Instant Pot

love this easy beef pot pie.

October 5, 2021 by Becky Spoon

As promised, another recipe from leftover pot roast! This Beef Pot Pie is the easiest thing ever! I used the leftover chuck roast, the gravy and the carrots to make this pie and it was delicious! I cut the leftover pot roast into small cubes, sliced the large carrots leftover, used the leftover gravy and added some frozen peas and potatoes. Delicious and probably took 10 minutes or so to throw together.

So what I did was saute some onions and celery, then added my leftover gravy. If you think you need more gravy you can make some with the brown gravy packages you get in the store or you can add 2 tablespoons flour to two tablespoons oil and make a roux. Then add 2 to 3 cups beef broth. To the gravy mixture, I added my diced potatoes and cooked until they were tender. Then I added some frozen peas, the leftover carrots that I sliced, then the diced pot roast.

easy beef pot pie.

For the crust, I used Pillsbury prepared crust. https://amzn.to/3bfaYL7

There are other choices in the freezer section that may be easier to find. Or, make a homemade crust.

Here’s my beef pot roast recipe that you will need to make this! Remember, this is from the leftover pot roast so you’re getting another meal! https://the2spoons.com/the-best-instant-pot-pot-roast/

easy beef pot pie.

Here’s the easy recipe for this beef pot pie! You can just adjust for the amount that you have left. Enjoy!

beef pot pie

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Servings: 2 servings

Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 pie crust
2 cups leftover pot roast, cubed
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
leftover roast gravy
leftover carrots (If you don't have leftover carrots, add 1-2 carrots thinly sliced with the potatoes and cook until tender)
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg for brushing the top

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. I was making a small pot pie for 2 so I used only one of the pie crust. I rolled it out and measured the bottom of my dish and placed the crust into the bottom to bake. I par baked it until starting to brown.
Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the onions and celery and cook until the onions are translucent. Add your leftover gravy, adding a little beef broth or water if it is too thick, then add your potatoes (raw carrots if you don't have any carrots leftover from your roast) and cook until your potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat and add the leftover carrots if you are using them, the peas and the beef. Stir just to combine. Adjust the salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into the dish that you baked the bottom crust. Gather the remaining dough and roll out again on a floured surface. Top the dish and crimp the edges and cut slits in the top to vent. Brush with the beaten egg. Cook in the 425 degree oven until golden brown.
Note: If you have a larger amount of roast left over, then just adjust your ingredients to the amount you have left and use 2 pie crust, one for the bottom and one for the top if needed.
Note: Additionally, if you don't have enough gravy leftover, you can make the gravy with 2 tablespoons oil that you have heated and whisk in two tablespoons flour. Add two to three cups beef stock, whisking together and cook until thickened. An alternative is the brown gravy package you can get from the store!

a simple cajun-spiced, boneless pork roast.

August 30, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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a simple cajun-spiced, boneless pork roast.

This boneless pork roast was really hard to photograph! Haha! They are really so bland looking! But they are so delicious! I honestly prefer a pork roast over a beef roast. I love a good chuck roast with lots of marbling, but sometimes I want that pork roast with cajun spices and gravy. Spices like:

salt
garlic powder
paprika
ground black pepper
onion powder
cayenne pepper
dried oregano
dried thyme
red pepper flakes (Optional)

Honestly, in this case I was cooking such a small roast, about 2 pounds, I just sprinkled the roast individually with the seasonings. In the recipe I’ll try to list a specific about for a roast that small. Ideally, a mixture of these spices kept in a container is great. Then you can use as needed.

Because this roast was boneless, part of it had a “natural” opening where they had removed the bone that I could season the inside of the roast and the outside.

a simple cajun-spiced, boneless pork roast.

