT!!). Enjoy!!

Suzy

PS- Yeah, I like ground pepper LOL

Salsa Chicken One-Pot

I really love to make one-pot meals, not just for the easy cleanup, but the fact that you can make large portions and freeze them for another day. This is a great ‘leave it and forget it’ recipe, but you sure don’t have to leave it for long, as it cooks in only 6 minutes after pressure buildup. A great 30 minute (or less!) meal idea. Since this recipe has so many great flavors, you really don’t need to spend too much on the salsa ingredients, (jarred store brands will do) or, even better, if it’s the growing season, you can use soft tomatoes and peppers that you might find marked down at the grocery or,  (even better) in your own backyard garden!

Equipment Necessary

• 6qt or larger Electric Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• 2lbs Ground Chicken
• 1 Large Onion, diced
• 2 (15oz) cans Black Beans, drained
• 1 (12oz) jar of Salsa
• 1 (15oz) jar of Salsa Con Queso
• 1lb Dry Ziti Pasta
• 1 (6oz) can Tomato Paste
• 1 (8oz) cup jarred Taco Sauce
• 3 Cups Water
• Sour Cream (optional)

1. Saute the Ground Chicken and Onion using the Saute option on your pressure cooker.
2. Cancel Saute function, add rest of ingredients.
3. Cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes, then do a Quick Release. Serve with dollop of Sour Cream, if desired. YUM!

Leftovers freeze great, and a quick one-pot cleanup. Please leave any comments or questions below, I would love to hear from you! Enjoy!

Suzy

Pressure Cooker Lentil Mushroom Soup

I made this soup in my Instant Pot last night and it came out delicious, so I naturally wanted to share it with all of you. My family has decided to try (and stick to) a one night a week Meatless night, so this was our first week. The soup is not vegan, but I suppose if you use Vegetable Stock instead of Chicken Stock, it would be! It always amazes me how quick dried beans cook up in the pressure cooker! It’s fast, simple, very economical to make, and I fed 4 of us and still have plenty of leftovers for lunches.

Equipment Necessary

• 6 Qt or Larger Electronic Pressure Cooker
• Handheld Immersion Blender (Optional)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. bag of dried Lentils (I used green, but there are yellow if you prefer those!)
• 1 Pkg fresh whole Mushrooms, washed well and quartered
• 1 lb. bag of frozen Carrots (or fresh, washed and sliced)
• 1 large Onion, diced
• 2 stalks Celery, washed and cut into chunks
• 28 Oz can of crushed Tomatoes (or fresh chunked)
• 1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or 1/2 Teaspoon each of Dried Basil and Oregano)
• 3 Tablespoons minced Garlic
• 4 Cups Reduced Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• Black Pepper

1. Fill Pressure Cooker with Lentils, Mushrooms, Carrots, Onion, Celery, Garlic, and Seasonings.
2. Add Stock and Tomatoes, and stir gently. Just make sure everything in the pot is mixed into the liquids. (Essential for pressure cooking!!)
3. Cook on High Pressure for 18 minutes with Quick Release.
4. (OPTIONAL) Use an immersion blender to Puree finished soup. (My son doesn’t like the texture of Lentils, so I do this to make it more palatable for him.)
5. If desired, serve with Parmesan (or your favorite cheese) and bread (French, Sourdough, etc) YUM!

NOTE: This recipe is very similar to my Pressure Cooker Pea Soup

As I mentioned, this makes a whole pot (6 quarts) of soup, which is great for leftovers or freezing. If you don’t need so much, you can easily half it for a more manageable size. Please leave your comments below if you have any questions. Enjoy!!

Suzy

 

Pressure Cooker Tuna Bacon Casserole

With everyone coming in at all times in the evening, this is a great way to still provide a hearty meal without using the microwave! Pasta is cooked dry, and then all the other ingredients go in and cook a little more. Super easy and quick, and all in one pot!  Leave it on the ‘warm’ setting, so everyone can get their meal whenever they happen to get home that night. If you don’t have the bacon, just add whatever leftover veggie or protein that you think would add a nice flavor. Makes a great busy weeknight meal!!

Equipment Necessary

• 6 to 8 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• 2 Cans Tuna, drained
• 1 Can Cream-of-Mushroom Soup
• 3 Cups Water
• 2 1/2 Cups Pasta (Elbows, Ziti or similar), UNCOOKED
• 1/2 LB Bacon, Cooked and broken up into pieces
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese OR Parmesan (Optional)

1. Put water and pasta in cooker, COOK on HIGH for 5 minutes. QUICK release. DON’T drain!
2. Stir in Tuna, Soup, Bacon and Peas. Replace lid and COOK on HIGH 3 minutes. Quick Release carefully.
3. Stir well, and add cheese(s). Replace lid and let sit 5 minutes.
4. Stir and serve. ENJOY!

Pressure Cooker Pea Soup

I’ve been making Pea Soup for my family for many years, but when I received my Pressure Cooker it opened up a whole new world for me! I used to have to slow cook (on the stove) most of the day to get those split peas to cook, but no more of that. This is a one-pot fool-proof way to make a yummy thick pea soup in less than 20 minutes! YUM! You can make it with store-bought chicken broth, or boil up that leftover ham bone and use the broth from that! If you don’t have a ham bone, no biggie. Just use some leftover chicken!

Equipment Needed

• 6 to 8 Quart Pressure Cooker
• Hand Held Blender (this is necessary to get the right consistency!)

Ingredients

• 4 Cups Chicken or Ham broth
• 2 Cups Water
• 1 Large Onion, Diced
• 2 Cups (or as little as you have) Cooked Chicken OR Ham, cut into chunks (Optional)
• 1 Pkg (1lb) Green or Yellow Split Peas, rinsed well and soaked for about an hour
• 1 Pkg (1lb) Frozen Carrots OR 1lb baby carrots OR 2cans sliced carrots
• Salt and Pepper to taste (I just sprinkle it over the top!)
• 2 TBSP Adobe Seasoning OR 2 TBSP Garlic Powder

1. Put all your ingredients in your cooker and stir. When your soup is done, you can add more seasonings if you prefer. The amounts in the Ingredients List are just suggestions!
2. Pressure Cook on HIGH for 12 minutes, then do a Natural Release (NR) for 10mins to help reduce all that liquid spitting out the top! LOL
3. Blend with hand blender until smooth and creamy. Serve with Sourdough Bread for a delicious, hearty meal YUM!!

You’ll get ALOT of servings out of this. Yields about 5 quarts of soup. Freezes well!