Recipes for the Pressure Cooker

Do you have a pressure cooker?  The new pressure cookers (like Instant Pot®) are a wonderful addition to your kitchen appliances. They can make meal prep easy and tasty!  It is a great way to make a homemade meal in less time for our busy lives.  If you have a tried-and-true pressure cooker recipe - share it with us!

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Pressure Cooker Egg Roll Bowls

Prep time10 min

Cook time12 min

Pressure cooker - 

Pressure build time15 min

Total Time 37 min

1 lb. ground pork or any other meat you would like

1 bag pre-shredded coleslaw mix found in the produce section near the bagged salads

1/2 c. bone broth or your favorite broth

1 T. soy sauce or to taste

1 T. garlic powder or to taste

1 T. ground ginger or to taste

1/2 tsp. pepper or to taste

1/2 tsp. salt or to taste

Wonton chips (optional)

1 pkg egg roll wrappers cut into strips

vegetable or olive oil

Place pressure cooker on sauté. Wait until it’s hot and then add pork (or meat of choice). Add seasonings and soy sauce and brown meat. If you are using a lean meat (like ground pork or turkey), do not drain it when it’s done. If you are using a higher fat meat (like ground beef), drain once it is browned.

When meat is browned, turn pressure cooker off and add the 1/2 c. bone broth. Add bag of coleslaw mix on top and DO NOT stir. Place lid on and turn knob to sealing position.

Set pressure cooker on manual high pressure for 0 minutes. For a newer model pressure cooker, select the pressure cook button instead for 0 minutes (just keep hitting the - button until the timer reaches 0).

When timer is up, preform a quick release. When pressure is released, open carefully and give everything a quick stir.

Spoon into bowls and enjoy!

Wonton chips (optional): Preheat oven to 400° while pressure cooker is preheating on sauté.

Cut egg roll wrappers into strips and brush with olive or veggie oil. Use egg roll wrappers because they are more sturdy then traditional wonton wrappers when you are trying to scoop, but use whatever you have (even tortilla chips).

Bake in preheated oven for 4-5 minutes until bubbly and brown. WATCH these carefully because they go from brown to burned very fast!

Pressure Cooker Mac and Cheese

Servings 4 - 6

 Total Time 35 min

1 lb. elbow macaroni

4 c. cold water

4 T. unsalted butter

14 oz sharp cheddar, freshly grated

6 oz mild cheddar or Velveeta cheese, freshly grated

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Wet Ingredients

2 lg eggs, beaten

1 tsp. ground mustard

12 oz evaporated milk

Optional: 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce or Frank’s hot sauce

Pressure Cook Macaroni: Add 1lb elbow macaroni, 4 cups cold water, and a pinch of kosher salt in pressure cooker.

Close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 4 minutes, then Gradual Quick Release. Carefully open the lid.

There’s a slight chance that a tiny amount of foam will come out with the steam. Have a towel handy.

Mix Wet Ingredients: While the macaroni is pressure cooking, mix the wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Beat 2 lg eggs, then mix in 1 tsp. ground mustard, 1 tsp. Sriracha, and 12 oz evaporated milk. Mix well.

Make Mac & Cheese: Use “Keep Warm” function. Give it a quick stir. If there’s more than 3/4 c. of water left in the pot, drain some of the liquid.

Add 4 T. unsalted butter to the pressure-cooked macaroni. Mix well with a silicone spatula and let the butter melt. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix well.

Add grated cheese (1/3 portion at a time), then stir constantly until the cheese fully melted.

If the mac and cheese is too runny, use “Sauté Less” function to reduce it down.

Serve: Taste and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. You’ll likely need a couple pinches of kosher salt to brighten the dish.

For the best tasting experience, serve immediately!

Root Beer Pork Chops

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Additional Time: 2 hr

Total Time: 2 hr 40 min

Servings: 4

4 (1-inch thick) pork chops

3 (12 fluid oz) cans or bottles root beer

salt and pepper to taste

1 c. beef stock

2 T. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. chipotle-flavored hot sauce

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 pinch salt, to taste

Place the pork chops in a dish; pour 2 cans of the root beer over the chops. Place in refrigerator to marinate at least 2 hours. Remove the pork chops from the root beer; season with salt and pepper.

