Easy Hawaiian Pork Chops ~ An Instant Pot Recipe

July 11, 2018 By Deanna Piercy 2 Comments

I’m all about a recipe that requires minimal attention. Bonus points if I don’t have to remember to thaw something first! These “Easy Hawaiian Pork Chops” are a perfect example.

Put frozen pork chops and a few simple ingredients in the Instant Pot, start cooking some rice and then you are free to turn your attention away from the kitchen until it’s time to eat.

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Ingredients

2-4 boneless pork chops, about one inch thick, frozen
1 15 ounce can crushed pineapple, not drained
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger (or freshly grated)
2-3 teaspoons cornstarch (if needed to thicken)

Instructions

Season frozen pork chops with garlic salt and ginger.
Place in Instant Pot and pour crushed pineapple over.
Add soy sauce, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar, stirring a bit to combine.
Cook on manual for 18 minutes. Be sure vent is closed.
Release pressure manually or allow to vent naturally. Check to make sure pork chops are done and tender. If not, add a couple more minutes. Time may vary depending on thickness and quantity of pork chops in pot.
When done, remove pork chops and keep warm.
Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. If sauce needs to be thickened, combine corn starch with enough cold water to make a paste. Stir into sauce and cook until thickened.
Pour sauce over pork chops and top with crunchy chow mein noodles if desired.

I like to serve these with rice and pour some of the sauce over it. Top with crunchy chow mein noodles and serve with a salad or green vegetable for a delicious dinner with minimal cleanup.

Chicken in French Mustard Cream Sauce ~ an Instant Pot Recipe

June 27, 2018 By Deanna Piercy Leave a Comment

I love a good sauce and this French mustard cream sauce is absolutely decadent. And guess what? You can make this dish quickly even if you forgot to thaw out the chicken. It uses basic ingredients I tend to always have on hand, too.

Chicken in French Mustard Cream Sauce

Ingredients

4-6 boneless chicken thighs (frozen is fine!)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
garlic salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
2 tbsp course ground Dijon mustard
2 tbsp regular Dijon mustard
1 tbsp flour or cornstarch plus water to make paste
1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Set Instant Pot on sauté setting and add olive oil.
Brown seasoned, frozen chicken thighs in hot oil.
Deglaze pot with white wine, being careful to scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the Instant Pot. Turn IP off.
Add chicken broth and sprinkle chicken with Herbs de Provence.
Using manual setting, cook for 8 minutes, making sure vent is closed.
When chicken is done you can allow to release pressure naturally or use the quick release method.
Stir in both types of mustard.
Turn IP to sauté setting and bring to a boil. Allow sauce to reduce and thicken a bit. If it's very thin you can thicken with 1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch stirred into cold water to make a paste.
Stir in heavy cream, heat through and season with a bit of freshly ground black pepper.
Serve chicken with sauce spooned over.

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I served this with a salad, glazed carrots and baked potatoes. The sauce is so delicious, however, that I would suggest rice, noodles or mashed potatoes so you can spoon the sauce over. Or at least have some good, crusty bread to sop up all that goodness.

Note: This recipe was inspired by this slow cooker recipe. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, give it a try instead!

Pork Tenderloin in Cherry Cream Sauce ~ An Instant Pot Recipe

April 25, 2018 By Deanna Piercy 2 Comments

Pork tenderloins are a handy item to keep in the freezer. They cook quickly and are very versatile. And if you have an Instant Pot, even better! You can whip up this Pork Tenderloin in Cherry Cream Sauce in about the time it takes to make a salad and a couple of side dishes. I served it alongside quartered red potatoes but the sauce is so delicious mashed potatoes or rice would be even better to soak up all that goodness.

