Recipes which can sit in the instant pot for an hour
August 16, 2023 11:14 AM Subscribe
A few times a week, my kid has lessons after school. I am fortunately able to come home before I take him. I’m looking for something I can throw in the instant pot before I leave.
I briefly experimented with this last year, when he was going to a program at the community centre across the street. I am not comfortable leaving a slow cooker on all day when we are not home, but I felt OK leaving the instant pot on when I left the house because the cooking time was usually pretty short and I was just leaving it to ‘natural release’ without me.
In the fall, the activities are a little bit further away, but we can still get there, do the activity, and be home within an hour. So I’d like to find some recipes which I could throw in the instant pot at about 4 o’clock, leave the house about 15 minutes later to go and get him, and they would be fine sitting until about 5:30 (so, a ‘natural release’ but then it would be ok to sit a bit longer).
The one recipe I tried last time was a chicken with coconut milk and spices, and I enjoyed it, but he didn’t. I am looking for similar kinds of things. The main criteria would be a reasonably short cooking time so that I’m not leaving a device actively cooking while I’m out of the house, and for it to be ok with a bit of extra sitting time and not need to be taken out the second it’s done.
Our usual meals are things like homemade hamburgers, baked chicken, pasta. Allergies to nut products and soy. Flexible to try some new things!
I briefly experimented with this last year, when he was going to a program at the community centre across the street. I am not comfortable leaving a slow cooker on all day when we are not home, but I felt OK leaving the instant pot on when I left the house because the cooking time was usually pretty short and I was just leaving it to ‘natural release’ without me.
In the fall, the activities are a little bit further away, but we can still get there, do the activity, and be home within an hour. So I’d like to find some recipes which I could throw in the instant pot at about 4 o’clock, leave the house about 15 minutes later to go and get him, and they would be fine sitting until about 5:30 (so, a ‘natural release’ but then it would be ok to sit a bit longer).
The one recipe I tried last time was a chicken with coconut milk and spices, and I enjoyed it, but he didn’t. I am looking for similar kinds of things. The main criteria would be a reasonably short cooking time so that I’m not leaving a device actively cooking while I’m out of the house, and for it to be ok with a bit of extra sitting time and not need to be taken out the second it’s done.
Our usual meals are things like homemade hamburgers, baked chicken, pasta. Allergies to nut products and soy. Flexible to try some new things!
Everything I've ever made from the Pressure Cooking Today website has been fantastic, but I return again and again to the honey sesame chicken, see also orange chicken and spicy garlic chicken ("spicy", as it's entirely under your control). Most of these are using a quick release but my ADHD and I assure you - it can sit. For hours. This is the beauty of the Pot. And all three of these recipes are perfect for microwaving a steamer bag of broccoli or green beans to add an actual vegetable - one not overcooked to mush - to the mix.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:46 AM on August 16, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 11:46 AM on August 16, 2023 [3 favorites]
Not a recipe but I wonder if setting your instapot to have a delay before it starts cooking would work too?
posted by overglow at 11:46 AM on August 16, 2023
posted by overglow at 11:46 AM on August 16, 2023
Yeah, almost anything will fit this bill. I use "natural release" for nearly everything, and that means that just-cooked foods routinely wait in there for 30 minutes. Another 30 will make little to no difference, I'm sure. The food won't even have significantly cooled, I'd bet -- but I do believe you can set your device (depending on your model) to "Keep Warm," which performs as advertised.
Delaying the "start cooking" time is another great idea.
posted by Dr. Wu at 11:59 AM on August 16, 2023
Delaying the "start cooking" time is another great idea.
posted by Dr. Wu at 11:59 AM on August 16, 2023
I just made this yesterday which fits the bill - https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-pork-shoulder/
posted by actionpact at 12:34 PM on August 16, 2023
posted by actionpact at 12:34 PM on August 16, 2023
Find out what he did not like about the chicken dish - was it the texture or flavors? If he wants it crispier, you can take it out of the IP, throw it in an oven that you preheated, and then turned off before you leave. Everything should crisp up and stay warm.
I make pulled pork in the IP but that is an hour of cook time, generally.
posted by soelo at 12:37 PM on August 16, 2023
I make pulled pork in the IP but that is an hour of cook time, generally.
posted by soelo at 12:37 PM on August 16, 2023
Most vegetable stews would turn out fine with 15 minutes under pressure and then natural release while you are out. That could include a pasta sauce. Use canned legumes for protein, or dried is fine with lentils.
