Chicken Philly's

This is one of my most favorite meals of ALL time.  I don't know what it is but I can seriously eat this every week and not get sick of it. It is a meal the whole family loves too. 

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter

1 onion, sliced

2 green peppers, sliced 

3 pounds chicken

3 Tablespoons Dales seasoning (It’s a liquid seasoning found by the steak sauces)

1/2 cup water 

Hoagie sandwich bread

Swiss cheese slices

In instant pot, place butter, cut into small cubes. Then lay sliced veggies on top. Place chicken on top of veggies (I usually use frozen) then pour seasoning and water over chicken. Cook on high pressure for 16 minutes. Let naturally release all the pressure. Shred chicken and keep in crockpot with veggies. 

To assemble sandwiches: butter hoagie bread and lay cheese on one half. Broil until cheese bubbles and bread is nice and toasted. Then add meat mixture (we also like to add mayo on one side as well, I feel like that’s one of the secrets to an amazing sandwich 😂) 

**To make in the Crock pot follow the same directions and cook on low 6-8 hours.**

"Baked" ziti, in the Instant Pot

 This is one of the easiest, most delicious recipes ever. I believe NO ONE can screw this up and that EVERYONE would find this absolutely yummy!! It is one my kids love to request and one that I try to keep all the ingredients on hand for quick dinners on nights I just don't have the energy to do something else. We have added cooked ground turkey to it (per my meat-loving husband's request) and that adds a lot of flavor to it too!

Found this over at my favorite site, Mel's Kitchen. 

Give it a try! You won't be disappointed!!

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

1⁄2 tsp salt

1⁄4 tsp black pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

16 oz uncooked ziti (or other tube shaped pasta)

15 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 1⁄2 tsp dried oregano

1 1⁄2 tsp dried basil

1⁄2-1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Fresh basil, for serving (optional)

Directions

Pour broth and cream into instant pot. Add salt, pepper and garlic. Add the pasta but DO NOT stir. Pour the crushed tomatoes evenly over the pasta and sprinkle with oregano and basil over the top. DON’T STIR.

Secure the lid and seal. Cook on high pressure—Take the cooking time of the pasta directions, cut in half and subtract 2 more minutes. So if the box says it will cook al dente in 12 minutes then the Instant Pot cook time would be 4 minutes.

Let it naturally release for 10 minutes and then do a quick release of the remaining pressure. Add the parmesan cheese and stir until well mixed. Serve with more parmesan cheese and fresh basil as desired.

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

We make this Mac and Cheese a lot! It's easy to just throw in the instant pot and have gooey cheesey noodles a short time later. My son HATES "regular" mac and cheese, you know, the kind from the 'blue' box?!? ;) But he LOVES this stuff! We even make a varied version with some chicken sausage that I'll also share below. We love using this as a side dish to steak or chicken. 
But.... if you want to make the 'blue box' kind of Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot YOU CAN! I'll share how to do it below. I feel like it makes it a little softer than doing it over the stove BUT it has saved me some time on busy lunch afternoons. I have started it before I left for kindergarten pickup and when I get back all I need to do is add the cheese and milk and we have a kid favorite lunch ready to go with only ONE dirty dish! 

I can't even remember where I found the original "recipe"/idea for this but have found what works for us and that is what I share below.

Mac and Cheese- "homemade" version

16-21 oz Elbow macaroni: my favorite brand is the Pagasa brand that are .50 for 7 oz so I use 3 packages

2 Tbsp butter

5 cups water (or 4 cups if using 16 oz.... Basically it’s 1 cup per 4 oz of noodles)

1/4-1/2 cup milk (or heavy cream if you want it extra creamy)

2 cups Shredded Cheese: Sharp cheddar is our favorite! But you can use anything you love. We sometimes throw in a handful of mozzarella and a handful of Parmesan too.

Directions:

In instant pot, combine water, noodles and butter. Put lid on and seal valve.

Set timer for 4 minutes. Do a quick release. Then stir in milk. Add in cheese(s) in handfuls and stir until melted. Add more milk if needed. Enjoy!

