One of my favorite tricks for easy weeknight dinners is to use the Instant Pot. Even if I forget to thaw my ingredients or don’t plan ahead, I can still have a nutritious meal ready fast. Plus, it’s usually a one-pot dinner, which means I don’t have much clean up to do either! Whoo!
So grab a pen, make your shopping list, and stock up on ingredients before the weekend’s over to make your weeknights that much easier.
At top: Instant Pot Pulled Beef at Posh Journal; Potato Leek Soup at Munchkin Time
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Yes, it’s true. You can make delicious lasagna quickly in an Instant Pot. This recipe for Instant Pot Lasagna at Spaceships and Laser Beams cooks in just 25 minutes. To make it even faster on a busy night, I’d prep the layers ahead of time and stash it in the fridge until you’re ready to pop it in the Instant Pot.
Here’s the thing: this soup is delicious. So, just tell your kids it’s bacon and potato soup, not Potato Leek Soup at Munchkin Time. Go ahead and serve it with some grilled cheese on the side, and get them to dunk their sandwiches. Before you know it, they’ll be scooping that soup up with a spoon.
If you’re not used to Indian food on regular rotation, then this might feel like a stretch for your kids. I love this vegetarian version of Chana Masala at Cubes n Juliennes with chickpeas as your protein, but you could also substitute chicken in. Serve it over rice with naan bread, and your whole family will love it.
Related: 5 classic dinners you can totally speed up using an Instant Pot
One of the things the Instant Pot does most brilliantly is get meat perfectly tender so you can shred it. These Shredded Chicken Tacos at Evolving Table is a great way to use it, although you could also use that chicken to top a taco salad or even to put in tortilla soup.
This recipe for Instant Pot Pulled Beef at Posh Journal is a great one to keep in your regular rotation because you can use it for sandwiches, add it to baked potatoes, or just serve it up with some fresh veggies on the side meat-and-three style. We love an easy, quick, versatile meal.
The entire Internet is raving about how you can make cheesecake in the Instant Pot, so I figure it’s time I actually try. This Chocolate Cheesecake at Let’s Dish looks creamy and sturdy (so many we found sunk down in the middle) and just plain yummy. The fresh fruit looks good on top, but you could also scoop a spoonful of cherry pie filling on top for even more sugar.
