Meow Recipes

Thursday, November 19, 2020

20 Magical Ways to Use Your Instant Pot

This post was originally published a few years back, but guess what!? We added four more ways to use our favorite kitchen appliance – texture-perfect applesauce, a big pot of spaghetti, comforting risotto, and our favorite pot roast. Let us know in the comments how else you like to use this magical machine.

THE INSTANT POT.

Let’s talk about the Instant Pot. Hands up if you’re part of the club?

For a first-timer, it can feel like some sort of mysterious potential-to-explode gadget that ends up sitting in the back of your kitchen cabinet for years out of fear. Or, it’s only lugged out to make that pot of brown rice or mysterious batch of dry beans (which, yes, is still an excellent use).

But we’ve been around the Instant Pot block a few times. And we’re here to tell you that this little beauty basically lives on our countertop at this point. It’s our rice cooker, soup maker, freezer meal magician, last-minute dinner miracle all in one. And we just can’t stop.

First things first – what is an Instant Pot?

Links in this post are Amazon affiliate links to products we love.

The Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker but also a slow cooker, yogurt maker, rice cooker, big sauté pot, steamer, and more. We have the 6-Quart Instant Pot Duo which is what we use for all our Instant Pot recipes. They also make a 3-Quart Instant Pot Mini and a hefty 8-quart Instant Pot.

The Instant Pot is an absolute game-changer, especially on busy nights. Most recipes are dump and cook, and all you have to do is set it all up and then WALK AWAY to do other fun stuff like watch TV, walk your dog, clean your house, have a dance party, etc.

BONUS: it also cooks food way faster (70%!) than other ways to cook and it’s all done in one pot. Do you get why we love this thing yet?

If you’re still not convinced, the Instant Pot is PRIME for meal prepping and freezer meals – no thawing required. You can check out all our freezer meal Instant Pot recipes here if you’re into that kind of stuff (answer: you definitely are).

We’ll also just drop the obvious: it’s also a pretty excellent gift for a certain holiday coming around the corner.

Alright, let’s get on with it. Here are some of our favorite ways to use this little gem.

1. Short Rib Beef Ragu

The Instant Pot is a master at shortening the cooking times for notoriously long recipes. Example: this beef ragu. Beef short ribs take hours in the oven to become fork tender, but all the Instant Pot needs is a little over 30 minutes. Serve it up over a giant bowl of pasta or gnocchi and you’ll never go back to oven roasting short ribs again.

Click here to get the recipe.

2. Yogurt

One of the most OMG moments of owning an Instant Pot is when you realize you can make yogurt. It’s a bit time consuming, but simple and uncomplicated. You’ll want to make sure you have an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the milk (the one you use for meat works perfectly!). The result is a creamy and naturally sweet yogurt.

Click here to get this recipe from Tidbits.

3. Rice

Put a rice cooker on the list of appliances you now can move to the basement. The Instant Pot is the BEST for perfectly cooked rice. Even better: you can cook rice AND all your fixings all in one pot like this Spicy Chicken Meal Prep with Rice and Beans.

Click here to get this recipe from InstantPot.com.

4. Spiced Apple Cider

Drinks in the Instant Pot?! Oh yes. This fruity, mug full of happiness is at the top of the list. Completely hands-off, made in 15 minutes, and party ready. After the cider is finished cooking, keep the Instant Pot on warm and swap out the pressure cooking lid for the glass lid for easy self-serving.

Click here to get this recipe from Life Made Sweeter.

5. All the Soups

We love making soup in the Instant Pot so much, we wrote an entire post about it. Our favorite though? This Wild Rice Soup. It’s magical, comforting, and has all-day simmered flavor in less than an hour.

Click here to get this recipe.

6. Hard Boiled Eggs

Talk about a meal prep score. Having hard boiled eggs in the fridge is an instant breakfast, shortcut to amazing egg salad, or a pop of protein for lunch. Five minutes on high pressure, natural release 5 minutes, plunge in ice water, and peel – that’s it. MAGIC.

Click here to get this recipe from Skinnytaste.

7. Whole Roasted Chicken

Don’t believe us? The Instant Pot can cook an entire 5-lb. chicken in 30 MINUTES and it’s juicy and amazing. ALSO: try laying the chicken on a bed of lemon slices and a generous sprinkling of herbs and salt. You’re welcome.

Click here to get this recipe from Life Made Sweeter.

8. Baked Potatoes

Who doesn’t love a loaded baked potato??? You can make a batch of potatoes in 12 MINUTES, which is the perfect amount of time for you gather a few toppings for a very ideal baked potato bar.