**Fun Variation** One of my kids’ favorite meals is a little variation of this recipe. It’s not MY personal favorite but the kids ALL love it and devour it and often have seconds. So we usually make this on date night because it’s simple and I don’t have to eat it. Win-Win for me LOL! But you may love it, so I’ll share it.

Follow the directions above for the noodles but once you release all the pressure add a jar of alfredo sauce instead of milk and butter. Then add in your cheeses. We then add in diced chicken sausage. The kids love it!

Kraft Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot

Yes, this is silly but also pretty handy. This makes the mac and cheese a little more soft than if you do it over the stove, so take that into consideration. I need to try cooking it for 1 minute less and see if that makes a difference. But nonetheless, my kids love it this way and it makes for a quick lunch that I don’t have to sit and watch boil over the stove. So “Win” for me!

1 1⁄2 cups water

1 box Kraft macaroni and cheese

4 Tbsp butter

1⁄4 cup milk

Combine noodles and water. Place lid on and set valve to seal. Cook on high for 3 minutes. Let naturally release for about 3 minutes then do a quick release for remaining pressure. Stir the noodles to let it absorb the water, then add the butter, cheese packet and milk. Stir and serve!

Swedish Meatballs and noodels, in the Instant Pot

This is one of my kids' most FAVORITE recipe.  I love to add a side of steamed carrots to finish off the meal (I'll share that Instant Pot recipe below!) Enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Swedish Meatballs

1 lb frozen meatballs

2 1⁄2 cups beef broth

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dried parsley

1⁄2 tsp salt

1⁄4 tsp pepper

3 cups egg noodles

1⁄2 cup half and half or heavy cream

1 Tbsp corn starch

Place meatballs in Instant Pot with beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic,

parsley, salt and pepper. Stir until spices are combined.

Add noodles (uncooked), spread into an even layer and press down gently but do

not stir- they will not be completely submerged and that is ok.

Put the lid on and seal. Cook on high Pressure for 3 minutes. Then do a quick

release. The noodles may appear dry on top, but it is OK I promise! Stir them

into the meatballs. In a separate bowl, whisk together cream and cornstarch.

Then stir it into the meatballs. Tun Instant Pot to Saute and cook and stir

until sauce has thickened.

Instant Pot steamed Carrots

This is my all time favorite side dish. It’s also the most lame “recipe”.  I

place all my baby carrots in a steamer basket. Add 1 cup of water to pot,

insert steamer basket and add lid and seal. Cook on high pressure for 5

minutes. Do a quick release and enjoy!

**sometimes I get a little crazy with my carrots though. If you want

seasoned carrots then don’t use the steamer basket. Add 16 oz bag carrots

directly to pot then add 2 cups water. Seal lid and cook on high pressure for 5

minutes. Do a quick release. Drain water. Add 2 Tbsp butter, and sprinkle with

garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Instant Pot tips!

One of my most favorite (and used!) appliance in my kitchen is the Instant Pot. I own 3, 2 8 quart size ones and 1 3 quart size one; and I use at least one of them just about every day. They have really eased up my time in the kitchen. So, here are some tips on what I've come to learn about this amazing appliance!

TIPS

• People seem to think that using an Instant Pot is much FASTER than any other way of cooking. While this CAN be true, it isn’t ALWAYS true. It can take some time for the pot to come to pressure and it takes a surprisingly long time for the pressure to be released. HOWEVER, using an Instant Pot is much more CONVENIENT for many reasons. It makes it possible for you to set it and walk away. No more standing and waiting for things to boil, or watching closely so things don’t boil over. That alone is huge for me. I have started a batch of Mac and Cheese before leaving to pick up Kindergarteners and it is ready to be mixed by the time we get home and the kids have a hot lunch ready instantly. So keep that in mind, it may not be faster but it can be if you use it correctly.
  
  
• Liquid is your best friend! If you want to avoid the dreaded “BURN” signal then make sure you add enough liquid. If you DO get the burn signal, don’t fret! You can still save things, I promise! Just add a 1⁄2 cup water and try again. Most of the time that will fix things.
  
  
• When cooking MEAT (like roasts, chicken, etc.) NATURAL RELEASING pressure is the way to go. This locks in juices and helps keep things juicy and not dry. Just make sure the “keep warm” function is turned on and it will keep things warm while the pressure naturally goes down.
  