Pork Tenderloin in Cherry Cream Sauce

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5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 pork tenderloin, cut in one inch slices
1 heaping Tablespoon flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 bouillon cube (chicken or veggie), optional
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup pitted tart cherries (fresh, frozen or canned - no syrup)
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Cook sliced onion in olive oil on Sauté setting until translucent.
Cut tenderloin into 1 inch slices, removing fat, and season with salt and pepper.
Add to pot, sprinkle with heaping tablespoon of flour, and lightly brown on Sauté setting.
Deglaze pot with 1/4 cup white wine (may substitute chicken broth). Be sure to scrape bottom of pot well.
Turn off heat.
Add crumbled chicken bouillon cube if using.
Add drained cherries and heavy cream. Do NOT stir.
Cook on manual setting for 6 minutes, making sure vent is closed.
Allow pressure to release naturally.
Stir and serve.

Important information: Apparently some Instant Pot users are getting a “Burn” message with some recipes. I haven’t had this happen to me (yet!) but I’m including a good article about it for you. I have an older 6 quart Instant Pot. It would seem that this happens more often with the newer versions and maybe more so with the 8 quart size.

Before you make this recipe I would encourage you to read this:

7 Instant Pot Burn Mistakes You Need to Avoid

If you have had burn issues in the past, have a newer Instant Pot, and/or an 8 quart size I would recommend substituting at least one cup of chicken broth for the heavy cream during the cooking process. After the meat is cooked, remove from the pot and keep warm. Turn Instant Pot to Sauté setting and bring to a boil. Cook a few minutes while stirring to allow sauce to reduce a bit. Turn off heat and add 1/2 to 2/3 cup of heavy cream.

Please note I haven’t actually done that myself because mine works fine with the original recipe. This is merely a suggested option.

I used Dark Morello Cherries from Aldi which are only a couple of dollars per jar (I didn’t use the whole jar). They are in a very thin liquid but do include some sugar. You should also be able to use fresh pitted cherries, frozen or canned as long as they aren’t in a heavy syrup.

How to Cook a Frozen Turkey Breast in an Instant Pot

February 7, 2018 By Deanna Piercy 6 Comments

My favorite meal of the year is the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade cranberry sauce and all the yummy extra side dishes. Delicious! It’s not the sort of meal the average homemaker has time for very often. However, you can still enjoy a tasty turkey dinner on a random Tuesday by cooking a turkey breast in the Instant Pot (or slow cooker). Life changing!

5 from 1 vote

How to Cook a Turkey Breast in an Instant Pot

An easy, no fuss way to have delicious turkey any day of the week.

Ingredients

1 turkey breast, bone-in (frozen or thawed - make sure it will fit in your pot)
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 small onion, thinly sliced (opt.)

Instructions

Remove wrappings and gravy packet (if included) and place turkey breast in Instant Pot on the trivet which comes with it.
Season with garlic salt and pepper.
Tuck 1/2 stick of butter in cavity of turkey breast.
If using onion, place slices around turkey.
Pour chicken broth around turkey and place lid on Instant Pot.
Using "Slow Cook" setting, set timer for 7 hours if thawed, 9 if frozen.
When time is up, check for doneness with instant read thermometer. It should read 165 degrees in the thickest part of the meat.
Carefully remove turkey breast and keep warm.
Strain drippings and use to make gravy if desired.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot you can do the same thing in a slow cooker and in fact, that’s how I’ve done it for years. If the turkey breast is a little too large for your slow cooker, cover tightly with foil and place the lid on top. As it cooks, it will shrink and the lid will fit.

If you are looking for how to cook a whole turkey in the oven, including my easy hack for thawing a turkey, check out this post:

Dee’s Turkey Cooking Instructions

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Vegan Brazilian Black Beans ~ An Instant Pot Recipe

January 10, 2018 By Deanna Piercy 8 Comments

Are you looking for an easy, healthy, meat-free recipe for your Instant Pot? Bonus points for CHEAP? Try this recipe for Vegan Brazilian Black Beans. Despite such simple ingredients these beans are delicious!