Click here to get this recipe from Crunchy Creamy Sweet.

9. Mashed Potatoes

While we’re on the subject of potatoes, let’s talk mashed! These mashed potatoes are the creamiest, dreamiest potatoes full of cream cheese, butter, and herbs. YUM.

Click here to get this recipe.

10. Steamed Brussels Sprouts (Or Any Steamed Veggies!)

Yes, steamed vegetables aren’t the most glamorous of recipes, but they are an old standby for good reason. A swish of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and you’re in veggie heaven.

Click here to get this recipe from Pressure Cook Recipes.

11. Dried Chickpeas (OR any dried beans!)

Making dried beans the traditional way can be overwhelmingly time consuming. There’s soaking and simmering and boiling and it’s just a WHOLE THING. The Instant Pot basically solves all those problems. Pop the dried beans in the Instant Pot, cover with water, and cook for about 30 minutes. No pre-soaking required!

Click here to get this recipe from A Couple Cooks.

12. Steel Cut Oats

Making steel cut oatmeal in the Instant Pot is a no-brainer. No watching to see if your pot on the stove will boil over. No worrying about over or under cooking. No fear of burnt oatmeal stuck to the bottom of the pot. Just put the oats in the pot with water (or almond milk if you’re feeling fancy) and cook. The result is a creamy, nutty pot of steel cut oats.

Click here to get this recipe from The Kitchn.

13. Kettle Corn

We’re delving into snack territory! More specifically, POPCORN. Honestly, popping any type of popcorn in the Instant Pot is pretty slick, but we’re partial to the sweet saltiness of kettle corn.

Click here to get this recipe from Sixth Bloom.

14. Cheesecake

Well hello, cheesecake! This might be the most magical of ways we’ve got. Since the Instant Pot uses steam to cook, it makes for an over-the-top creamy cheesecake that’s done in just 35 minutes. Also, this tiny little 7-inch springform pan is JUST TOO CUTE.

Click here to get this recipe from My Baking Addiction.

15. Ribs

RIBS! Yes, we’re serious. They take 5 minutes to prep then 30ish minutes of cook time. Pro tip: finish them with extra sauce under the broiler to take them over the top.

Click here to get this recipe from Spend with Pennies.

16. Mac and Cheese

This dreamy Mac and Cheese is made with all real ingredients and it’s faster than the boxed stuff. Honestly. SO fast. Just 5 ingredients and 4 minutes of cook time.

Click here to get this recipe.

17. Applesauce

The best snack for kids and adults (and with cinnamon?? yes.). And instead of standing over a stove, simmering away, all you have to do is pop it all in the Instant Pot and let it do its work.

Click here to get this recipe from The Kitchn.

18. Pot Roast

One of our new favorites this year, and honestly, better than any slow-cooked or braised pot roast in our book. Tender beef, perfect potatoes, earthy mushrooms, and a delicious made-in-the-same-pot gravy all over top.

Click here to get this recipe.

19. Risotto

Woweeeee another *usually* high maintenance one transformed into zero maintenance. There’s still nothing like a slow-simmered risotto on the stove, but honestly, you don’t lose anything other than the experience with this one.

Click here to get this recipe from All Recipes.

20. Spaghetti

Spaghetti. In the Instant Pot!? Uh huh. As our recipe tester said: “Surprisingly delicious!” We’ll take any opportunity for less-to-zero extra dishes, and this one takes the cake (er, pot).

Click here to get this recipe from The Salty Marshmallow.

Favorite Accessories for the Instant Pot

Your Instant Pot will come with what you’ll need for most recipes, but if you want to fully immerse yourself into its wonders, you may want to pick up a few of these extras.

7-inch Springform Pan

If you have ever made cheesecake before, than you know the magic of a springform pan! Cheesecake bliss to follow.

Extra Silicone Rings

Yes, it’s true that the Instant Pot comes with a silicone sealing ring, but it’s a good idea to have a spare (or two!). If you use your Instant Pot for spicy chili or saucy meats, over time the silicone ring can become stained and hold onto some less-than-ideal “flavors” (totally yum, right?). If you are hoping to use your Instant Pot for both sweet and savory recipes, it’s a good idea to have designated sweet and savory silicone rings.

Glass Instant Pot Lid

For when you want to turn your Instant Pot into a slow cooker! MAGIC. It also let’s you see your food while it cooks which is essential for things like that homemade kettle corn above – which is one of our newest obsessions.

