Where have you been all of my (adult) life?

[mtnbkr]

That's basically all I need.

I'm pretty...lazy...or busy...yea busy...when it comes to cooking. The more "set it and forget it" it is to use, the far more likely I am to use it. I've never cared much for traditional pressure cookers, because they require more effort than they are worth in my opinion. Plus a stove to provide heat...I can't (okay won't) leave my house with the stove on. But I walked the dog and ran errands today while my roast was cooking.

That's precisely what I need in my life, in lieu of a personal chef.

That's fair. Lots of folks are going ga ga over the IP as if it does something new.

Try this recipe:
Take the largest flat chuck roast (mo' connective tissue and fat are mo betterer) that will fit in your IP. Use the Saute function to sear it on all sides. Turn pot off. Lay roast flat in the pot.

cut up an onion and arrange it over and around (if there's space) the roast.

Next, mix 1/2 cup dry red wine (merlot, Cav Saugn, etc) with A1 sauce, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, oregeno, cumin, basil, salt, pepper (amounts are to your taste, but start with several healthy tablespoons of the two sauces and a teaspoon of each of the spices).

Thoroughly mix, then pour over the roast and onion.

Set IP to pressure cook for 45-60min depending on the size and thickness of the roast. Allow pressure to drop to ambient on its own (ie don't manually vent).

Removed roast from pot (it'll be falling apart tender, so be careful).

Mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch with hot water, the pour into the IP with the remaining juices. Use saute function to bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring as it warms up. Pour resulting gravy over meat (as you serve it, don't drown it all at once) and over 'taters, rice, etc that you serve with your meat.

Enjoy your expanding waistline.

Chris

[Chance]

I humbly present the most amazeballs cookbook in the history of ever. You're welcome.

We completely ignored the yogurt setting when we first got our pot, and then we saw AB make yogurt on an episode of 'Good Eats.' It's become our favorite feature. Definitely worth a try.

[NEPAKevin]

I recently tried making Lasagna in the instant pot. Both sausage/ground beef and mushroom/spinach turned out QFG. Instead of a spring form pan, I used stackable steamer insert pans to make two at the same time.

[Kukuforguns]

Instead of buying a cookbook, I recommend starting with: https://twosleevers.com/

The website has a search function so that you can find recipes based on diet (e.g., keto), ingredients, and equipment (e.g., instant pot). I've had great success with her recipes.

Also, if you have a Kindle, I recommend getting a membership with a local library. Then you can download cookbooks to your kindle. Moreover, if you highlight a recipe from a borrowed cookbook, the highlighted material is saved to a "clippings" file on your kindle that will remain after you return the book to the library. There is a limit to how much you are allowed to highlight.

The best corned beef I've ever had came from the instant pot. The accompanying cabbage was not as good as when prepared in a dutch oven.

You need to add more spices than you do when using conventional cooking techniques.

[RJ]

We purchased an Insta Pot thing at Costco the other week. I am going to attempt to make "something" in it this weekend. My background: I can (just) about fry an egg. Boil water, no problem. But beyond that, I require a written step by step set of instructions and ingredient list. It helps immensely if someone can place all the cooking items into small containers in front of me.

Now that I have that out of the way:

I would like to be able to go to the grocery store this weekend, and pick up whatever ingredients I need. It is not necessary to be particularly low carb, but it would help. I like chicken. Nothing really spicy or exotic. Something fairly quick to assemble. Like, if you had to give instructions to a six-year old. In other words: Horsey Ducky.

Ideally, my "recipe" would look something like this:

- Buy a main protein based ingredient
- Cut it up in cubes
- Buy a vegetable and/or starch
- Chop that up
- Throw above into Insta pot
- Add seasoning (salt? pepper?)
- Add water (?)
- Close Instapot and turn on
- Dry Practice for 30m
- Eat

Thoughts or recommendations?

TIA.

[Chance]

Thoughts or recommendations?

Yes. Buy the cookbook I linked to earlier, or go to the website Kukuforguns linked to, because it's the same lady. Her recipes are stupid simple (she doesn't like complicated stuff, because she has arthritis in her hands) and require minimal prep work. Seriously - her stuff is great.

[RJ]

Yes. Buy the cookbook I linked to earlier, or go to the website Kukuforguns linked to, because it's the same lady. Her recipes are stupid simple (she doesn't like complicated stuff, because she has arthritis in her hands) and require minimal prep work. Seriously - her stuff is great.

OK.

But.

I don't want Taboule with Hemp Hearts.

I don't want Keto Spicy Korean Beef Stew.

I would like to find the Instapot version of a Hamburger and Fries.

Edit to clarify: Not trying to come off as a dick. I appreciate the suggestion. It's just that those who can "cook" may have forgotten that there are those of us who are just getting started. The Instapot sounds cool, but my interest is not, really, on interesting take-offs on traditional foods; my interest is making quick and tasty meals that are good for me that I can handle.

Kinda like, if you take someone shooting, you don't start with a 7 yard Bill Drill from Concealment. You start with making sure their grip, stance, and trigger control is based on good instruction, then patiently wait for them to master the simple stuff. Etc.

Cooking for me is kinda like that; I am ok with a recipe book, but this new cooking thing is kind of a mystery to me and I was hoping for something simple I could assemble with ingredients that I can find at the local Grocery store. LOne of those recipes called for Xanthan Gum. I have no idea what Xanthan Gum is and don't recall it in the meat section lol.

Hence, simple.

Thanks for any advice, I do appreciate it.

[RJ]

Ok, I searched for "instapot for idiots" (yep lol) and came across this:

https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/in...ar-sandwiches/

I think I can handle five ingredients, two of which are chuck and onion soup mix.

[BN]

I use a crockpot a lot.

My favorite. Buy a roast of beef. The cheap cuts are the best. Throw it in the crockpot. Cut up some potatoes. You don't even need to peel them. Throw in some baby carrots, add a cup or two of water and cook on low for eight hours. Simple enough?

[Borderland]

My mother bought my wife and I an 8 quart Instapot for Christmas. I used it to cook a pot roast today. 2.5 pounds of pure Angus chuck roast with 3/4s of a pound of red potatoes, 1/2 pound of carrots, half an onion, and 2 quarts of water, made a pot roast stew in 90 minutes that was like the ones my great aunt used to make on cold fall days in east Texas, when I was a child. The kind she used to cook for the whole day. Just meat, veggies, water, and some salt and pepper, that's it.

After I cooked, super easy clean up. Clean the pot and then I threw some water in there and steamed it for a couple of minutes to "flash sterilize" the pot and lid. I'm not really a big germophobe, but I'm prone to food poisoning for some reason and anything where I can do to reduce that risk is good with me. Being able to quickly do that pre and post cooking/cleaning is very nice to me. My wife has been a big crockpot fan for a long time. I'm not really that into the crockpot, preferring a closed/sealed cooker that maintains a more constant temperature. The Instapot is a nice middle ground for us in that realm. Not too mention I can use it to steam chicken, fish, and pork. All things my wife cannot consistently cook to the proper temperature (my last two bouts of food poisoning where undercooked pork induced).

If I have my way, we'll start getting rid of almost every pot and pan in the house in the near future, replacing it all with the Instapot. Suffice it to say, I love this thing. My wife is more leery of it, but she'll come around.

My wife bought one. Then she bought everyone in the family one. I've never used it except to show her how to get the lid on. She loves gadgets. Throws away the stuff I use like potato mashers. I have to buy a new one about every 6 months. I think I've bought 4 now.