Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1" cubes
1 cup diced carrots
2 celery ribs diced
1 and 1/2 cup wide egg noddles dry, not yet cooked
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 and 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or fresh poultry herb blend
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. On Instant Pot, press "saute" button. After 1 minute, add olive oil to IP insert. Wait 1 minute, then add garlic. Saute, stirring often, for a few seconds. Add diced chicken and cook, stirring often, until almost done.
2. Add remaining ingredients, making sure the noodles are just covered with liquid.
3. Cover the IP with lid and set the pressure valve to "sealing" position. Press "manual" and set the timer to 6 minutes. Make sure your Instant Pot is set to high pressure. The pressure cooker will beep and start cooking.
4. When the time is up, press "cancel/off" button. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
5. Carefully open the lid, away from your face. Stir the soup. Let cool and serve.

Notes: I was worried about the noodles getting overcooked, but they, along with the vegetables, were cooked quite well. I found the chicken to be a little dry, so maybe I sauteed it too long. I really like the concept of quickly and easily making a pot of chicken noodle soup. That being said, I think all members of our family are chicken noodle soup snobs. Nothing compares to my mom's homemade chicken noodle soup recipe, complete with homemade noodles and the addition of evaporated milk. I may try to adapt her recipe to work in an instant pot, and this recipe most likely will not be one I make often.


Source: Crunchy Creamy Sweet

Sheet Pan Lemon Parmesan Garlic Chicken & Veggies

Ingredients

For The Chicken:

1 large egg
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or juice of 1/2 a lemon)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper , to season
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
4 skinless , boneless chicken breasts (or thighs)

 

For The Veggies:

8-10 (1 pound | 500 g) baby potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup butter , melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
salt to taste
1 pound | 500 g green beans , cut into thirds

 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking tray / sheet with cooking oil spray, or a light coating of oil. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. Dip chicken into egg mixture, cover and allow to marinade in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour, if time allows. The chicken is more flavorful when marinated, but if you don't have time, to marinate, still make it!
4. In another bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the parmesan cheese.
5. Dredge the egg coated chicken in the breadcrumb/parmesan mixture, lightly pressing to evenly coat.
6. Place chicken onto the baking sheet / tray and lightly spray with cooking oil spray. Arrange the potatoes around the chicken in a single layer. Mix together the butter, 2 teaspoons garlic and salt to taste, and pour half of the butter mixture over the potatoes. Toss to evenly coat.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
8. Remove baking tray from the oven and carefully flip each chicken breast. Move the potatoes to one side and place the green beans around the chicken on the other side of the baking sheet. Pour over the remaining garlic butter and return to the oven to broil (or grill) on medium-high heat for a further 10 minutes, or until chicken is golden and crisp, and potatoes are cooked through.
9. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley (optional), and serve immediately.

Notes: This was really enjoyable. My kids love the roasted veggies and the chicken went over well. I enjoyed having everything cooked on one pan. I will make this again, and will probably look for more sheet pan dinners to make.

Source: Cafe Delites

Noodles and Zoodles with Pesto

Ingredients

1/2 lb. spaghetti
1 large zucchini, spiralized, cut with a julienne peeler or sliced with a peeler into long, thin strips
1/3 cup homemade or prepared pesto
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved, divided
Parmesan cheese, for garnishing

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti. During the last 2 minutes of the pasta's cooking time, add the zucchini. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Drain well, and return the pasta-zucchini mixture to the hot, dry pot.
2. Add the pesto and half of the tomatoes. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time if it seems dry. Top with remaining grape tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, and serve.

Notes: Quick, easy, and tasty.