ALSO, you can swap out the pressure cooking lid with this one after cook time to make it easier to serve up pots of chili or even homemade apple cider. #winning

LOVE YOU FOREVER, INSTANT POT. Here’s where you can find the Instant Pot once more if you’re feeling inspired.

And here’s a collection of the best Instant Pot recipes we tried from all around the internet.

What else can it do that we’re missing? We need to know.

The post 20 Magical Ways to Use Your Instant Pot appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

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Monday, November 16, 2020

One-Hour Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Sides

Thanksgiving spread with stuffing, gravy, cranberries, squash, turkey brussels sprouts, and potatoes.

This recipe is sponsored by ALDI

Hi. Let me introduce you to the easiest way to make three Thanksgiving sides, with minimal hands-on work, in roughly one hour: THE SHEET PAN METHOD.

Here are the three delicious sides that you’ll get with this one hour of time:

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes – creamy, tangy, rustic and full of roasty garlic flavor. I honestly have a hard time stopping with these.

Herbed Squash – delicate and earthy and deep, thanks to a heavy pinch of thyme and some roasted-caramelized onions. Beautiful.

Maple Mustard Brussels Sprouts – crispy, very thoroughly browned (the only way to eat a brussel sprout), textural with the toasted walnuts and dried cherries, and sweet and a little spicy from the mustard. Just… wow. Even my toddler loves these.

Mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, and herbed squash in bowls.

This sounds like it will take you hours to make.

I PROMISE YOU IT WILL NOT.

A few sheet pans, a few pours and sprinkles = done.

As I’ve been playing with this, and eating a lot of Thanksgiving food in the process, I’ve been laser focused on the following goals:

saving time
saving money
saving kitchen / stove space
getting three ACTUALLY good Thanksgiving sides without feeling like you just spent the whole day doing a lot of hard work.

In 2020, when we’re gathering for Thanksgiving with like, maybe five people? and cooking mostly by ourselves? and all that work? Oh my gosh, let’s give ourselves a break. When it can taste this good with so little work, it’s just not necessary.

Here’s my proposition: You pick the Thanksgiving stars that you really want to put your time, energy and fancy tricks into this year. The turkey? The stuffing? The pie? It doesn’t need to be every single dish. You pick. Pick one, two, maybe three stars.

And then you let these three sheet pans take care of the rest.

Potatoes, brussels sprouts, and squash on sheet pans.

Here’s my other proposition: make your Thanksgiving haul at ALDI. You’ll save money, and you’ll find not only quality, fun, interesting ingredients but also many of them ORGANIC.

Ingredients from ALDI for Thanksgiving sides.

I bought everything for these three sheet pan recipes at ALDI for a fraction of the cost of my usual Thanksgiving grocery haul, but I would also like to recommend the following to round out the table:

Butterball turkey (That’s right, you heard it, ALDI sells butterball turkeys.)
Chef’s Cupboard Stuffing Mix (This boxed stuffing is… I just… I don’t know why it’s so good. I love it. I leave it totally as-is but maybe just broil at the end for some crunchiness.)
Sweet Harvest Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce (I like to add some orange juice and/or zest for a semi-homemade cranberry sauce.)
L’oven Fresh Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (Yes, you should make some fancy herb or honey butter to go with them.)
Cheese, olives, and every other dip and cracker for an appetizer situation.

All the yumminess. ALDI, WE LOVE YOU.

All the things that Thanksgiving is *usually* about feel especially up in the air this year. Like…

Traveling to see family and friends
Gathering with large groups
Sharing meals around warm, cozy, and close-together tables

But sharing a good meal with someone you love is not canceled. Let’s make it happen.

Whether you’re doing the normal thing this year or not (probably most of us some version of not), this one-hour sheet pan sides method, this complete brain-and-space-and-time-saver, is kind of my new favorite thing about Thanksgiving.

A note that the photos here show these sheet pan recipes DOUBLED. The original recipes written here are meant to serve a smaller group (thanks, 2020) but you can easily scale up as needed to serve more people or get more leftovers.

One-Hour Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Sides

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 3-4 servings

Print Recipe

Description

All the Thanksgiving sides you need – made easy in one hour! Roasted garlic mashed potatoes, herbed squash, and maple mustard brussels sprouts. Perfect for a small gathering!