In my experience, meat-based stews are a bit harder to get right within your limitations, but I agree chicken thighs are more likely to succeed than breast. Turkey breast might also be an idea. Maybe this recipe could be successfully adapted to the instant pot. .
My favorite meat bolognese sauce gets 45 minutes under pressure, but if I make the exact same recipe but substitute chopped eggplant for the meat, it gets 15 minutes. My kids prefer the vegetarian option.
A couple of my own weekday recipes:
A vegetable stew for couscous.
You can make the instant couscous ahead as well, it doesn't need to be hot.
Chop an onion, a carrot, a stick of celery, a courgette, and potato into large chunks. Cut a whole head of garlic over on the middle. Put them all into the pot with some olive oil. Add a can of whole tomatoes, a half cup of chicken stock (I use a cube) and half a tin of chickpeas. Season with salt, pepper, paprika and cumin. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes and then release naturally. I am always amazed at how delicious this is, as it is so easy to make. Serve over couscous, and take out some of the liquid and mix it up with harissa or any other chili paste for an extra spicy seasoning for those who like it. You can evolve this dish according to the seasons and whatever you have in the fridge, but at the base, it is a simple stew.
Moroccans generally use the pressure cooker a lot, so looking at Moroccan food blogging/vlogging sites might be inspirational.
A lentil stew, served with bread and a salad.
Finely chop up an onion, a carrot and a stick of celery, and sauter them gently in olive oil. When the onion is translucent, add finely chopped garlic and a bit of thyme. When the garlic and thyme release their aroma, add a cup of dried rinsed Puy lentils and two cups of chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, depending on how salty the stock is. Set at high pressure for 15 minutes and then natural release. This will be kind of soupy. You can try out how much or little water you want. Topping with bacon is nice if you are into that.
posted by mumimor at 12:37 PM on August 16, 2023
In my experience, meat-based stews are a bit harder to get right within your limitations, but I agree chicken thighs are more likely to succeed than breast. Turkey breast might also be an idea. Maybe this recipe could be successfully adapted to the instant pot. .
My favorite meat bolognese sauce gets 45 minutes under pressure, but if I make the exact same recipe but substitute chopped eggplant for the meat, it gets 15 minutes. My kids prefer the vegetarian option.
A couple of my own weekday recipes:
A vegetable stew for couscous.
You can make the instant couscous ahead as well, it doesn't need to be hot.
Chop an onion, a carrot, a stick of celery, a courgette, and potato into large chunks. Cut a whole head of garlic over on the middle. Put them all into the pot with some olive oil. Add a can of whole tomatoes, a half cup of chicken stock (I use a cube) and half a tin of chickpeas. Season with salt, pepper, paprika and cumin. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes and then release naturally. I am always amazed at how delicious this is, as it is so easy to make. Serve over couscous, and take out some of the liquid and mix it up with harissa or any other chili paste for an extra spicy seasoning for those who like it. You can evolve this dish according to the seasons and whatever you have in the fridge, but at the base, it is a simple stew.
Moroccans generally use the pressure cooker a lot, so looking at Moroccan food blogging/vlogging sites might be inspirational.
A lentil stew, served with bread and a salad.
Finely chop up an onion, a carrot and a stick of celery, and sauter them gently in olive oil. When the onion is translucent, add finely chopped garlic and a bit of thyme. When the garlic and thyme release their aroma, add a cup of dried rinsed Puy lentils and two cups of chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, depending on how salty the stock is. Set at high pressure for 15 minutes and then natural release. This will be kind of soupy. You can try out how much or little water you want. Topping with bacon is nice if you are into that.
posted by mumimor at 12:37 PM on August 16, 2023
I think it's important to know how much time you have to get the stuff in the instant pot and then how long before you leave the house, because I can imagine a scenario where it takes 5-10 minutes to get everything into the instant pot and then you are leaving 5-10 minutes later, and the instant pot hasn't gotten up to pressure. It can take a while!
If you're wanting something to be done cooking before you leave, then it can't have a long cooking time or a long time to come up to pressure. Maybe you can clarify the time constraints?
posted by bluedaisy at 1:31 PM on August 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you're wanting something to be done cooking before you leave, then it can't have a long cooking time or a long time to come up to pressure. Maybe you can clarify the time constraints?
posted by bluedaisy at 1:31 PM on August 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
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if you have a rice cooker you can set too and serve the saucy instant pot stuff (which all of it is, because it needs at least a cup of water to cook) over the rice or quinoa.
I like twosleevers.com for instant pot recipes; I think her flavors are exceptional and she has a good index to search by category and protein.
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:43 AM on August 16, 2023 [4 favorites]