Vegan Brazilian Black Beans

I’ve shared a Brazilian Black Bean recipe before. That one starts out by cooking eight slices of bacon and it includes chicken broth. It’s really tasty! But then the other day my son told me he is giving up pork. Apparently he follows some pet pigs on Instagram and decided he just wasn’t comfortable eating an animal that is smarter than a dog. This is the kid who became vegetarian for several months at age five when he realized the hamburger on his dinner plate came from the cows his grandparents were raising in the pasture across from our house. He’s dabbled in vegetarianism a few times over the years. In fact, he, David and I all three ate vegetarian for an entire year several years ago.

I’m not advocating any particular diet for anyone else as I think it’s a personal decision. But I will say that most of us could benefit from a few meatless meals in our recipe repertoire, if for no other reason than cost. Beans can make a really filling, nutritious meal for far less than the usual meat-based dinner. That’s especially true if you buy dried beans, particularly if you can buy them in bulk.

So when Chris told me about his “no pork” decision I decided to see if I could make my regular Brazilian Black Bean recipe not only pork-free but vegan.

In place of the bacon I added soy sauce and a couple of drops of Liquid Smoke. The only other change I had to make was substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth. I also decreased the salt in the original recipe because soy sauce is salty. I don’t salt the rice I serve the beans over but if you salt yours or if you plan to eat the beans as more of a soup without rice, I would eliminate the salt altogether. You can always taste and add a bit after the beans have cooked if necessary.

Yum

Vegan Brazilian Black Beans ~ An Instant Pot Recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 or 3 drops Liquid Smoke
1 pound (2 cups) dry black beans

Instructions

Heat pressure cooker until hot on sauté setting.
Add onion and cook about 3 minutes.
Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds while stirring to prevent burning.
Add beans, broth and water.
Add seasonings, soy sauce, and Liquid Smoke.
Stir well, secure lid and cook on high for 40 minutes.
Release steam, smash some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the liquid.
Taste and add more seasoning if desired.
Serve over hot, cooked rice.

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I like to serve the beans over cooked rice with a side of homemade coleslaw. Cornbread is really good with this meal but you can also just heat up some flour tortillas as shown in the photo.

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Note: In place of four cups of vegetable broth (either store bought or homemade) you can add one of these cubes to four cups of warm water and let it dissolve before adding to the pot (plus the additional cup of water for a total of five cups). That’s what I did. It’s a lot cheaper and very handy to keep these in your pantry.

Instant Pot

This post is linked up at Miz Helen’s Full Plate Thursday. So many great recipes there!

Chicken Creole ~ Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Recipe

November 16, 2017 By Deanna Piercy Leave a Comment

As the weather cools, hearty dishes really begin to hit the spot. With a few simple ingredients and a few minutes of prep time, you can serve your family this delicious, flavorful Chicken Creole on a chilly evening. I make it in the Instant Pot but I’ve also included instructions for the slow cooker.

Chicken Creole

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Chicken Creole ~ Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Recipe

Ingredients

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 small onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut in large dice
1 red bell pepper, cut in large dice
3 stalks celery, sliced crosswise
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 teaspoons worchestershire sauce

Instructions

In Instant Pot on sauté setting, cook vegetables in oil until onions are translucent.
Place chicken on top of vegetables.
Season with Creole seasoning, garlic salt and pepper.
Pour can of tomatoes over.
Drizzle with worchestershire sauce.
Cook on "slow cook" setting for 5 hours.
Serve over cooked rice.

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If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can also make this in a slow cooker. Sauté vegetables in a skillet first, place in slow cooker and then continue the recipe as above. The advantage to the Instant Pot is that there is no additional skillet to wash.

I serve it over cooked rice (Zatarain’s is my favorite for Cajun or Creole dishes) with a tossed green salad and French bread.

Smoked Gouda Potato Soup ~ An Instant Pot Recipe

October 25, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 8 Comments

As the weather gets cooler nothing satisfies quite like a steaming hot bowl of soup. Whether it’s a simple starter to a meal or a hearty version served as the main course, soup just hits the spot. Soup also happens to be one of my favorite things to make. If you are looking for a rich and filling bowl of yum you can’t go wrong with this Smoked Gouda Potato Soup.

