Instant Pot Single Serving Lasagna (make ahead freezer meal)

This is an easy one for quick meals. While the Instant Pot isn't used in every step, it makes final cooking a breeze - and you can use it for the sauce as well. The lasagna is made in foil mini loaf pans, so each is an individual serving, and freeze well. Just a half hour in the Instant Pot (and 3 minutes in the air fryer or under the broiler) and you have a wonderful, easy lasagna for any weeknight or lunch.

Hardware:

Foil mini loaf pans (I use the Handi-Foil ones). 13 minimum
Long loaf pan
1 oz ladle
Tablespoon
Mini silicone spatula
Mixing bowls
Aluminum foil

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef
1 large jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I use the 67 oz Prego)
Italian seasoning and garlic (to taste)
2 packages (16 oz) of no-boil lasagna sheets (long ones are best - they will fit the loaf pans)
2 pounds shredded mozzarella
2 containers Ricotta cheese (15 oz)
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Step 1 - Brown the ground beef on Sauté, or in a pot on the stove. Drain all the fat, add the pasta sauce and spice to taste (I like adding garlic and Italian seasoning for a deeper flavor). Bring to a simmer for 30 minutes and cool.

Step 2 - Combine the Ricotta Cheese, Parmesan cheese and 2 eggs in a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.

Step 3 - Soak your lasagna sheets in hot water. I use a kettle to heat the water, a long loaf pan works well for the pasta. Place lasagna noodles in the pan and cover with water for 5-10 minutes - just long enough to soften so they can be cut in half. Pull out one at a time and blot dry with paper towels, and cut into halves to fit the mini loaf pans. Place on a parchment paper lined sheet pan to keep separate until ready to use.

Caution - do not soak any longer than needed for a clean cut, and dry as quickly as possible. Soaked/boiled no-boil lasagna will break down in the freezer if precooked.

Step 4 - using a 1 oz. ladle, add an ounce of sauce to the bottom of a loaf pan. 

Step 5 - Place one lasagna sheet on the sauce. 

Step 6 - Spoon approx. 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture on the sheet - a small silicone spatula works very well for this. 

Step 7 - Sprinkle with a small amount of shredded mozzarella

Step 8 - Add an ounce of sauce over the mozzarella, spreading out to cover. Repeat steps 5-8 two more times to create a 3 layer lasagna

Step 9 - top with a lasagna noodle

Step 10 - add an ounce of sauce and spread over top. Top with shredded mozzarella. Repeat until all sauce is used up.

Step 11 - cover with foil, then add the plastic lid. Freeze until ready to eat.

Yield about 12-13 individual lasagnas. Note - you will most likely have leftover mozzarella cheese.

To cook a serving:

Place trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water. (for 8-10 quart Instant Pots, use 1 1/2 cup water)

Remove the plastic lid and place the lasagna on the trivet. Seal the cooker and pressure cook for 30 minutes, quick releasing at the end. The 6 quart takes about 6 minutes to come to pressure, then a 30 minute countdown.

While quick releasing, preheat your air fryer at 400 (or preheat the broiler with the rack set far enough down for 2" clearance below the lasagna). Remove the foil. The top may still be slightly frozen. That's perfectly normal.

Place the lasagna in the air fryer for 3 minutes (or place on a sheet tray and broil until the cheese is melted and slightly browned).  Enjoy! 

Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings

I wasn't planning on making chicken and dumplings this weekend. I had other plans. But then, it hit - the second cold of the season. I hadn't even fully recovered from the cough from the first cold! Oh well, life goes on. And what better way to treat a cold than with nature's own cold remedy - chicken soup? But, I don't like chicken noodle soup. Never have. But I love chicken and dumplings - which is odd, because, at its core, what is a dumpling (especially a rolled dumpling) but a noodle? Be that as it may, I simply adore a good chicken and (rolled) dumplings, so here is my Instant Pot twist on an old family recipe (which I have tweaked and changed so very much from my mom's recipe she wouldn't recognize it!)

The ingredients are simple - a chicken, some celery and onions, flour, water, milk, seasonings, chicken bouillon, and a can of condensed cream of chicken soup. That's really it. The prep is also easy - rough chop the celery and onion, add chicken and water, and cook until the chicken easily shreds. Make the dumplings. Add to the simmering stock. Pretty straightforward, right? But traditionally, it takes and hour and a half to boil the chicken. Here's where the Instant Pot comes in. What used to take 90 minutes now happens in 45 (with natural release).

