Super Easy Instant Pot Cookbook: Quick-Prep, One-Pot, 5-Ingredient, 30-Minute Recipes

By Janet Zimmerman

Your ultimate guide to quick and easy Instant Pot recipes!
With the versatility of the Instant Pot, you can cook just about anything—and cook it faster with less cleanup. And the Super Easy Instant Pot Cookbook shows you how to do it step-by-step. It's filled with simple recipes with minimal ingredients that are mostly hands-off, so you can get cooking with fast but flavorful meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert.
An intro to the Instant Pot—Learn how to make the most of your Instant Pot with an overview of all its features, like pressure cooking, slow cooking, sautéing, simmering, and beyond.
A variety of family-friendly recipes—From Broccoli-Cheddar Soup and Pasta Primavera to Green Curry Pork and Strawberry Shortcake Pudding, you'll find tasty meal options for everyone at your table.
Speedy and simple cooking—Every recipe in this Instant Pot book is designed to take minimal prep steps, be made in just one pot, use only 5 ingredients, or be ready in 30 minutes—and some are more than one!
Create tasty, home-cooked meals even on your busiest days with stress-free Instant Pot cookbook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Apr 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638782629

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Interior and Cover Designer: Alan Carr & Lisa Realmuto

Art Producer: Maya Melenchuk

Editor: Van Van Cleave

Production Manager: David Zapanta

Author photo courtesy of Mast Photography. Photography © Darren Muir, cover, pp. ii, vi, ix, x, 20, 28, 36, 48, 50, 54, 59, 70, 85, 92, 126, 135, 138, 151, 156; © Hélene Dujardin, pp. 16, 75, 142; © Laura Flippen, pp. 38, 88, 108, 144; © Marija Vidal, pp. 94, 106, 122.

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-63878-047-2

eBook ISBN: 978-1-63878-262-9

R0

AS ALWAYS, TO DAVE,

who makes developing recipes much more fun and who almost always cleans up after me.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

1 Super-Easy Instant Pot Cooking

2 Breakfast and Brunch

Vegetable Tortilla Española

Creamy Banana-Nut Steel-Cut Oats

Classic Diner Breakfast Casserole

Huevos Rancheros with Refried Beans

Ham and Swiss Strata

Smoked Salmon Mini-Quiches

Nutty Maple Polenta

Spiced Apple French Toast Casserole

Breakfast Blueberry Pudding Cakes

Pumpkin-Gingerbread Muffins

3 Vegetables and Sides

Potato and Snap Pea Salad

Green Beans with Shallots and Bacon

Warm Broccoli Salad with Pine Nuts

Cheesy Smashed Red Potatoes

Curried Cauliflower and Peas

Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Honey Mustard–Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Cumin-Scented Buttered Carrots

Spicy Corn and Black Beans

4 Soups and Stews

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

Butternut Squash and Corn Chowder with Bacon

Chorizo Chili

Garlic Soup with Eggs and Spinach

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

Artichoke-Spinach Soup

Thai-Inspired Chicken Soup

Beef and Potato Stew

Mexican-Inspired Shrimp Soup

5 Vegetarian Mains

Green Pea and Parmesan Risotto

Creamy Spaghetti Squash with Spinach, Olives, and Roasted Red Peppers

Tex-Mex Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew

Artichoke-Mushroom Orzo

Pimento Cheese Quiche

Pasta Primavera

Mixed Vegetable Fried Rice

Polenta with Mushroom Sauce

Spicy Chickpeas with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Olives

Tofu and Vegetables with Coconut-Cilantro Sauce

6 Seafood and Poultry

Turkey Tenderloin with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Greek-Inspired Chicken and Quinoa

Salmon and Vegetables with Lemon-Butter Sauce

Shredded Italian Chicken Sandwiches

Creole-Inspired Shrimp and Beans

Tandoori-Spiced Chicken and Rice

Scallion-Ginger Steamed Cod and Green Beans

Basque-Inspired Chicken (Chicken Piperade)

Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Risotto

Shrimp Boil

7 Beef and Pork

Green Curry Pork

Pork Tenderloin with Cabbage and Noodles

Ramen with Pork and Snow Peas

Lazy Lasagna

Sloppy Joes

Italian Beef

Beef Stroganoff

Teriyaki Pork Chops with Brown Rice

Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps

Hoisin Beef and Broccoli

8 Desserts

Easy Frozen Berry Crisp

Ramekin Brownies

Strawberry Shortcake Pudding

Chai-Spiced Custards

Mulled Applesauce Gingersnap Parfaits

Key Lime Mousse

Easy Espresso Crème Caramel

Dulce de Leche Rice Pudding

9 Staples

Restaurant-Style Salsa

Hot Pepper Sauce

Chicken Stock

Vegetable Broth

Yogurt

Marinara Sauce

Salted Caramel Sauce

Barbecue Sauce

MEASUREMENT CONVERSIONS

INSTANT POT PRESSURE COOKING TIME CHARTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION

A funny thing happened when I was working on this book. The schedule was such that I was developing and testing recipes in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. I took most of the holiday week off so that my partner, Dave, and I could plan, shop, and cook for the guests we’d invited for dinner.

It was fun—we both like cooking, and we like cooking together—and dinner was delicious. On the other hand, after two days of cooking, I was exhausted. My back hurt. We ran the dishwasher five times in those two days, then twice the day after Thanksgiving.

Of course, it’s always like that on holidays, and I knew what to expect. Somehow, though, it seemed like a lot more work this year (maybe I’m just getting old!). As I surveyed the kitchenful of dirty dishes the morning after, it occurred to me what the difference was. After weeks of preparing Instant Pot dinners that required very few ingredients and little prep work, that cooked quickly, and that left very few dirty dishes, I was spoiled.

It’s no secret by now what a difference the Instant Pot has made to home cooks around the world. I’ve written four pressure cooker books—two specifically for the Instant Pot—and edited or compiled three more, so I know how popular Instant Pot cooking has become. Still, it can seem intimidating. Traditionally, pressure cooking was known for long-cooking batches of beans and grains or tough cuts of meats. If that’s not your thing, it may seem that an Instant Pot can’t offer you much.

I’m here to say that nothing can be further from the truth. With the versatility of the Instant Pot, you can cook just about anything—and cook it faster with less cleanup. Stick with me, and you’ll learn how.

Truth be told, no matter how much I love creating elaborate dishes, there’s a lot to be said for having an arsenal of fast, easy recipes that don’t yield a sink full of dirty dishes, a grease-splattered stovetop, and a messy oven.

And that’s what this book provides—recipes for breakfasts, dinners, and desserts that make cooking easy in a variety of ways. Some require only a handful of ingredients (five, plus salt, pepper, and oil); some take only five minutes of prep time; some can be made from start to finish in 30 minutes; some even hit more than one category! There are some longer-cooking dishes with more ingredients, but those are almost all complete meals in one pot, so cleanup is a snap.

I developed most of these recipes specifically for this book. A few of the recipes are from my previous books or other experienced cookbook authors, which I’ve adapted. They include a mix of flavors, regional and international cuisine styles, and ingredients.

Maybe you love to cook; maybe you like cooking when you have the time; maybe you only tolerate it because you must. Whatever your circumstances, I hope the recipes gathered here make your kitchen time more fun, or at least less stressful!

1

Super-Easy Instant Pot Cooking

If you’re a busy cook who still wants to prepare tasty, healthy meals for yourself or your family, you’re in the right place. Before diving into the recipes, let’s spend a little time exploring the Instant Pot and learning how it can make cooking easier and faster.

Hands-Off Cooking for Busy People

It’s no secret that the Instant Pot has revolutionized cooking for users all over the world. Home cooks have discovered that pressure cooking is fast, safe, and reliable. The Instant Pot is an ideal appliance for busy cooks, especially parents in charge of preparing meals for their families.

Even so, some people are hesitant about diving into Instant Pot cooking. Maybe you’ve heard that it’s hard