20+ Ridiculously Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Busy School Nights - Mama Cheaps® (2024)

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Raise your hand if you have ever fallen victim to the drive-thru window or some other form of take-out food on a busy school night. C’mon, raise those hands! I won’t judge you. I have most definitely done the same thing. Because it can be so hard to juggle all of the kids’ activities AND get a home-cooked meal on the table for dinner. (Some of us don’t even get the chance to sit down as a family to eat dinner at least one night during the week because we are en route from one activity to another over the dinner hour.)

Easy Instant Pot Recipes

A couple of years ago, I finally gave in to Pinterest pressure (haha is that really a real thing?) and bought myself an Instant Pot. I figured I would use it here and there to speed up meals when I had forgotten to defrost meat in time for dinner. I can tell you with confidence that my Instant Pot has quickly risen to the rank of Kitchen All-Star and gets used at least 2 times a week, bare minimum. We have taken our IP camping and I use it for weekly lunch prep. It’s a really convenient time saving tool (pressure cooker) and cooks up savory meals in a fraction of the time that my slow cooker is capable of. Between the Instant Pot and our air fryer, I am finding it so much easier to get delicious dinner on the table, even when our nights are super busy.

Besides cooking meals, you can even use this multi-function cooker for things like cooking hardboiled eggs and making yogurt!

Did you just get an Instant Pot? Here’s a great starter post:You Just Got An Instant Pot. Now What? Tips for Using Your New Instant Pot.

Did you know you canaccessorize your Instant Pot?

In addition to the dinner ideas you will find below, I now have several other Instant Pot recipe roundups on the blog. Check them out:

  • 37 Easy Easter Instant Pot Recipes (Entrees, Apps, Sides, Dessert Ideas)
  • Easiest Way to Make Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot
  • 20 of the Best Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes
  • 21 Must-Try Weight Watchers Instant Pot Recipes
  • 21 Delicious Paleo Instant Pot Recipes
  • 45 of the Greatest Game Day and Tailgating Instant Pot Recipes
  • 21 Decadent Desserts You Can Make in Your Instant Pot
  • 21 Easy Instant Pot Recipes to Make in Your RV
  • Easy Pressure Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
  • 13 Perfectly PUMPKIN Instant Pot Recipes
  • 12 Totally APPLE Instant Pot Recipes
  • 20 Savory Instant Pot Sides for Your Next BBQ
  • How to Cook Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot
  • Easy Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
  • Perfect Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
  • Easy Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Legs
  • Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

I scoured the interwebs for some really super easy Instant Pot recipes using common ingredients so that you can join me in trying to cut out some of the fast food dinner purchases this year!

Instant Pot Dinner Recipes

1. Instant Pot Pot Roast

2. Instant Pot Buttery Lemon Chicken from Mama Instincts

3. Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes from You Wash I’ll Dry

4. Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas

5. Easy Pulled Pork Instant Pot Recipe from Slick Housewives

6. Instant Pot Buttery Ranch Pork Chops from Eating on a Dime

7. Beef and Broccoli Pressure Cooker Recipe from I Save A to Z

8. Instant Pot Spaghetti

OR! Make spaghetti on the stove and use your IP to make thisEasy Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce Recipe!

9. Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice from Leelalicious

10. Instant Pot Mac and Cheese from Six Sisters Stuff

11. Instant Pot Goulash from I Don’t Have Time for That

12. Instant Pot Chicken and Vegetables

13. Instant Pot Honey Glazed Ham from Dana Vento

14. Instant Pot Lasagna from My Crazy Good Life

15. Instant Pot Orange Chicken from A Fork’s Tale

16. Coca Cola BBQ Ribs Instant Pot Recipe

17. Pressure Cooker Shrimp Paella from My Forking Life

18. Instant Pot Butter Chicken from The Typical Mom

19. Instant Pot Cheesy Ranch Chicken from Passion for Savings

20. Instant Pot Italian Sausage Penne from One Hangry Mama

21. Easy Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Legs

22. How to Cook Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot

23. 30 Minute Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

24. Instant Pot Lasagna Soup

Make sure you PIN Easy Instant Pot Recipes!!

20+ Ridiculously Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Busy School Nights - Mama Cheaps® (14)
20+ Ridiculously Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Busy School Nights - Mama Cheaps® (2024)

FAQs

What to make when you have no time to cook? ›

Spicy Asian Ramen Noodles

Pull a handful of basic ingredients from the pantry (like peanut butter, chili-garlic sauce, and soy sauce) and whisk together a super-quick no-cook sauce. Then stir the sauce into cooked ramen noodles and garnish with peanuts and chopped green onions. That's it! Dinner's ready in 15 minutes.

What is the most basic Instant Pot? ›

Basic: Instant Pot Rio. Classic: Instant Pot Duo. Beginner-Friendly: Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1. Fingerprint-Resistant: Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1.

