Feeding the People: InstantPot Recipes my family loves, pt. 1

Truth: I am not a kitchen gadget girl.

First of all, I’m far too cheap to actually buy tools for things that I have already figured out a way to do with something else. Case in point: for years and years, I had no rolling pin. I used a drinking glass turned on its side, just like my Mamaw did. Then, my husband bought me a rolling pin. I used it and loved it. It didn’t make the cut to move to Nepal so… I now use a drinking glass again. And I’m fine.

Second, I prefer small kitchen, and small kitchens rarely have the kind of storage space that gadgets demand. Actually, this is one of the things I like about compact cooking spaces: If you don’t use it, you don’t need it isn’t a vague notion. It’s an in-your-face, daily reality that prevents me from acquiring or holding on to extra baggage that will eat up valuable kitchen real estate. If it doesn’t haul its own weight, by golly, it has to go.

So it was easy to say no when my husband repeatedly mentioned that we might just want to invest in an electric pressure cooker. It’s another cooking fad, I grumbled. I already have—and use multiple times a week— a crock pot. Have you seen how big those things are? Where will we put it? Also, I still remember the smell of the tomatoes my grandmother exploded all over the kitchen while canning one year. If she blew up a pressure cooker, no way I’m skilled enough to handle one.

And then there was an amazing, even-we-can-afford-that deal on an InstantPot (affiliate link), and we bought one. Since everyone thinks they are the best thing ever, I can easily resell it if I never use it, I rationalized. My husband was happy. And you know what? So am I.

It turns out that, even in my small kitchen, even with my love of my crock pot, even with my terror of pressure cooking… the InstantPot makes the cut.

We use our InstantPot pretty much daily, and yes, I would happily have two. People ask what I love about it. That’s pretty easy: it’s fast, it’s versatile, and it’s easy to operate. What do I not love about it? Confession: I still find myself a little freaked out by the specter of pressure cookers gone by. Also, I think they need a 12 quart version for large families. Seriously—InsantPot people! There is a market for this! Make one!

The second question I normally get is “What do you make in it?” In short, just about anything. But since that’s too vague an answer, I’ve assembled two posts on the topic. This one, which will link you to the tried and true recipes we’ve sampled from across the interwebs, and one that will run later in the week that will share recipes, adaptations and inspirations I’ve used in throwing together our own faves.

Below, you’ll find links and my personal notes on recipes that have worked for us. This is just a primer; I narrowed the selection down to the top hits I felt would be of most benefit to folks just getting started or looking for a basic rotation to use in a Master List for meal planning. Remember, we’ll get a little more in-depth later in the week. Until then, try your hand at some of these:

Blueberries and Cream Steel Cut Oats If you never remember to soak steel cut oats overnight, try this. If you don’t like the texture of steel cut oats, try this. If you’re not an oatmeal fan, try this. Basically, try this. It is so amazingly yummy and easy that you will be a convert. We triple this recipe and it serves those of us who can handle dairy in our breakfast foods. (Everyone else eats grits that morning.)

Creamy Coconut Steel Cut Oats This is my favorite oatmeal recipe. I have family members who are clearly insane have an aversion to coconut, so I don’t make this one as often as the one above. But given my druthers, I’d make this a coupe of times a week. Bonus for being dairy free. Bigger bonus for being able to add as much coconut as I’d like as a topping.

Vanilla Yogurt This is the yogurt recipe I use that has replaced my beloved little countertop yogurt maker. I am delighted to have a way to make essentially a gallon of yogurt at a time, since those seven little jars hadn’t been cutting it for a long time. Now I can pump out a breakfast’s worth of yogurt plus a few snacks on the side! We do strain ours (which reduces the volume from that initial gallon), but I line a colander with paper coffee filters and set it over a bowl to collect the whey. If you need hints on what to do with that leftover goodness, check out this great post on The Prairie Homestead.

Chicken Coconut Curry Yes, again with the coconut. But seriously, this is a beautiful, basic, and super easy curry that hits the spot. I have used canned tomatoes with no issues. Also, because you’re starting out with the saute function, your house will still smell like curried goodness from the get go. Highly recommended.

Chicken Korma This recipe is so, so good. While I had a hard time getting the consistency quite as thick as I’d like, the flavor was still spot-on and well worth having a little extra sauce at the bottom of my bowl to sop up with my naan.

Roast Chicken This is the only recipe I’ve used so far for roasting a chicken in the InstantPot, and it works beautifully. It was super moist—so much so that I’m not trying to figure out how to adapt my favorite 40 clove chicken recipe!

Honey Pork Chops I was more than a little skeptical of this recipe, but it was one of those nights when I was pressed for time, had pushed out beyond our normal shopping rotation and meal plan, and was out of so many staples that taking a chance seemed like a better option than running to the store. I’m so glad I did! Christopher loved these pork chops, which is saying a lot as he’s not a huge fan of most pork chop recipes.

Cream of Broccoli Soup This smelled so lovely on a cool fall day that I’m adding it to the “must make” pile. Topped with cheese, the texture was perfect for spooning and for dipping chunks of crusty bread.

Potato Soup To be honest, our family voted this our second favorite potato soup recipe. (The top pick is here.) However, I haven’t adapted that one to the InstantPot yet and frankly, this one cuts an already-minimal prep time down to about nothing while still producing a tasty soup that my people gobble up, so… it’s a keeper.

Navy Bean, Bacon, and Spinach Soup I have decided that the first snowy day we get, I’ll be making this again. This soup is a first cousin to minestrone, which makes it a win for my husband. The flavor was amazing, and since we seem to like spinach more than the average family, it was thoroughly enjoyed.

Beef Stew This was a solid, basic, delicious beef stew recipe that we all enjoyed.  I added lots of potatoes, because that’s our preference. Your mileage may vary.

Pot Roast O.k., I tinkered with this one, but I still think it’s a great recipe! I added a batch of Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup to the liquid portion of this recipe, and I also used Paula Deen’s House Seasoning as a rub instead of the recommended lemon pepper. The results were outstanding.

Baked Potatoes I end up doing these probably three times a week at this point. So easy, so fast for lunches (top with cheese, broccoli and bacon) or a side dish at dinner.

Cuban-style Black Beans Outrageously easy and fast. Throw over some rice and serve, or get all fancy and fry up some corn tortillas.

Chicken Tacos Anyone can throw this in the InstantPot and, in the time it takes to set the table and prep the toppings, you’re ready to eat.

Wednesday, I’ll share some of my own recipe creations for the InstantPot. What are your favorites so far?