Source: Kroger MyMagazine we received in the mail.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiliadas

Ingredients

Ingredients for the filling:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Ingredients for the sour cream sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Serrano chiles, seeded and diced (I used jalapenos instead)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
8 fresh tomatillos, husked and cut in half or one (10-ounce) can tomatillos
Dash of cayenne
Salt
Pepper

Ingredients for the enchiladas:

1 tablespoon canola oil
12 corn tortillas
1/2 medium-sized onion, diced
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Sprinkle the chicken breasts on each side with the salt and black pepper. Heat the oil a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet set on medium heat. When it shimmers, add the chicken and cook on each side in the oil for 3 minutes. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. When the chicken is done, take the chicken out of the oven and let cool. Then shred with two forks. Keep the oven on, as you’ll be using it again.
3. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, in a saucepot on medium-low, melt the butter. Throw in the diced Serrano chiles and cook until soft, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 more minute. Pour the chicken broth into the pot, and while whisking, cook until the chicken broth has thickened. Stir in the sour cream, cumin, cayenne, and cilantro. Remove from heat.
4. If using fresh tomatillos, place them under the broiler on a foil-lined sheet and cook on each side until blackened, about 4 minutes per side. Place in a blender along with the sour cream sauce and puree into smooth. If using canned tomatillos, skip the broiler step and just place them in the blender with the sour cream sauce and proceed.
5. To make the enchiladas, heat the canola oil in a skillet and cook the corn tortillas on each side a couple of minutes until soft. Wrap in a cloth to keep warm as you continue to cook all 12.
6. To assemble the enchiladas, pour one cup of the sour cream sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Take each corn tortilla and place in the middle 1/3 cup of shredded chicken, 1 teaspoon of diced onions and 1 tablespoon of cheese.
7. Roll the tortillas around the filling and place the rolled tortillas seam side down in the casserole dish. Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until top is brown and bubbling. Serve warm topped with chopped cilantro.

 Notes: Heaven on a plate! John and I had to control ourselves to not eat more. The amount of effort required to make this dish is well worth it, and I will make this again!

Source: My brother, Brian, shared this recipe with us.

Rice Taco Bake

Ingredients

2 cups instant white rice
2 cups water
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can Ranch Style beans
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
2 tsp dried minced onion flakes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 package taco seasoning
1 can (10.75-oz)cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet, brown meat and drain off fat. Stir in beans, tomatoes, onion flakes, taco seasoning, soup and water. Simmer over medium-low heat until everything is well combined and heated through. Remove from heat.
3. In a pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add instant rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let rice sit for 5 minutes, until all water is absorbed.
4. Stir cooked rice and 1 cup of cheddar cheese into beef mixture. Pour into prepared 9x13-inch pan. Top with remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Top with your favorite taco toppings.

Notes: Most of the family enjoyed this easy meal.

 

Source: Recommended by John's sister, Jennifer, from here.

Copycat Cheesecake Factory Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

Thai Chicken Satays

1 lb chicken breast (Bamboo skewers, 10-12 inches)
¹⁄₄ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon gingeroot, grated
³⁄₄ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons water
4 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces

Bean Sprouts

1 ¹⁄₂ cups bean sprouts
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, roasted

Thai Coconut Curry Noodles

12 ounces egg noodles, fresh best
1 tablespoon garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 pinch turmeric powder
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice

Thai Marinated Cucumbers

¹⁄₃ cup rice vinegar
¹⁄₄ cup sugar
¹⁄₄ cup water
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cucumber, seeded

Directions

Chicken Satays:

1. Cut chicken into 3/4 inch strips. Place in a shallow glass dish.
2. Combine soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Add water and mix thoroughly. Pour over chicken. Toss to coat all of the chicken pieces. Cover and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Soak bamboo skewers 20 minutes in cold water to keep them from burning.
4. Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade.
5. Weave the chicken strips onto each skewers, alternation with green onion pieces. You may need to use several pieces to cover each skewer. Brush chicken and onions with reserved marinade.
6. Grill the skewers on an uncovered grill over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning halfway through the grilling.