Smoked Gouda Potato Soup

I got the idea for this soup from a restaurant sadly no longer in business. Their potato soup was so delicious but I couldn’t quite figure out what accounted for the rich, smoky taste. Fortunately the owner was a friend so I asked. Smoked Gouda cheese was the answer.

Yum

Smoked Gouda Potato Soup

Ingredients

6 slices bacon
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
4 ounces cream cheese
4-6 ounces smoked gouda, grated
4-6 ounces sharp cheddar, grated
1 cup milk
hot sauce - a few drops
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream (optional)
chives or green onions (optional)

Instructions

Cook bacon on sauté setting of Instant Pot just until lightly crisp.
Remove bacon and set aside.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon bacon grease.
Cook onions until translucent.
Add garlic and cook about one minute, stirring to avoid burning.
Pour one cup of chicken broth in Instant Pot, stirring and scraping the bottom well.
Add potatoes and the rest of the chicken broth.
Adjust Instant Pot setting to "Soup", secure lid with vent closed and set timer for 8 minutes.
Allow steam to release naturally or manually.
Adjust Instant Pot setting to "Slow Cook".
Add milk, grated cheeses, and hot sauce. Continue to cook and stir until cheeses are melted. Taste and season with hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in shallow soup bowl with a dollop of sour cream, a bit of grated cheese, crumbled bacon and chives or green onions.

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I suggest a light salad course first and then bring out the steaming bowls of soup. A crusty loaf of French bread and a crisp white wine will complete this simple yet delicious meal.

Note: While an Instant Pot is a handy, quick way to make this soup, it can also be made in a regular stock pot. Follow the same directions but allow 20 minutes or so to cook the potatoes. Turn the heat to low before adding the milk and cheeses. Be careful not to let it come to a boil after the milk is added and stir frequently to prevent sticking.

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!

This post is linked up at Miz Helen’s Full Plate Thursday. Check it out!

Moroccan Chicken ~ Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

October 11, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 2 Comments

Years ago I came up with this recipe which my clever son named “Croc Moroc”. I made it in my Crockpot, hence the name. These days I use the slow cook setting on my Instant Pot. But any way you cook it, Moroccan Chicken is a winner.

Moroccan Chicken

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Moroccan Chicken ~ Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 bell peppers (red, green, orange or any combination) - cut in 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 to 3/4 cup raisins

Instructions

Season chicken with garlic salt and black pepper.
Brown chicken in Instant Pot on sauté setting.
Move chicken to side or put on plate and lightly brown onions.
Place chicken over onions and scatter bell peppers and garlic on top.
Sprinkle with cinnamon, ginger, cumin and cayenne.
Pour tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth and water over chicken and vegetables.
Sprinkle raisins on top.
Cook for 4 hours on slow cooker setting of Instant Pot.
Serve over steamed rice.

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I serve this over steamed rice with a dollop of plain yogurt on top. You could also serve it “as is” or over potatoes or other grains.

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!

Other Instant Pot recipes:

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

Cabbage Leek Diet Soup

Brazilian Black Beans

Butternut Squash Risotto

Easy Jambalaya

Low Calorie Vegetable Soup

Lentil Tacos

Cabbage, Potatoes and Sausage

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This post is linked up at Miz Helen’s Full Plate Thursday:

How to Cook a Frozen Ham in the Instant Pot

September 21, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 17 Comments

Do you ever find yourself in need of an easy meal but forgot to thaw something? What about when unexpected guests show up? If you have an Instant Pot and make a point of keeping a small ham in the freezer, you’re in business. That’s right. You can cook a frozen ham in the Instant Pot!

How to cook a frozen ham in the Instant Pot

I’ve told the story of my Aunt Hazel’s hospitality here before:

What Would Aunt Hazel Do? ~ Southern Hospitality

No matter how many people showed up at her house, she was always able to feed them. It was probably not going to be anything fancy but no one left her house hungry. One of her secrets was that she always seemed to have a small ham in her refrigerator. She would heat up the ham, open a can or two of baked beans and mix up some coleslaw. Along with a pitcher of sweet tea, dinner was served!

