Coming up with creative, fast, tasty dishes is never easy. Add in the heat of the summer and no one wants to be stuck standing in a hot kitchen. A friend of mine shared this crazy contraption that keeps making her life in the kitchen easier…
In comes the Instant Pot.
Quick to make, flavorful meals that are one-pot perfection. What more could you ask for? I am sharing my favorite Instant Pot recipes that have been enjoyed by our whole family.
30 Minute Indian Butter Chicken
This is an awesome dish by Two Sleevers that some of our Indian friends have made in their own homes. It tastes authentic with a creamy, flavorful sauce that I could slather on any food. If you do not eat meat, add tofu to this dish to make it vegetarian. The best part is it makes a lot, so you can either serve a crowd or have leftovers later in the week.
Lemony Orzo with Chicken & Arugula
Two foods that make my family happy are pasta and cheese. This brightly colored dish hits those notes and then some. The chicken is tender, and the noodles are filling. Plus, we add additional spinach to make sure everyone gets a healthy serving of greens. Serve this with a side salad if you need a little something extra to fill the plate. Clean-up is so easy my six-year-old can handle it all on his own!
Butternut Squash Risotto with Leeks
My kids don’t like cooked veggies, so we were a little hesitant to make this dish. However, the butternut squash breaks down and turns into a creamy, thick sauce that coats the risotto. My kids did not even know there were vegetables in this recipe once it was fully cooked. We chose to add a little fresh grated parmesan and parsley from our garden to step it up a notch, but neither is required. This is a great meal to serve the night before a swim meet or on the weekend when no one is looking to make anything too complicated.
Meatloaf and Mashed potatoes
If you told me the Instant Pot could cook two dishes at one time I would have laughed at the idea. When we popped the top off and saw that both meatloaf and mashed potatoes had been made, I was giddy with excitement. All I had to do to make the rest of dinner was cut up some carrots and throw everything on a plate. The meat looked juicy, and the potatoes were smooth and creamy. Plus, the one-pot clean-up from this kind of meal is a huge win in my book.
While I was not thrilled with the initial cost investment of the Instant Pot, we use it ALL the time. From making hard- and soft-boiled eggs to cooking dishes we would never have the time to make on the stovetop, it is worth the money for our family in terms of time saved. Anything that makes clean-up easier is a big selling point too! We want to spend time as a family eating great meals, but we don’t want them to take forever to make or clean up.
I hope you will share some of your favorite Instant Pot recipes. There are so many great ones out there we can’t wait to try.