I cooked this pork roast in the instant pot. The technique will not change, just the cooking time. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I encourage you to look at it as a purchase because they are well worth it. The prices are much lower now and it will cut hours out of your cooking time. https://amzn.to/3BmXwBZ

I seasoned this roast in every area I could and then I tied it. Because it did have a boneless roast I wanted to tie it so that it would cook evenly. Another thing I did was after it was finished cooking, I wrapped it up and chilled it. Because of that I was able to get nice slices, rather than “shredded pork” which I didn’t want. After it was completely chilled I removed from the refrigerator, sliced it, wrapped it in foil, then heated in the oven at 250 until just heated. I didn’t want to cook, just heat. When heated, I placed on a platter or serving dish and poured some of the roast gravy over. The first meal was with mashed potatoes, gravy of course and roasted carrots! Absolutely delicious!

What I’m going to make with leftovers is a hash that I will have for breakfast with homemade buttermilk biscuits.

This hash is absolutely delicious for breakfast. Mixed with fried potatoes, green onions, green peppers, red peppers on a homemade biscuit and toped with a fried egg is just delicious and makes a great breakfast.

a simple cajun-spiced, boneless pork roast.

Here’s the recipe for this great pork roast with a delicious gravy.

a simple cajun-spiced , boneless pork roast.

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Course: Breakfast, dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

For the Cajun Spice Mix

2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
2 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 1/4 tsp dried thyme

For the Pot Roast

2 -3 lb Pork Roast
Cajun seasoning
flour for coating the roast
1 yellow onion, sliced or diced
olive oil for browning the roast
chicken stock
2-3 carrots, sliced

Equipment

Instant Pot

Method

Combine the spices together and store in an air tight container.
Remove the pork roast from the refrigerator. Place it on a sheet pan or tray. If you are using a boneless roast there will be a pocket where the bone was. Season this area, close and generously season the roast on all sides. Allow the roast to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Add some olive oil to the insert pan to cover the bottom and allow to heat.
In the meantime, generously flour your roast all over, rubbing it in a little so it will adhere. Place in the hot insert pan. Allow to brown on the first side, then turn and brown on all sides. This will take several minuets, but makes all the difference in the world for those spice flavors to intensify.
Remove the browned roast to a dish. Add your onions and cook for a couple of a minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning and to start breaking up the bits at the bottom of the pan that are loaded with flavor. Then the onions are a little translucent, add 2 tablespoons flour. Whisk until the flour has cooked through.
Add the chicken stock, whisking continuously until combined and starts to thicken. Add the roast back in. Set the Instant Pot for 45 minutes.
After the 45 minutes, quick release the steam, being very careful. I always place a kitchen towel over it and it won't spray everywhere.
At this time check the doneness of the roast by inserting a fork. You want your roast to be fork tender. If there's still resistance, I'd place the lid back on and set the timer for an additional 30 minutes. After that, allow the roast to naturally release the steam.
After it has released, add the carrots, replace the lid and cook 10 minutes. Quick release.
Remove the roast and place on a platter. Allow the roast to rest for about 15 to 20 minutes. You should have a very nice thickened gravy left in the pan. Check for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
To serve, slice the roast onto a platter and ladle the gravy over the roast. Great with mashed potatoes or rice. Make good use of that gravy! Bon appetite.

easy instant pot meat sauce with pasta…

February 26, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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This spaghetti and meat sauce is another easy recipe with ingredients you probably have in your pantry and freezer. I was craving Italian so I made this in my instant pot! I didn’t have spaghetti so I used linguine! Just as good.

I guess you would say this is an Italian-American Sauce. Many Italian sauces like a Sunday sauce will start with 3 or 4 different cuts of meat and they aren’t ground meats expect for some Italian sausage. This recipe has ground pork and ground beef, typical in an American style meat sauce. You know, the meat sauce we grew up with.

I started the recipe with sauteing onions and garlic in olive oil and then I added the ground beef and pork allowing it to brown. I then added wine scraping up the bits to get all the flavors. Even though I made this in the Instant Pot all of the steps to build flavors still apply. The use of the instant pot is just to cut down on the 2 to 3 hour simmer on the stove-top, not to cut out the steps to build the flavors necessary for a good meat sauce.

instant pot meat sauce with pasta…

You always want to use a good tomato in sauces. I used Mutti puree because I love their products and I didn’t have to squish a bunch of canned tomatoes. Here’s what I used: https://amzn.to/2w76AhM. You don’t have to buy this many, but if you can’t get them at your local grocery store, this is a good choice.

