I’ve talked about my love for my pressure cooker before, but I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve shared recipes with y’all. This was probably one of the best purchases I made last year and I’ve found myself using it at least once a week.
It’s no secret that I’m still learning to find joy in cooking, but this appliance is making that learning process a lot easier. I can literally dump everything in it and have a hot meal in 30 minutes or less. I’ve seen people rave about how perfect it is for families, but it’s great for single folks too! The last thing I want to do after I get home from a long day is worry about making dinner, but I can literally walk in, dump everything in the pot and let it cook while I remove my make-up, shower and get settled into PJs. Talk about making the best use of a short amount of time!
I find myself making a lot of the same things week in and week out, and for most that would be bad but I think it works for me because they’re tried and true recipes. One of them takes a bit more preparation than the other, but they’re both pretty easy. Up first, red beans and rice.
This recipe doesn’t have many ingredients, it’s literally just 16 oz of dried red beans, 1 lb of ground meat (I prefer turkey or chuck, but ground beef works too), 6 cups of water and whatever seasoning you’re feeling. I personally use black pepper, garlic powder, and I’ve been favoring Jerk Seasoning recently so that’s been my go to. I don’t have an exact measurement for the seasoning, I just sprinkle until I hear the voices of my ancestors say “That’s enough child”.
That last part is a joke, but I really don’t measure how much seasoning I add to the pot. I like my food seasoned well, but I would suggest seasoning it to your taste. Remember, you can always add more seasoning so go light at first and add more once it’s finished cooking and simmering.
Brown the meat first on the sauté/brown option on the Express Pot/Instant Pot (they both have that option), and once that’s cooked thoroughly add in your dry beans and your 6 cups of water. This is when I add in the seasoning and close the lid with the steam part locked, you’ll do a manual release once it’s finished cooking. Then it’s as simple as pushing the “beans” option and letting it cook for 16-18 minutes. Release the steam once it’s finished cooking, slowly open the lid and smile because you just cooked something in less than 20 minutes that usually takes HOURS to make.
The rice is next, but in order to make it you’ll have to depot the beans and meat. I tend to keep plenty of Tupperware around so this is when I’ll put some aside for my lunch the next day, put some in a bowl for dinner that night and put the rest in a bigger storage bowl. Since the internal bowl of the Pot is non-stick it only takes about a minute to clean it before you would then follow the instructions on the rice as far as the grain to water ratio. There’s also a “rice” button on the Express Pot/Instant Pot and it typically doesn’t take me more than 10-12 minutes to make about 6 servings of rice. I know it sounds like a lot when it’s typed out, but it really doesn’t take more than 45 minutes total.
The next recipe is a lot easier, in fact you don’t even have to defrost your meat! There have been many a day when I’ve come home and made this quick dish and I might even be making it tonight. All you need is 2 or 3 frozen chicken breasts, enough rice and water for 4-6 servings and whatever seasonings you’re in the mood for that day. That’s it! Dump it all in the Express Pot/Instant Pot, close the lid with the steam part locked, and press the “poultry” button. Mine automatically defaults to 16 minutes, but I up it to 18 minutes and let that bad boy cook. Once it’s finished you’ll do a manual release, fix yourself a bowl and enjoy dinner! I even mixed it up a bit this past weekend and used chicken legs instead of breasts and it turned out just as delicious!
I know that this post has been pretty wordy, but I promise that these recipes are super easy to make and really delicious! I suggest you give them a try and let me know what you think!