Tag Archives: Instant Pot

Dinner time!, Instant Pot, Super Soups

Instant Pot Beef Stew

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1 1/2 – 2 lbs beef stew meat (I usually cut the pieces into smaller, 3/4″ pieces)
Salt and pepper
3 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 Tbs tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 C. beef broth
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 C. water
Cornstarch
Optional:
1 can peas, drained

Push ‘saute’ button on Instant Pot. While pot is heating up, season beef with salt and pepper. Once pot says ‘HOT’ add olive oil and a portion of the beef and brown on all sides. You will need to cook remaining beef in batches, transferring cooked beef to a bowl. Once all the beef is cooked, put onions into pot and saute a bit to loosten any browned bits left from cooking meat. Turn off saute. Add carrots, potatoes, tomato paste, garlic, beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme and water.

Cover Instant Pot (checking to ensure gasket is in place and pot is set to seal). Push either the ‘Meat/Stew’ button or ‘manual’ button and set time for 20 min.

Once pot is finished cooking, do a quick release and remove lid. Set pot to ‘saute’. At this point you may add the drained peas. To thicken stew, make a slurry of 1 Tbs cornstarch and 1 Tbs cool water. Pour into pot while stirring. Stir until mixed and thickened. Serve immediately.

Dinner time!

Beef Pot Pie Cupcakes (Instant Pot and Oven)

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So, yes, I’m rather addicted to my Instant Pot.  One of my dear friends gifted it to me at just the right time so that I had to use it often, and now I love it!  And I’m getting braver about making up my own recipes for it (or adapting recipes).  This recipe uses both the Instant Pot and then the oven.  If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you could probably cook the beef mix in the oven for about an hour or so.  You might need a bit more liquid too as it will cook off in the oven.

Beef Filling

1 1/2-2 lbs sirloin, cut into small cubes
salt and pepper
3 Tbs olive oil
1 onion chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup beef broth (or you can use 1/4 cup red wine and 3/4 cup water with 1 tsp beef bouillon)
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
3 Tbs flour

Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.  Put Instant Pot on saute, add olive oil to pot and let it heat.  Cook meat cubes until browned, but they do not have to cook all the way through. I cooked the meat in 2 batches.  Once meat is cooked,turn off Instant Pot and add all remaining ingredients except flour! Place lid on pot and push manual button and set time to 20 minutes.

While this is cooking, make biscuits (recipe below) and place in oven safe custard dishes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Once time is up, do a quick release of pressure.  Turn pot on to saute to bring it back to a boil.  In a small bowl combine some of the broth with the flour, mix well to combine and pour this flour mixture into the pot with the boiling beef mixture.  Stir until mixture has thickened, turn off Instant pot.

Biscuits (recipe from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, 1986)

1/2 cup shortening
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk

In food processor (or by hand), mix shortening and dry ingredients until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Add milk and mix until dough leaves sides of bowl.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 10 times.

Divide dough into 8 balls.  Roll each ball out on a lightly floured surface to about 6 inches across (or to fit custard dish with a bit sticking above the edge).  Fill 8 custard dishes with flattened dough and place on cookie sheet.

To assemble pot pie cupcakes

Fill each cup with beef mixture, pull any extra dough (that is sticking above rim of cup) in over beef mixture.
Place filled cups into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until biscuit is golden brown.
Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.