As I write this blog, it’s late January. If you got a shiny new Instant Pot for Christmas because EVERYONE keeps raving about it, it’s possible that you haven’t even opened the box! Am I right?
If you’re anything like the people in our member community and our 3 week challenges and some of the Instant Pot groups we’re in, there’s at least a chance that you are a little intimidated by all the buttons and features on your new Instant Pot and you’re not quite sure where to start. If this describes you, then never fear!
We’ve compiled a very short list of 5 easy things you can make in your new Instant Pot that won’t totally ruin dinner or scare you to death. If you’re ready for more, you can go to our Instant Pot recipe category here.
What About Safety?
Of course, the first thing you should do is read through the manual and perform the water pressure test outlined in the manual. It’s always a good idea to read the safety info and instructions, and of course we all do that, so I shouldn’t even have to mention it, right?
After you’ve read the material that comes with your new Instant Pot, it’s time to get to cooking! There are actually a variety of different models with different features. Some can do yogurt, some have bluetooth, some are 6 quart, some are 8 quart, and so on. The recipes we’ll be covering should work in any Instant Pot as we’ll pretty much just be using the pressure cooker capabilities to get you started and get that thing out of the box.
Your First 5 Recipes
1. 5-5-5 Hard-Boiled Eggs
We recommend the “5-5-5” method of cooking eggs in the Instant Pot. 5 minutes at high pressure, 5 minute natural pressure release, 5 minutes in cold water. The first time my wife tried this, she was skeptical. She was used to boiling eggs on the stovetop and that method is pretty easy and hands off, so there seemed to be little reason to change. However, I had heard that eggs from the Instant Pot are incredibly easy to peel, so she gave it a try. Let’s just say that she hasn’t gone back. It’s incredible.
2. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes are even easier than eggs in the Instant Pot. You just “set it and forget it”. Hey, that should be a slogan for something if it’s not already. Catchy! Seriously though, 28 minutes on high pressure works well for medium to large sweet potatoes or yams. You can choose to let the pressure release naturally or you can manually release it when you are ready.
3. Brown Rice
So, I know the Instant Pot has a rice function, but you have to try it this way. This is so easy and comes out amazing. It’s just 22 minutes on manual-high with a 1:1 ratio of water to rice (or a bit more water if you want it stickier). It comes out great and it takes only about 30 minutes total instead of over an hour on rice mode. You can use natural or manual pressure release for this one too.
You can also make frozen brown rice packs like this.
4. Mac and Cheese
Mac-n-Cheese in the Instant Pot is unique because you don’t have to drain the pasta. You put the water, pasta, butter, and salt in and let the Instant Pot do its thing. Then you add the cheese and milk on saute mode and you’re done. It’s so easy and so delicious. Mac-n-Cheese from a box is not even this easy.
5. Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
This one is a little more involved than the other 4, but I think you’re ready for it! One of the great things about the Instant Pot is the ability to make soups with dry beans but without having to soak them overnight. So, you don’t have to use canned beans and you don’t have to soak when you use dry beans! Give this a try as your first truly “from scratch” soup.
Have you tried freezer meals yet? If you have an Instant Pot, you must! Get the eBook!
Comments (4)
My favorite is mac and cheese, so quick and easy!
I still need to try the hard boiled eggs!
I love doing hard boiled eggs in the instant pot! I’ve also done the brown rice. Looking forward to trying more things in it!
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