The #1 reason my Instant Pot doesn’t collect dust...and a charming lakeside town!
Instant Pots and comforting recipes to get you through the week and a charming lakeside town, Lake Geneva!
Hi Friends,
Instant Pots are pressure cookers. They’re yet another kitchen appliance. If not used, they have the propensity to sit on some shelf (or in our case, on the floor in the pantry only to be used as a step stool as the kids try to climb up to the treats) and collect dust.
I was skeptical when I got mine.
There’s a lot of buttons and tbh (←to be honest) it scared me a little.
I opened the (BIG) box it came in and carefully read through the instruction manual. Yes, it took me an hour. Yes, I sat there and ran the test cycle and yes, I jumped the first time the pressure valve released steam- it makes a hissing sound (I now use a wooden spoon to turn the valve so I don’t actually have to touch the thing, lol).
You can make all sorts of things in the Instant Pot (soups, tender meat in a fraction of the time, rice, pasta, etc.) but the #1 reason my Instant Pot doesn’t collect dust?
You can cook meat from frozen in a fraction of the time!!
If you’re cooking a freezer meal directly from frozen in an Instant Pot (vs. thawing overnight) I recommend trying to freeze your meals in a circular shape (I use these containers).
Generally from frozen to Instant Pot my meals take 20 minutes at HIGH pressure. Check at 20 minutes, you may need to break up and cook a little longer. (Easy chili con carne is a great freezer to Instant Pot recipe) or any of these IP recipes below.
Instant Pot recipes:
Chicken and dumplings soup - a favorite of Bens
Hungarian goulash - a family recipe that’s been part of Phi’s life since she was a kid.
Pork ragu pasta sauce - hearty and perfect on these Wisconsin winter days!
Chicken spaghetti casserole - we love this meal for an easy weeknight dinner that is ready in less than 30 minutes.
Chicken Alfredo - only 5 ingredients and another super easy meal…all thanks to the Instant Pot
And here is a quick roundup of 13 Instant Pot recipes for some of our favorites all in one spot.
New on the Blog
Pepperoni pasta salad - this is the perfect salad to prepare ahead of time and store in a jar. Then just grab and go when you’re heading out the door.
Meal plan - 15 recipes all in one place to make your weekly meal prep even easier. You can customize a shopping list.
Applesauce oatmeal pancakes - this recipe is great to make with the kids and they’ll love how they taste too! Plus, the post is full of ways to alter the recipe to your liking!
BBQ chicken & avocado salad - only 6 ingredients to a delicious salad. Check out the post for a few time-saving tips when making this salad too.
Love List - the whole team was just talking about how much we love writing and re-reading these. This week we talk about seed cycling and light therapy and cakes!
Personal Stories: Lake Geneva, WI!
A short 40 minutes from Milwaukee is Lake Geneva, a super charming lakeside town. My sister-in-law got a deal on a hotel with a pool so we took the kids for a quick overnight stay. When I was younger we used to come to Lake Geneva but I hadn’t been back except passing through, so I asked Bridget (on the SweetPhi team) - who happens to live there!! She gave me the inside scoop with this lovely list, a mini Lake Geneva, WI guide:
The Tristan Crist Magic show is awesome
Oakfire Pizza - delicious woodfired pizza (they give the kids dough to play with instead of coloring pages at the table)
Bigger, rather generic, but totally easy with the kids is Lake City Social.
Coffee - local spot - Avant (also a bike shop); great owners.
Dust Bunny Books - cute bookstore (kid-focused). Allison Wonderland toy store
Simple for breakfast - this is my in-laws restaurant and don’t miss the bakery next door!
Geneva Lake Museum is fun - very limited hours so check on that. Our kids love the school room and the train demo.
Dancing Horses is a super entertaining show just a few minutes outside of town
If you need a quick beer break, there is a fun brewery in an old church - Topsy Turvy. They are family-friendly with games, coloring pages etc.
Pro-Tip: you have to pay to park in the main downtown area, but there is a free parking lot near City Hall and it’s a very short walk into town
And if you get any adult time to sneak away, check out Candle Mercantile, Hill Valley Dairy cheese shop and wine bar
Weekend read:
Bridget shared this book with our team. It’s a must-read if you’re into thriller books! And great to cozy up by the fire if you’re in this crazy ice/snow storm we’re having in the Midwest.
February Giveaway
For our February giveaway, we would love to know - what’s your favorite sheet pan meal? To enter, simply leave a comment on the post for these amazingly delicious sheet pan Greek potatoes with chicken sausage and zucchini.
The winner will get a $25 Amazon or Starbucks gift card - winners choice!
p.s, I just signed up for Hungryroot this week, first delivery comes next week and I am SO excited to try it, will report back!