Instant Pot Tips, Tricks, and Beginning Recipes!

Today I want to share with you my new favorite kitchen gadget that is really popular right now, which is the Instant Pot! I purchased mine from Wal- Mart on Black Friday for $50. I have the Instant pot IP Lux 60/80. If I would have researched the instant pot more, I probably would have bought the newer one which has an actual pressure button, and a yogurt button. I am still learning about the instant pot, and it does have a small learning curve, but I love it! I am going to show you a couple tricks I have learned so far with the instant pot, and my favorite recipes that I have tried and made successfully in this pot!

There are a few areas of the instant pot you want to be aware of:

1. The lid: There is a valve, and you can either set it to sealing or venting. Depending on your recipe, you will want to pay attention to which one you want your pot to do.

Sealing=pressure cooking (the pot requires pressure to cook, this will not let any moisture out, so it can build pressure.)

Venting= your pot is working like a regular pan with a lid, that vents.

2. Read your manual, and see what version you have. Certain versions do different things. My version does not make yogurt, or have a high-pressure button. With the IP/Lux models remember that the manual button = High Pressure.

3. You must have some type of liquid in your instant pot in order to build pressure.

4. Use your sauté button to heat up the pot quickly if you want to use it to build pressure, to pressure cook something. Switch the pot to manual, and put the lid on when ready.

My first tip is to try a simple recipe at first. Please do not be afraid to start using it! Here are 3 simple items you can cook in your instant pot:

1. Cook any ground meat: hamburger, turkey, chorizo, and so much more! You simply press the sauté button, throw your meat in there, and let it cook away! You simply stir as it cooks. Don’t forget you can cook this meat frozen in the instant pot!

2. Rice: Pour your water, and your rice and press the rice button. Put the lid on, and make sure the vent is on sealing. The nice part about the instant pot is it has pre -programmed timers, so it will beep when it is done. Once it is done, put the valve to vent and let the pot depressurize. (Once the pot has pressurized, you cannot open the lid. If you want to open the lid, you will have to vent the pot and wait until the pot is depressurized.)

3. Frozen Chicken Breast: Place your chicken breasts in your pot; I did a row of 3 on the bottom, and 3 on the top. Then I poured enough water that would cover the bottom row of chicken. I then put the lid on, set it to manual, and put the lid on it. I set the timer for 20 minutes. When the timer went off, I did a quick release, and then opened the pot. I had beautiful, cooked chicken breasts, which I threw in my kitchen aide with the paddle attachment to make my shredded chicken.

Here are two of my favorite recipes that I make all the time using my instant pot, and the tricks I learned about the instant pot to create these recipes:

The next recipe I made was a chicken potpie casserole. THIS IS MY FAVORITE! I love how I just set it and forget it! I got the recipe from https://www.adventuresofanurse.com/2017/05/14/instant-pot-chicken-pot-pie-casserole/ Here is where the learning curve comes in trying to figure out how to use the pressure cooker part. You have to let the instant pot heat up with liquid to build enough pressure. For this recipe, my liquid that I used was cream and chicken broth. Once the pot gets hot enough it will seal itself, if you have the vent valve set to seal. On my model, you press the manual button, and let it heat up. Remember this tip..MANUAL=High Pressure on this model of the instant pot. On the newer instant pots they have a high pressure button. So once it has built enough pressure it will start to cook, and from there you set a timer.

Another recipe that can be made in your instant pot is meatloaf! I love meatloaf! Its packed full of protein, and you can substitute the breadcrumbs for grated parmesan cheese for a low carb version. I pair our cooked meatloaf with a sauce of a little brown sugar, sugar free ketchup, and a little bit of Worcestershire sauce. http://www.anointedwithoilofjoy.com/2016/12/05/meatloaf-instant-pot-thm-s-low-carb-eggdairygluten-free/

Here are my steps that I made to make this instant pot meatloaf.

1.Mix your meatloaf by hand (or if you are like me and love your kitchenaide, throw it in there with a paddle attachment)

2. Once you have your meatloaf ready, make an aluminum foil container that will fit your meatloaf. Stick your metal tray that came with your instant pot, inside so your meatloaf has a shelf to rest on. With this recipe you must add water to the bottom of your instant pot. Throw your machine on sauté, and let the water boil. Remember that your pot must have some type of liquid to build pressure.

3. Once the water is boiling in your instant pot, switch it to high pressure, or hit the manual button.

4. Put your meatloaf in the pot on the shelf, and let it cook!

5. Eat! It might be a little pink in the middle, so all you have to do is throw it in the microwave for 2 minutes, and it should be good to go! Pour some sauce over the top, and add a veggie as a side!

So here is my takeaway for the instant pot:

• Remember that MANUAL=HIGH PRESSURE on the IPLUX Model

• The instant pot must have some type of liquid to build pressure, and to cook your item quickly.

• Use the sauté button to heat up your pot when wanting to build pressure.

Let us know your favorite recipe you have made in the comments! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

-Live in Love,

Heather Adams

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