  
• Invest in a nice sturdy spatula that can SCRAPE the bottom of the pot. This helps you avoid the dreaded “BURN” signal by keeping the pan clean.
  
  
• I have YET to master the “slow cook” function on my instant pots. They just don’t seem to cook as good as a slow cooker in that function. So if I truly want to do a slow cooking recipe, I pull out my dear friend, the crock pot. But that’s just ME, to each their own
  
  
• My 3 qt instant pot is what I use for rice and veggies mostly.
  
  
• My 8 qt ones are perfect for EVERYTHING else!

Instant pot accessories I LOVE and actually USE:

• A good steamer basket

• Sturdy spatula to scrape bottom of pan

• Storage lid (this is great for when I’m lazy and don’t want to dirty another dish to store leftovers in. I can just put a lid on my actual pot and stick it in the fridge)

Things I ONLY ever cook in my Instant pot: 

(all of these recipes and how-to’s will be listed below)

1. Chicken

2. Hard boiled eggs

3. Rice

4. Mashed potatoes (seriously, I do NOT miss standing over the hot stove watching water bubble over and take forever to cook... and then have to DRAIN them; using MULTIPLE DISHES to make potatoes. Don’t miss any of that at all! And you won’t either once you make mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot!!)

Rice

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice

2 1/3 cup water

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt (I don’t measure but I’d estimate about 1 tsp), Pink Himalayan is my

favorite

Push RICE and let it work it’s magic!! Seriously, it is THAT easy! Let it

naturally release if you need or you can do a quick release. Both ways work

great!

Hard boiled eggs

I like to use a steamer basket. I place all my eggs in the basket. Add 1 cup of

water in instant pot, place steamer basket inside then seal lid. Cook on high

pressure for 5 minutes. Let naturally release for 5 minutes then do a quick

release for remaining pressure. Then soak eggs in ice water for 5 minutes.

Frozen chicken breasts:

Add 1-2 cups water (or chicken broth) in pot. Place frozen chicken breasts in

water (I typically do 4 large breasts at a time). Seal lid and cook on high

pressure for 15 minutes. Let it naturally release the pressure before opening

lid. This helps lock in juices and keeps it tender and not tough. Then dice or

shred as desired!

**If I want BBQ chicken for sandwiches or quesadillas then I add 1 cup BBQ

sauce and 1 cup water and then cook like stated above. Then I shred the

chicken and add more BBQ sauce to my desired consistency.

Strawberry Jello "FLUFF"

 I have been making this fluff for years! Then someone blew my mind and brought a strawberry version to a BBQ this summer and it was absolutely incredible. I love both of them and we look forward to chowing down on whichever one shows up at our BBQ ;)

The strawberry recipe was found here

Ingredients

• 1 large box Cook and Serve vanilla pudding (NOT instant!)
• 1 large box strawberry jello
• 16 oz cool-whip
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 2-3 bananas, sliced
• 5 oz mini marshmallows

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together pudding mix, Jello mix, and water. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil.
2. Remove saucepan from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
3. Refrigerate until mixture has thickened (4-6 hours or overnight)
4. Once it is thickened, beat until creamy with an electric hand mixer
5. Fold in cool whip, marshmallows and fruit. Chill for an hour before serving.

Strawbery Banana Cheesecake "Salad"

 I always laugh when people call jello things a "salad". This is a FLUFF through and through! A very delicious fluff that you will most definitely want to make again and again and that people will ask you for the recipe. Trust me.

This is a great addition to those summer BBQs!

Recipe found here

Ingredients

• 1 box (3/4 oz) cheesecake or white chocolate pudding MIX
• 12 oz whipped topping
• 3 (6 oz) containers strawberry yogurt
• 1 lb fresh strawberries, sliced
• 3 bananas sliced, add just before serving
• 3 cups mini marshmallows

Directions

1. Place whipped topping, pudding mix, and yogurt into a large bowl. 
2. Whisk together.
3. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour
4. When ready to serve, add in the sliced strawberries and bananas and marshmallows. Stir gently to combine