Honestly, how can something be so beautiful and not be good.

I added fennel seeds to this meat sauce because it adds a sweetness which I love in a meat sauce. I also added some red pepper flakes because I like a little kick. You don’t have to add either, but just some suggestions to add extra flavor.

I have made a bolognese many times, but you know we just need a simple meat sauce like this recipe. If you decide to make a bolognese here’s a great recipe: https://the2spoons.com/hearty-satisfying-bolognese-sauce/.

Here’s the recipe for this easy instant pot meat sauce with pasta…Bon Appetite!

instant pot meat sauce with pasta

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Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
6 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
salt
4 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp fennel seeds (optional)
3/4 cup dry white wine
24 oz tomato puree plus
3 cups water
1 6 oz can tomato paste

Method

Heat the olive oil in the instant pot in the saute mode on normal. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until golden. Add the garlic and cook stirring until it starts to brown. Add the ground beef and the ground pork. Season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring to break up the meat until the meat changes color and the water it gives of is boiled away about 10 minutes.
Continue cooking until the meat is browned about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, fennel and oregano, then pour in the wine. Bring to a boil and cook, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the pot until the wine is almost completely evaporated.
Pour in the tomato puree, then stir in the tomato paste until it is dissolved. Season lightly with salt.
Place the lid on and set for 35 minutes. When finished, do a quick release. Skim off the fat and check the seasoning. Add salt if needed. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Yummy! Hearty Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder

September 18, 2019 by Becky Spoon

I love a good chowder and this Instant Potato Corn Chowder is one of those! A friend of mine shared a recipe on Facebook the other day for a Potato Corn Chowder that made me want to make a batch and I did! And, boy am I glad I did! It was absolutely delicious, satisfying and exactly what I wanted. Even though summer won’t let go in Texas, I didn’t care, I just wanted this chowder.

Yummy! Hearty Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder

Loaded with bacon, heavy cream (I’ll give you substitutes in the recipe), then finished with some cheddar cheese and chives, this Chowder is hearty, creamy and lucious, and the perfect dish for the cold nights we will have. This Corn Chowder just speaks comfort food.

So, let’s talk about the recipe. The chowder has corn two ways: Fresh corn that I cut off the cob and creamed corn that thickens the chowder. I had a bag of Tasteful Selections Potatoes brand that I had gotten from HEB that have bite size red and white thin skin potatoes that are perfect for this chowder. Here’s a link for those so you can see what I’m referring to: https://www.tastefulselections.com. Some of the potatoes and corn are pureed with an emulsion blender and some are left “as is” for texture.

Yummy! Hearty Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder

Another chowder I have on my blog is a Fish Chowder; https://the2spoons.com/essential-classic-fish-chowder/. Equally easy and delicious, you have to try it!

Can’t wait for you to try this recipe!

Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder

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Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

6 slices bacon, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
6 red potatoes, cubed
2-3 ears corn on the cob, kernels removed
1 can cream of corn soup
3 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp flour
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional but I really like the kick the cayenne adds)
1 tsp dried thyme and 1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp fresh chives
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
grated cheddar cheese for garnish

Method

Set your instant pot to the sauté setting. Add the bacon and cook until brown and crispy. Remove from the pot and drain on a paper towel.
In the bacon drippings sauté the onion, stirring frequently until translucent. Add the garlic and continuously stir until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tablespoon of flour and cook for about a minute to get the raw taste out. Add the chicken broth, whisking until smooth, then add 1/2 of the bacon reserving the remainder for garnish. the potatoes, the corn, the thyme, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Select the manual setting on your Instant Pot, adjust pressure to high, and set for 10 minutes.
When finished cooking, quick release the steam.
When you are able to remove the lid, add the heavy cream and the butter. Check for salt and pepper and adjust. Serve the chowder in bowls and garnish with the remaining bacon bits, cheddar cheese and chives. Bon Appetit!