Ingredients

Roasted Herbed Squash:

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced, + olive oil and salt
1 teaspoon Simply Nature Organic Thyme Leaves
1 small onion, thinly sliced

Maple Mustard Brussels with Walnuts and Cherries:

1 package brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut + olive oil and salt
1/2 cup Southern Grove Walnuts
1/2 cup Southern Grove Dried Cherries
2 tablespoons Specially Selected 100% Pure Maple Syrup
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

1 1/2 pounds round potatoes + olive oil and salt
6 cloves garlic, + olive oil and wrapped in foil
1/4 cup Countryside Creamery Salted Butter
1/4 cup broth or milk
1/4 cup Friendly Farms Sour Cream
kosher salt to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon)

Optional extras to serve from ALDI:

Butterball Turkey
Chef’s Cupboard Stuffing Mix
Sweet Harvest Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
L’oven Fresh Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Instructions

Video

Roasting Everything: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place squash and potatoes + seasonings on a sheet pan or roasting pan. Place brussels sprouts + seasonings on a sheet pan or roasting pan, cut side down. Roast squash and potatoes for 15 minutes. Add brussels sprouts to the oven; roast both pans another 20-30 minutes. During the last 5-or-so minutes, add the walnuts and cherries to the brussels sprout pan to get them nice and toasty.
Roasted Herbed Squash: Season to taste – this one is pretty much ready to go out of the oven!
Maple Mustard Brussels: Toss roasted brussels with maple syrup, olive oil, and Dijon mustard. Season to taste.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Pull the peels off the potatoes if you want – I don’t mind them so I usually leave them on. Mash potatoes by hand or use a stand mixer to mash until they break down. Add in roasted garlic, butter, milk or broth, and sour cream. Season to taste.
Serve: Serve up your beautiful spread of roasted garlic mashed potatoes, herbed butternut squash, maple Dijon brussels sprouts with whatever else you love on Thanksgiving!

Category: Dinner
Method: Roast
Cuisine: American

Keywords: one hour thanksgiving, thanksgiving sides, small thanksgiving, sheet pan thanksgiving

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Thank you to ALDI for sponsoring this post!

The post One-Hour Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Sides appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

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Thursday, November 12, 2020

Miracle No Knead Bread

There’s a reason we are calling this MIRACLE NO KNEAD BREAD.

This recipe was originally published in 2016, and to this day remains one of the most popular and top-rated recipes on the blog! It’s the perfect match for soup weather, and we just wanted to be sure you keep it in your cozy food arsenal this season. Enjoy!

Let me paint a picture for you. It starts with a golden and ragged-looking crusty loaf of piping hot white bread being roughly torn into chunks, steam escaping, crumbs flying everywhere across the table, and it ends with that swift swooping motion as its hot n’ chewy little self dives deep into the bowl of thick soup and delivers a bit of chewy carbs sopped with flavor to your hungry, happy mouth. Honestly. The pure bliss of this moment.

Welcome to fall, bread lovers.

I have some really good news for you today.

YOU ARE ABOUT TO MAKE BREAD LIKE A BOSS.

Watch how to make our No Knead Bread:

The Bread for Non-Bread Makers

You are going to serve this bread with your rocked-out homemade soups and the praise will come flowing from family and friends and neighbors alike, and people are not going to be able to stop. This is your moment for Martha-Stewart-level domestic greatness within the normalcy of a regular person life, and we are going to milk it.

Please scan your brain right now for these lurking thoughts: “I don’t make bread.” “Bread baking takes too long.” “Yeast-y recipes scare me.”

Friends, let the record show that I am in your club. I am on that team. I have less than zero percent patience for bread recipes and therefore I do not make bread, at all, ever, and I only have two teeny exceptions:

I make brioche from Artisan Bread in 5, like, three times per year, because it makes for perfect tea rings and homemade French toast bakes and cinnamon rolls and for the times that the baking diva within comes alive. Also it’s VERY EASY.
I make this Miracle No Knead Bread, inspired from my friends, fellow bloggers, and people of the internet, and I make it a minimum of 250 times every fall and winter because it is the opposite of fancy. Which is confusing because it FEELS fancy to pull a loaf of homemade bread out of the oven, especially when it is tucked into that rustic and beautiful Laura-Ingalls-Wilder-esque red Lodge Dutch Oven (affiliate link) that we swoon over every year when the leaves start turning, but seriously – I would, and do, on a regular basis, make this bread for weeknight dinners. We don’t call this Miracle No Knead Bread for nothin.

Variations on This Bread

Obviously we prefer this in its original, perfect form, but if you’re looking to make some changes, there are always OPTIONS.