Can you make everything in an Instant Pot? ›

In general, Instant Pots do so much more than just pressure cooking and can be used as a rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer yogurt maker, sauté pan, and a meal warmer.

What to cook when you have no groceries? ›

15 Delicious Things to Throw Together When You're Pressed for Food Options
  1. Buttery, gooey grilled cheese. ...
  2. PB&J because duh. ...
  3. Tuna melt tostadas. ...
  4. Pancakes! ...
  5. Scrambled eggs. ...
  6. Waffles. ...
  7. A Hagrid-size bowl of cereal. ...
  8. Spaghetti carbonara.
Apr 28, 2020

What is the best pressure cooker for seniors? ›

  • Prestige PRASVSP PRESSURE COOKER, Senior Pan 4L, SILVER. ...
  • HAWKINS Hawkins Hevibase IH35 Pressure Cooker, 3.5 Liters, Silver. ...
  • Prestige Deluxe Stainless Steel Mini Handi Pressure Cooker, 3.3-Liter. ...
  • Vinod VINOD VPP-Jr Pressure Cooker Silver, Junior 3 Liter Pan. ...
  • Prestige Deluxe Stainless Steel Senior Pressure Pan, 4 Liters.

What is the 10 in 1 cooker? ›

The new Instant Pot Pro is designed for the at-home chef looking for a multi-purpose cooker with faster pre-heating and overall cooking time. Replacing 10 appliances, the Pro does it all: pressure cooker, slow cooker, sous vide, sauté pan, steriliser, yoghurt maker, food warmer, cake baker and steamer.

Which is better, an electric or gas pressure cooker? ›

The bottom line: Electric pressure cookers offer convenience and multiple functions, but generally at lower pressure. On the other hand, stovetop pressure cookers have higher pressure and faster cooking abilities but require manual control and more expertise to use effectively. Both have their merits and use cases.

Are Instant Pots worth it? ›

Is it worth buying an Instant Pot? Yes, we do think an Instant Pot is worth it, particularly for pressure cooking. There's a reason it's one of the most popular kitchen appliances out there.

Do chefs use Instapots? ›

They are most commonly used in industrial settings to quickly prepare meat or stocks. However, in most scenarios, Elite Chefs avoid using pressure cookers because they provide less control over the final dish. Chefs often prefer slow cooking techniques that accentuate and pull out the flavors of the food.

What cooks food faster in a pressure cooker? ›

In fact, it's water that helps generate the high-pressure environment that makes your food cook faster. Most pressure cooker instructions state a minimum amount of water required for pressure cooking even a tiny amount of food.

What is the best meat to cook in a pressure cooker? ›

You can still pressure cook leaner pieces – like eye of round and top sirloin – but these work best if they've been stuffed, shredded or rolled (with other ingredients). Best cuts of beef to use: Chuck steak, Round Roast, Shoulder, Pot roast, Ribs, Brisket, Oxtail.

What can I cook in 5 minutes? ›

5-minute recipes
  • Quick turkey couscous. A star rating of 4.8 out of 5. ...
  • Prawn & coconut soup. A star rating of 4.1 out of 5. ...
  • Melt-in-the-middle mug cake. A star rating of 3.3 out of 5. ...
  • Easy hummus recipe. ...
  • Speedy Mediterranean gnocchi. ...
  • Creamy tomato courgetti. ...
  • Storecupboard pasta salad. ...
  • Three-minute blender banana pancakes.

What can I prepare without cooking? ›

You can eat raw fruits and dry fruits , veggies like cucumber, greens like lettuces , roots like carrot , radishes , jicama , beetroot and seeds like watermelon , sunflower , muskmelon , pumpkin etc . we dont need to cook these , they are complete whole food on its own .

How do I eat healthy when I don't have time to cook? ›

Ways to Eat Healthy Without Having to Cook
  1. Precooked Whole Grains. 1/13. ...
  2. Frozen Veggies. 2/13. ...
  3. Precooked Chicken Strips. 3/13. ...
  4. That's a Wrap. 4/13. ...
  5. Deli Chicken. 5/13. ...
  6. Lower-Sodium Soups. 6/13. ...
  7. Canned Salmon. 7/13. ...
  8. Ready-to-Eat Boiled Eggs. 8/13.
Aug 28, 2023

What can you cook in 3 minutes? ›

Three-Minute Meals
  • Mushroom Toast. 1 piece whole-grain toast. ...
  • Spring Salad with Shrimp and Brown Rice. ...
  • Italian-Style Ratatouille with Chicken Sausage. ...
  • Quick Vegetarian Tacos. ...
  • Mediterranean-Style Loaded Baked Potato. ...
  • Breakfast for Dinner: Vegetarian Omelette. ...
  • Asian-Inspired Stir Fry. ...
  • Whole Grain Flatbread Pizza and Salad.
Jun 7, 2017

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