1. Cut squash in half across the fattest part of the squash and remove seeds
2. Season with garlic salt and pepper
3. Place in pot with 1 – 2 cups of water
4. Seal and set pot to manual for 10 minutes
5. Quick release
6. Remove squash with pot holders and scrape out the spaghettis
7. Serve with pasta sauce and ground turkey

1 lb elbow macaroni
4 T butter
4 cups water
2 t ground mustard
2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 cup evaporated milk (I’ve also used coconut milk)
8 oz white cheddar cheese
8 oz monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1. Add pasta, butter, water and seasonings to pot
2. Set to manual for 4 minutes
3. Quick release when complete
4. Add milk and cheeses and stir until melted and creamy

The easiest to peel eggs ever!

1. Set the little rack in the bottom of the pot
2. Add 6 eggs
3. Add 1 cup of water
4. Set to manual for 5 minutes and quick release
5. Give the eggs a cold water rinse – I usually leave them in the pot soaking in cold water for a few minutes while I do other things, then store in fridge or peel immediately

1 cup brown rice
1 cup chicken broth
1 lb ground turkey sausage or ground pork
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb sliced mushrooms
Olive oil

1. Set to saute and cover bottom of pot with olive oil
2. Add sausage / pork to pan and brown
3. Add rice, broth, mushrooms and onion to pot
4. Set to manual an cook for 22 minutes
5. Let naturally release for 5 minutes, then finish with quick release

Notes:
– Can make with water instead of broth and without meat to make a vegetarian side dish
– Can use white rice instead and reduce cook time to 12 minutes

1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup (or less if you don’t like it too sweet) honey
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1.5 T minced garlic
1/2 lb of sliced mushrooms
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon for topping
1/2 cup milk or half and half (optional, I usually don’t use this)

1. Add the first 4 ingredients to the pot and stir together
2. Add mushrooms and chicken
3. Close lid and set level to sealing
4. Press manual button and set for 15 minutes
5. Quick release when complete
6. Stir in milk if using, and bacon
7. Serve with rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes or with salad

Set the pot to sauté and add a little bit of olive oil and 1 lb ground turkey plus again taco seasoning , brown the turkey in the pot.

Add pasta, I’ve been using the veggie pasta and the box for that is smaller than regular one lb box so I use the whole box, or use half of a 1 lb box.
Add one jar of pasta sauce and about a cup of water.

Switch to manual setting and set for 8 minutes. When it beeps flip the lever for quick release.

1 cup plain white rice
1.5 cups water
1 lb chicken (I use thighs)
1 can black beans (I don’t drain them)
Whatever taco seasonings you want.

Throw it all in the pot set to manual for 10 minutes, when it beeps that it is finished flip the lever to quick release steam and serve in a bowl with cheese, avocado, whatever toppings you like.

Do I need an Instant Pot?  Yes, yes you do.  What if I don’t like to cook?  All the more reason that you need one!

I don’t really enjoy cooking, but I like to eat and like to eat relatively healthy without a lot of work.  I was gifted an Instant Pot for Christmas 2017 and wasn’t excited about it at all.  Now I use it at least twice, and usually three times, a week.  I don’t need to plan too far in advance like with a crockpot and can have a one pot meal ready in under 30 minutes with only five minutes of work / prep on my part.  So here are some tips and tricks that I’ve learned along the way.

• 10 minutes doesn’t really mean 10 minutes.  Ten minutes of Instant Pot time is kind of like the last 2 minutes of a basketball or football game.  This time starts when the pot gets up to pressure, so you’ll need a little bit of cushion until that 10 minute countdown kicks in.
• Well how long does it take to get to the countdown time?  It depends!  Depends on how much food and liquid are in the device.  As a guideline, I’ve been using 10 minutes as an approximate timeline for how long it takes to get the the countdown.
• Sealing – SUPER, DUPER important or you’ll never get to the count down time!  Make sure that the seal inside the lid is well seated so the lid seals and then make sure that the lever is in the sealing position.  On mine this means the lever on top is pointing to the 6 o’clock position.
• Quick release – The act of flipping the lever on top of the lid to immediately release all of the steam and pressure. It will make a whooshing noise as it releases  NOTE: do NOT get your face, hands, etc over top of the vent.
• Natural release – This is the act of patience of NOT flipping the lever and letting the steam release slowly.  With this method you won’t hear a whooshing noise because it is taking its sweet time to release.
• Positioning on the counter can be important otherwise you might be steaming the front of your cabinets.
• Using frozen chicken is a possibility, but I find that it depends what I’m making how this actually turns out.  I will typically put frozen chicken in the microwave on high for 3 – 4 minutes and then follow my typical timelines.  If I’m making something that has rice or pasta in the same pot the rice or pasta gets too mushy.  If I’m just cooking chicken in the pot, then I will use frozen chicken without thawing and will set it on manual for 22 minutes and let it naturally release for at least 5 minutes instead of quick release.