How to make it gluten-free: We tried this flour (affiliate link) and the results were great. A hard crust formed on the outside and the inside was soft, airy, and a teeny bit spongy – close to the real thing. Some downsides: the bread didn’t rise as much as the regular version and, of course, it didn’t have quite the same flavor.
How to make it whole wheat: This is very similar to the original version. The texture of the dough was the same, it rose the same, and it looked the same coming out of the oven with its hard crust. The inside texture was denser with not as many air pockets. The flavor was a little bitter and texture was a bit gritty, but to be expected with whole wheat flour.
How to add some flavor: Use whatever herbs that sound delicious to you! Mix them in the beginning to avoid kneading later.
How to make it CHEESY: We’ve got a recipe for that! Check out our No Knead Cheese Bread.

It’s worth saying again that my motto for Pinch of Yum is RECIPES THAT REAL PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE. I pass all recipes that hit your eyeballs through this very practical and very important filter.

And this bread? This no knead bread that can be mixed all in one bowl with a wooden spoon in five minutes flat? This bread is on-brand. Nailed it. If you’ve never done this before, buckle up.

You’re so gonna love it in all its crispy, air-pocketed glory.

This Bread Was Made For Soup

Truly there is nothing better than swooping a piece of this piping hot bread into some cozy, creamy soup. Here are our favorites:

The Best Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup (healthy, creamy, YUM)
Simple Homemade Tomato Soup (maybe even with our No Knead CHEESE Bread?!)
Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup (our favorite pairing)
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup (like a hug in a bowl)
Basic + Awesome Broccoli Cheese Soup (cheese and bread, can’t go wrong)

Miracle No Knead Bread

★★★★★

4.8 from 294 reviews

Author: Pinch of Yum, with inspiration from my friends Angela and Stephanie
Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 18 hours 40 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Print Recipe

Description

Miracle No Knead Bread! this is SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD and ridiculously easy to make. crusty outside, soft and chewy inside – perfect for dunking in soups!

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 cups room temperature water

Instructions

Video

DOUGH PREP: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and yeast together until mixed. Stir in the water until a chunky, thick dough forms. If it needs a little more water, add a few more tablespoons, just enough to get it barely wet throughout. It’s gonna look scrappy and weird and you’re going to question me on whether or not this will work, but it will. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 12-18 hours at room temperature. Overnight is ideal here, kids.
PREP FOR BAKING: When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450. Stick a 6 quart enamel coated cast iron Lodge Dutch Oven (or similar) in the oven for about 30 minutes to heat. At this point, the dough should be big and puffy and pretty loose, with little bubbles in it. Gently scrape the dough out onto a well-floured surface. (Remember: NO KNEAD.) Gently shape it into a ball with flour on the outside, set on a piece of parchment, and cover with plastic while your pan heats up.
BAKE: Remove the plastic from the dough. Lift the dough and parchment together into the pan so the parchment lines the bottom of the hot pan (be careful not to touch the pan since it’s very hot). Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake another 10-15 minutes to get the exterior nice and golden brown and crispy. Voila! Done. Miracle no-knead bread, you boss you.

Equipment

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl

Notes

The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products we use and love!

If you do not have a Dutch Oven: You will just need an oven-safe pot or pan with an oven-safe tight-fitting lid. Please check instructions on whatever you use to ensure it can be heated to 450 degrees (empty for instruction #2).

GF-and-WW-No-Knead-Bread Based on comments and questions, we decided to try this recipe with both gluten-free flour and whole wheat flour! A few notes for each: 1. Gluten-Free: We tried this flour and the results were great. A hard crust formed on the outside and the inside was soft, airy, and a teeny bit spongy – close to the real thing. Some downsides: the bread didn’t rise as much as the regular version and, of course, it didn’t have quite the same flavor. 2. Whole Wheat: This was very similar to the original version. The texture of the dough was the same, it rose the same, and it looked the same coming out of the oven with its hard crust. The inside texture was denser with not as many air pockets. The flavor was a little bitter and texture was a bit gritty, but to be expected with whole wheat flour.

Category: Side Dish
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Keywords: no knead bread, homemade bread, easy bread

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( pictured here dipped in Chicken Wild Rice Soup. cannot recommend that situation highly enough.)

You can read about ten other things I love to do with my adorable red Lodge Dutch Oven in THIS POST from years back. Yes, I am that much of a superfan.

TIME TO SHOW YOU OFF!

Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram for a chance to be featured

One more thing!

This recipe is part of our collection of easy baking recipes. Check it out!

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