Combine the remaining can of root beer, the beef stock, brown sugar, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce in a saucepan over medium heat; simmer the mixture until it reduces to about 3/4 c. Set aside.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.

Grill the pork chops on the preheated grill until the no longer pink in the center, about 8 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 ° F.  Brush the chops generously with the reduction sauce and continue cooking for about 2 minutes more per side. Remove from grill and brush with any remaining sauce. Season with salt to taste before serving.

Maple French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes

Level: Intermediate

Total: 1 hr 20 min

Prep: 40 min

Cook: 40 min

Yield: 12 cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. cake flour

1 (3.9-oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix

1 tsp. baking powder

1 T. corn starch

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 lg egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 c. maple syrup

1/2 c. half-and-half, at room temperature

1/2 c. chopped cooked bacon (5 strips)

For the Glaze:

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, at room temperature

2 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 c. sifted confectioners’ sugar

1/4 c. maple syrup

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 strips bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin.

Combine the flours, pudding mix, baking powder, corn starch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl with a whisk.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugars with a mixer on low speed until combined, 6 to 8 minutes. Gradually mix in the vanilla and egg whites. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; continue mixing until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the maple syrup and half-and-half, mixing after each addition and ending with flour. Mix until the ingredients are just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the bacon.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon; beat until combined. Spread on the cooled cupcakes; top with chopped bacon, if desired.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 min

Total Time: 35 min

1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb.), ends trimmed

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

3 T. salted butter

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 T. all-purpose flour

2 c. half-and-half

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

Black pepper, to taste

Fill a large pot with 2 c. water and fit with a steamer basket. Bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and steam until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the asparagus to a cutting board and pour the water from the pot into a large measuring cup; add more water if needed to equal 2 cups. Set the pot aside.

When the asparagus is cool enough to handle, trim off the tips and halve lengthwise; toss with a pinch of salt. Save these pieces for garnish. Add the remaining asparagus pieces to a blender with 1 cup of the reserved steaming water and blend until very smooth.

Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds more. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine.

Slowly whisk in the half-and-half and remaining 1 c. reserved steaming water until smooth. Season with 1 tsp.  salt and the coriander. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to thicken, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in the asparagus puree. Taste and adjust the seasonings (add more salt if it needs it!) and let the soup heat through. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the asparagus tips. Season with pepper.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Total Time: 45 min

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 c. milk

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. white sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c. fresh strawberry halves

1 (4 oz) package cream cheese, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 400 ° F.

Pour melted butter into the bottom of a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.

Mix milk, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl; pour over the butter in the baking dish. Arrange strawberry halves in a layer into the baking dish. Dot the strawberries with the cream cheese pieces.

Bake in preheated oven until top is golden brown and edges are bubbling, 30 to 45 minutes.

Note: You can omit the baking powder and salt, if you use self-rising flour.

Why Pressure Cookers?

 Ooh are they fast! When pressure cooking, liquid is heated to boiling in a tightly sealed pot, creating a high pressure and temperature. Since the pressure has nowhere to go and less liquid is used, the liquid penetrates the food faster and cooks quickly. Pressure cookers cook many foods in about a third of the time they would take to prepare using the standard stove top or oven methods.   Fast cooking makes for better color, flavor, and probably more nutrients. Fast cooking times and low liquid levels keeps color intact, flavors vibrant, and allows less time for vitamins and minerals to leach out of the food and into the cooking water (which is usually tossed) They can cook a lot of things!

- Vegetables and fruit

- Beans and grains

- Meat, poultry, and seafood

- Soups and sauces

- Canning and Preserving

- AND MORE!!

Quote of the Week:

“Spring cleaning is like running a marathon; it’s accomplished one room at a time.”

~ Anonymous