Have you heard of the Instant Pot? Do you know all the amazing things it can do? Does this sound like an infomercial? HA! Honestly, though, it takes around ten minutes to pressurize and once it does, you have dry pasta cooked in five minutes, hard boiled eggs in six, and fall off the bone ribs in twenty-five minutes. I am loving this kitchen appliance and I think you could love it as well.
Let’s be real, when the Instant Pot craze began I had heard all about it. The miraculous things it could do and how my life would be forever changed. When I saw the price tag, I laughed out loud and told myself that it could not possibly be worth it. Over the next year, I sat back and watched a friend on Facebook post Instant Pot success after success that were actual meals and not just crock pot mush. Off topic: my husband hates crock pots and the inevitable mush they produce. He has been my biggest critic and motivator to make this appliance a success. My interest was piqued again when a huge sale rolled around so, I jumped on the band wagon and made my purchase. I was giddy with the idea of mixing up our boring meal routine with some new and fresh ideas.
While waiting for my Instant Pot to arrive in the mail, I began researching its functions, settings, and browsing recipes. I made a Pinterest board and pinned like crazy. This thing is so versatile. It can cook the crock pot/pressure cooker usual, in addition to hard boiled eggs, dry rice and pasta, strawberry jam, and homemade yogurt. The appliance can do it all. I think the thing that makes me the most excited about this machine is learning about the dishes it can be used to prepare that aren’t advertised on the side of the box. Applesauce, macaroni, and cheese, corn on the cob, popcorn, and cheesecake!
So far in my Instant Pot journey, I have crafted up a few out of this world meals to include jambalaya, homemade macaroni and cheese, and ribs. I cannot say enough about the jambalaya. It was out of this world; even better- it was prepared and cooked in under an hour. The macaroni and cheese is amazing and the ribs tasty for this non-rib eater.
Sadly, I have also had one of the biggest dinner fails in all of our marriage of over 12 years….a cheesy chicken and rice dish. It was awful; the chicken was rubbery and gross. So gross that our dinner resulted in a microwave delicacy you may have heard of called the hot pocket. Huge fail, but lesson learned!
I was late to the initial Instant Pot craze, but I am excited I took the plunge. I am whipping up new and exciting things in the kitchen, in most cases much more quickly, and having fun doing so. My husband has been won over and my kids are trying new foods – big win over here! While I was a bit intimidated at first, I have found my trusty friends Pinterest and Facebook to be amazing sources for loads of recipes, tips, and tricks. So the next time you are waiting for a pot of water to boil for pasta, I’ll be in the family room letting my children use my legs as bridges for theirs toy cars while my pasta cooks itself! Happy cooking and if you stumble across a tasty recipe, please share!
