I don’t use my InstantPot as often as I should. I break it out once a week or two, usually for chicken stock from my leftover bones. I’ve had it for a couple of years now, kind of buying it just to see what all the fuss was about – but being pleasantly surprised by the power it wielded. The saute function has quite a  bit of gumption, and you can get a pretty decent sear on a hunk of meat.

Searing your proteins in the same pan you cook your dish in yields a TON of flavor, that goes right back into whatever it is you’re making. In this case it made for one of the most incredible pan sauces I’ve had in my life. That’s another nice perk too – you can thicken your sauce right in the same pan as well. Who doesn’t love one less dish to wash?

I’d pinned this method for a cheap, lean cut of beef in the Instant Pot a couple of years ago. Scoffing at the idea that a rare roast could be attained in a pressure cooker! It got buried in my pins, and hadn’t given it a thought until I came across a nice sirloin roast marked down at my grocery store last week. For $9 I figured I could take a gamble…

Made it at lunchtime one day, thinking I could just slice it and use it for roast beef sandwiches for lunches. It ended up turning out so good we ate it for dinner, popping it in the oven for a few minutes to reheat. Everyone loved it. And it really couldn’t be any easier or more foolproof.

A quick sear on all sides. A few additions of onions, garlic, and spices. Beef broth. Then cook under pressure for 3 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally for 30 minutes. I then added some red wine to the pan drippings, along with a little cornstarch to thicken. Served it over the thinly sliced beef along with some roasted reds and asparagus. One of the best meals we’ve had in a long time! It was honestly just as good as prime rib, for about one quarter of the price and time involved in preparing it.

I used a 3 pound roast, and it was the perfect hair scant of medium-rare. If you want your roast more well done, or it’s larger – you can continue cooking by recovering and keeping InstantPot on warm for more time. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, get one. They’re cheap and are worth their weight in gold when it comes to worrying about the doneness of things.

Instant Pot Macaroni & Cheese

Pressure cookers are definitely the hot “it” appliance right now. I’ve had an old stainless model for years, that I use for canning – but at 16 quarts too big to use for general use in my kitchen. So this fall I hopped on the old bandwagon and purchased an 8-quart Instant Pot, and haven’t looked back since!

I’m hesitant about unitaskers in my kitchen, and I was skeptical how much I’d actually use the thing on a regular basis. Turned out I was pleasantly surprised, using it at least two times a week in my kitchen. To be able to make a quick chicken or vegetable stock in under an hour blows my mind.

Not to mention other tasks like potatoes cooked to perfection in a few minutes, dried beans that taste they’ve been simmering all day long in an hour, or this easy macaroni and cheese – which goes from pot to table in two shakes of a lamb’s tail (just a little over 10 minutes).

You could take it to the next level by pouring the finished mac into a baking dish and topping with more cheese (or breadcrumbs, if that’s your thing) and popping into the oven for a few minutes to melt. But, we usually don’t get that far. I’ve also been known to throw in a cup of diced ham and a chopped head of broccoli to bulk it up and make it a one-dish meal that everyone always loves.

Do you have an electric pressure cooker? What are some of your favorite recipes to make in it? Share in comments!