I don’t have anything like the amount of drop-in company that she did but I still like to be prepared. And of course, there are always those nights when you need an easy meal with minimal prep time.

That’s one reason I love my Instant Pot. I can pull a frozen ham from the freezer, put it in the Instant Pot with just three ingredients and with almost no effort, have dinner on the table.

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How to Cook a Frozen Ham in the Instant Pot

Ingredients

1 small frozen ham
1 can of crushed pineapple (16 ounces)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

Place frozen ham on trivet in Instant Pot.
Pour crushed pineapple over ham.
Sprinkle with brown sugar.
Drizzle with maple syrup.
Secure lid on Instant Pot with vent closed.
Cook for 35 minutes (Manual button) and allow pressure to release on its own.
To thicken juices remove ham and trivet.
Set Instant Pot on sauté setting.
Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a couple of tablespoons of cold water until smooth.
Stir into liquid in pot.
Bring to a boil and stir until thickened.
Pour over ham slices on plate or over rice.

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I can usually pick up a small, sliced ham at Aldi for just a few dollars. I try to always keep at least one in my freezer. I also usually keep a can or two of crushed pineapple in the pantry but you could certainly skip that and just add some type of liquid (chicken or vegetable broth would work well).

I love the pre-sliced hams because it makes this meal even easier. No need to dirty a cutting board in order to slice it up.

Ham goes really well with baked beans and coleslaw like my Aunt Hazel so often served, but you could certainly serve it with different side dishes. Some possibilities include applesauce, macaroni and cheese, steamed frozen peas, tossed green salad, homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes or rice.

The night I took these photos I happened to have fresh corn on the cob and a baguette on hand. Yum!

You’re likely to have a lot of the pineapple liquid/sauce leftover. You can refrigerate it then use it to make homemade sweet and sour sauce a night or two later. One of these days I’ll share a more exact “recipe” but basically you add more brown sugar, a splash of vinegar, a little soy sauce, some ground ginger and a bit of garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Mix a tablespoon or so of cornstarch in a little cold water until smooth then add to the boiling mixture. Cook until thickened. This is really good over fried rice or with homemade egg rolls.

Do you have a go-to meal for unexpected guests or an easy meal for busy nights? I’m always on the lookout for more ideas so leave me a comment with your favorite.

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This post is linked up at Miz Helen’s “Full Plate Thursday”. Check it out!

Smothered Pork Chops ~ An Instant Pot Recipe

August 25, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 2 Comments

Smothered pork chops are a favorite around here and I got to wondering if I could make them in the Instant Pot with frozen pork chops. It turns out…yes, you can!

Yum

Smothered Pork Chops ~ An Instant Pot Recipe

Ingredients

4 extra thick boneless pork chops (frozen)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon all purpose flour, plus enough to coat pork chops
3 tablespoons cold water
salt, pepper, garlic salt, seasoned salt, Creole seasoning (according to taste)

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Instant Pot on saute.
Season pork chops well on both sides and sprinkle with flour.
Brown pork chops in hot oil then remove from Instant Pot.
Put sliced onions in Instant Pot and cook until lightly browned (add more oil if necessary).
Deglaze pot with red wine, thoroughly scraping bottom of pot to get up all the browned bits.
Put browned pork chops on top of onions.
Pour chicken broth over pork chops.
Drizzle pork chops with worchestershire sauce.
Place lid on Instant Pot, close vent and set for 30 minutes on meat setting.
Allow to vent naturally.
Remove pork chops to plate and cover to keep warm.
Return Instant Pot to saute.
Mix 1 tablespoon flour with 3 tablespoons cold water until completely smooth.
Pour into bubbling drippings, stirring constantly until gravy thickens.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Place pork chop alongside or on cooked white rice and pour gravy over to serve.

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Seasoned and floured…ready to brown: