Favorite IP or Crock Pot meals?
 

Looking at my monthly plan, I need to have 8-10 IP or crock pot meals a month.

I need some that really quick to do and don't need a lot of things to add in at the end, can just be eaten as soon as we get home, and have easy clean up.
My family, much to my chagrin, does not care for soup, except for broccoli cheddar, which I have tried in the crock pot and IP to not much approval. So, soup, is out. Chili is OK, so I have that
And, they can't require any side dishes that need prep or preparation other than microwaving. My go-to is usually just salad, but some of these nights we will be eating very late, and some of us can't digest lettuce/raw veggies easily. So, I need side dish ideas or meals that don't need side dishes.
I have tried doing dinner early before events at like 5pm, but then everyone is starving and wants to eat when they get home.

so far I have for crock pot:
Red beans and rice (rice crock pot, IP rice)
crock pot quinoa chili

For IP, I have
Beef stew
Chicken burrito bowls from D. Delicious
BBQ chicken sandwiches, slaw from grocery store

I already do a lot of chicken in the IP for on top of salads and stuff, but DH confessed to me that he really does not like how the chicken tastes and feels when I make it in the IP, so other than the bbq chicken sandwiches and burrito bowls, I don't really want to make chicken meals.

I also remembered that I can prep the meal earlier in the day, and then put it in the crock pot to keep it warm, but the side dishes need to be super low prep or just like "bread"

I'd like to make crock pot mac and cheese, and will if I can figure out a pairing for it to make it more meal like.

Re: Favorite IP or Crock Pot meals?
 

I do all sorts of soup in my instant pot.

I don't know if I can find actually recipes.

I tend to go with toss in onions and spices then a protein (chicken, pork, beef or beans) and then long cooking grain ( rice, millet if you can do wheat Bulger would work), harty veggies ( potatoes, carrots, tuneps, peppers, squash, large green beans, kaile stems)and add broth and the end I might toss in some greens or quick cooking veggies/ granis ( peas, corn, spinach, kaile leaves. Tomatoes go in the pot to cook unless I am adding beans, then they get tossed in at the end.

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Re: Favorite IP or Crock Pot meals?
 

I often make a coconut chicken curry in my crock pot.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 1/2 tbsp curry power
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp Kashmir chili powder (or cayenne)
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (heaping)
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

Directions:

Add chicken, carrots, chickpeas, spices, and tomato paste to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Add coconut milk and cornstarch. Cook on high for 1 hour. Serve over warm rice.

Re: Favorite IP or Crock Pot meals?
 

IP mac and cheese is a regular request here: https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/inst...ac-and-cheese/ I make it with homemade bone broth and then I feel extra good about the nutritional value. :giggle

To round it out I usually do an easy butter garlic green bean side. I buy frozen green beans at Costco, melt butter in a cast iron pan, add garlic, add the green beans, cover and simmer. Done in just a few minutes.

Re: Favorite IP or Crock Pot meals?
 

My kids won't eat soup, either! My oldest likes to tell about the Christmas I set my mom's oven on fire, got PTSD and couldn't turn on my own oven for 3 months. We ate so many Crock pot meals those 3 months! :giggle So I have a bunch.

Also, I highly recommend this cookbook for Instant Pot. It has save dinner more than once from my last-minute forgetfulness!

Coconut curry

Cheesy chicken (Originally a THM recipe that I tweaked and turned into 4 or 5 different variations - Buffalo, Ranch, Italian, Tex-Mex, whatever we're feeling like. If you do dairy, it's great . I'll post recipes if requested, but similar to this.

Mississippi Pot Roast or Short Ribs (IP) - (no pre-packaged seasonings, just: beef broth, jar of pepperoncini, onion, butter, worcestershire, sage, allspice, cinnamon)

French Dip (ribeye roast, broth, onion, garlic, thyme, salt/pepper , IP on the rack)

Pot Roast
Beef Barbacoa (just chiles in adobo, lime juice, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, broth, and a splash of ACV with a roast in the CrockPot)

Pulled Pork (southern-style - I coat a Boston Butt with a dry rub overnight in the fridge, then put it in the Crock Pot with a wet rub for the day, similar to this)
Carnitas

Sausage-stuffed Mini Peppers (I use turkey sausage, either my own or Stonybrook and homemade marinara)

Re: Favorite IP or Crock Pot meals?
 

These are my favorite crock pot recipes.

Homemade Italian Beef
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
4 Hour Slow Cooker Chicken
Sesame Chicken
Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops

If you have two crock pots, I make sides in my second one like these:
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes

Re: Favorite IP or Crock Pot meals?
 

https://instantpoteats.com/instant-p...occan-chicken/ You can add any vegetables - we included zucchini from our friends' garden and it was so good!

Re: Favorite IP or Crock Pot meals?
 

following along

great suggestions

we need to eat from the crock pot every Monday

Re: Favorite IP or Crock Pot meals?
 

Crack chicken - 2lb boneless skinless chicken, 1c water or broth, packet of ranch, block of cream cheese on top. 20 min, QR, shred chicken, mix back in with 2c shredded cheese. Can add bacon bits/crumbles if you want or veggies - we like corn or carrots, broccoli tends to disintegrate that long in IP. Stir til mixed/melted. Serve over noodles, zoodles, biscuits, in sammiches, or plain with chips to dip in.
Spaghetti- we like the recipe from the salty marshmallow, I use gf noodles with no change, turns out great. Usually add a few slices American cheese while letting it set up after QR.


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Re: Favorite IP or Crock Pot meals?
 

This Old Gal has a recipe for Soccer mom pasta. I make that regularly. Super easy. Layer meatballs in the bottom of the IP. Add pasta, a jar of sauce and a jar of water. Set IP for 4 minutes. Quick Release. Stir and serve.

Shredded beef or chicken in the IP as well. I cook the chicken plain and then shred and add bbq sauce or taco sauce. serve in tortillas or on burger buns.

The shredded beef is a tad more complicated and takes quite a while longer in the IP, but it's yummy! I put a cup or so of beef broth, 1/2 cup coffee, some worcheshire sauce, onion, garlic etc in after searing the roast. IP for 55 minutes and Natural Release. Shred & serve on hoagie buns.

Those are my go to recipes when I can't figure out what to make.