 Bean Sprouts:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the bean sprouts along with the other ingredients. Cook over a medium-high heat until the bean sprouts are tender. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Thai Coconut Curry Noodles:

1. Place the noodles in hot water, separating with a fork. Let the noodles soak until tender or according to the directions on the package. Drain and keep warm.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk on low heat and slowly stir in the curry paste. When it begins to simmer, add in the remaining ingredients. Continue to simmer for approximately 2 minutes. Stir in the noodles and serve.

Thai Marinated Cucumbers:

1. Combine the vinegar, sugar, water and salt in a small pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring until it boils and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Peel the cucumber and cut lengthwise into quarters and again crosswise into 1/8 inch slices. Place in a serving bowl and pour marinade over cucumbers, stirring to blend. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Putting it All Together:

1. Remove the hard stems from the bottom of each leaf of lettuce. Wash and dry the leaves and arrange in a group on a larger platter.
2. Remove 2 red cabbage leaves, wash and dry and slice in half vertically.
3. Arrange on the serving platter and fill with each one of the fillings (chicken, bean sprouts, thai coconut curry noodles and marinated cucumbers).
4. Let your friends or family create their own lettuce wraps by choosing a filling or fillings and placing it on a leaf along with a choice of sauce. (We used this cilantro sauce, peanut sauce, and sweet and sour sauce.)
5. Fold the leaf in half and enjoy!

Notes: These were good, but we were missing a couple elements. Apparently, bean sprouts aren't sold in our area due to salmonella. Also, I cut back on the seasoning for the noodles, which was a mistake. They weren't very flavorful. Also, for the noodles, I just used the dried Thai rice noodles and cooked them according to the package instructions. That being said, it was a fresh meal.

Source: My sister, Kimberly, who found the recipe here.  

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini (I used chicken and cheese tortellini for added protein)
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups half-and-half cream
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Additional shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently.
3. Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts). 

Notes: This was tasty. Not something we will have often, but it is nice to have a super quick and easy soup option.

Source: Taste of Home

Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken

 

 

Ingredients 

1 14- ounce can diced tomatoes

5-6 cloves garlic
1-2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (or use breast, bone-in, or whatever works for you. If frozen, add 1-2 minutes to total time) **I double the chicken to match the amount of sauce
 

To finish 4 ounces butter cut into cubes (use coconut oil if dairy free)
4 ounces heavy cream (use full-fat coconut milk if dairy free)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro

 

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into an Instant Pot in the order listed, EXCEPT for the butter, cream and 1 teaspoon of the garam masala, mixing the sauce well before you place the chicken on top of the sauce. If it's frozen, push it into the sauce a bit so it defrosts better
2. Close the cooker and set for 10 mins on high, and let it release pressure naturally for 10 minutes. After that, release all remaining pressure. 
3. Open up the pot and remove the chicken carefully and set aside
4. Blend together all the ingredients, preferably using an immersion blender.
5. Add the cut up butter, cream, cilantro, and garam masala and stir until well incorporated.
6. It's best to let the sauce cool just a little before adding the butter and the cream. Adding it into the boiling sauce will make your sauce very thin. If that happens, just put it in the fridge for a little and let it thicken up. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
7. Take out half the sauce and freeze for later or store in the fridge for 2-3 days (or double the chicken to match the amount of sauce).
8. Add the chicken back in and heat through. Break it up into smaller pieces if you need but don't shred it.
9. Serve over rice or zucchini noodles

Using leftover sauce

1. Use leftover cooked chicken and mix in with the gently heated sauce, let it simmer for a few for the flavors to meld together and there you go. Add some fresh cilantro on top.
2. You could also use this for Paneer Makhani. Defrost a cup of peas and 1 cup of paneer and mix gently into the heated sauce and let it simmer for a few for the flavors to meld together and there you go.

Notes:  This was SO yummy!! The whole family enjoyed this dish. I toned down the cayenne pepper just a tad and it was not spicy at all. We will definitely be making this again. And like I mentioned above, I doubled the chicken instead of reserving half the sauce.

Source: Two Sleevers