Instant Pot Cooking

I don’t know if this is really a help as much as it is an encouragement. If you have an Instant Pot, use it! They are big and take up quite a bit of space, so if you have one, make good use of it and quit letting it sit on the shelf. If you aren’t putting it to good use, you are missing out on some fairly easy cooking and cleanup, and with the space it takes up, you might as well sell or donate it. It’s not worth having it if you aren’t going to use it. 

I have to be honest and say that I don’t plan for mine as often as I should. It really is a great time-saver, and I have prepared some pretty tasty meals in mine. It’s especially great when you can pretty much do all the cooking in that one pot, including sauteing vegetables and browning meat. 

You do have to be careful about a couple of things, though. First and foremost, to me it’s not as instant as many are led to believe. When the recipe gives a cooking time of only a few minutes, that is accurate. However, what is not usually mentioned is the amount of time it takes for it to come to pressure and/or the amount of time it takes to naturally release the pressure if you are not doing a quick release. Just keep that in mind as, depending on how full the pot is, it could take 20 or 30 minutes for it to come up to pressure, and it could take that long or longer for it to naturally release the pressure once the cooking is complete. Another thing you have to watch out for is the amount of liquid you place in the pot. If you do not have enough, it will alert you that you are about to burn it. Most recipes that I have found take that into account and call for enough liquid.

Other than that, I have no complaints about using my Instant Pot. I just plan accordingly. It is especially nice to be able to get it going and then just walk away and work on something else while it cooks. I have made some great soups and casseroles in it. It’s amazing how quick pasta cooks in it. You can also make dried beans and peas in a relatively short amount of time. I have even cooked frozen chicken in it. I don’t think I have tried a roast, but you can find a recipe for just about anything on Pinterest or other web sites. For the most part, anything you can cook in a traditional way you can do in your Instant Pot. The recipe may adjust it slightly from a traditional method, and the proportions may be a little different, but you will still get a high-quality meal in the end. 

There are so many great recipes out there that use the Instant Pot, including some for desserts, breakfast, bread, and even homemade yogurt. Just do a little bit of research, and you will find lots of ways to feed your family a delicious meal and keep it simple for you as you manage your mundane. I think I just inspired myself to search out some new recipes as well. I’ll do that and try sharing some of those with you in future menus.