My mom's recipe is pretty good, but very basic. Chicken, some seasonings, water, milk, and dumplings. Always a crowd pleaser. On a camping trip, my aunt Helen helped make it - and added Italian seasoning. I loved the added flavor! Then, researching other recipes to make it my own, I came across the condensed soup - and it added a big boost to the flavor.

Start off with a chicken, some celery and half an onion. Rough chop the celery, or, if you have use for the rest of the bunch, just chop off the ends. Place in the Instant Pot.

I thought I could use my steamer basket for this, to make it easier to remove, but it was too high once the chicken was in it. So I moved it all directly to my Instant Pot's liner. For this cook, I am using my 8 quart, but it will work with the 6 as well.

Rough chop 1/2 of a medium onion and add to the celery in the pot.

Add the chicken to the pot

Add the bay leaf, Italian seasoning and bouillon to the pot. Fill with water to cover the chicken (I went almost to the max line, I had a big chicken)

Put on the lid and pressure cook (or Manual) for 30 minutes

While that is cooking, it is time to focus on the dumplings. Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Add ice water, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing by hand until it forms a dough ball.

Turn out onto a floured counter and roll thin. Cut into 1/2" wide strips. Grind fresh pepper over the dumpling strips.

When the chicken is done, allow 15 minutes of natural release, then slowly release the rest of the pressure. Remove the chicken, onion, celery and bay leaves. I put the chicken into the steaming basket over a bowl to drain the rest of the juice.

Allow the chicken to cool enough to handle, then remove the skin and bones from the chicken, adding the meat back to the pot.

While the chicken is cooling, put the Instant Pot on Simmer, low, and mix in the soup and milk.

When the chicken comes to a simmer, drop the dumplings in one at a time, do not stir.

Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir gently and occasionally so the dumplings can cook through.

Serve and enjoy! Comfort food, and good for you!

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

For the base:

1 whole chicken - 2.5-3.5 pounds

6 ribs celery

1/2 onion

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

2 cubes chicken bouillon

2 bay leaves

1 can condensed cream of celery (or cream of chicken) soup

1/4 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

For the dumplings:

2 cups flour plus more for rolling

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

ice water (approx 3/4-1 cup)

fresh ground pepper

Cut the celery and onion into large pieces - approx 1 1/2 - 2 inches

Place the chicken, celery and onion in a Instant Pot. Add water to cover the chicken by about 1 inch. Add the Italian seasoning, bouillon cubes and bay leaves into the pot. Pressure cook (manual) for 30 minutes, with 15 minutes natural pressure release, and slow release after that. 

Remove chicken to a bowl to cool, strain stock to remove the solids (or carefully get it all out with a slotted spoon).

Meanwhile, prepare dumplings by mixing flour, baking soda, and salt. Add water in approx 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing by hand until it forms a dough ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll into a large, thin sheet. Sprinkle with pepper and let rest about 10 minutes. Cut with a butter knife into 1/2" width, then cut into 2" long dumplings. 

Remove skin and bones from chicken, add chicken meat back into stock. Bring to a simmer on Sauté. Stir in soup and milk. Add the dumplings to the simmering stock one at a time. DO NOT STIR. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring gently after 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup

Winter is a period of short days and cold weather. If, like me, you live in Germany, or in the Pacific Northwest, it is a time of gray skies and not much sunshine. So I decided to make "a bowl of sunshine", as I like to call it. A delicious soup with a bright sunny color, a vibrant taste (thanks in no small part to the fresh ginger), and warmth for the chilliest of days.

I love squash. Zucchini is a go-to on summer days, and almost any squash is delicious. So a few years back I wanted to make butternut squash soup. But when I went looking for the perfect butternut squash soup, I found a lot of recipes I liked parts of, but none that were just right for me. So I set out to make my own - and it's one of my very favorite soups!

Today at church we had a soup and sandwich potluck. Now, as fate would have it, we had snow overnight, so turnout was very light at church. There were 9 or 10 pots of soup, and big platters of meats, cheeses, rolls and condiments to make sandwiches with, but only about 50 people. I made a double recipe of this, and was afraid I'd be bringing half a crockpot full back home. No worries - it went - all of it. One family had 3 bowls each! And then asked for the recipe. That can warm your heart even better than a hot bowl of soup.

So, without further ado, here it is. Butternut Squash and Ginger soup.

Ingredients

1 3-4 pound butternut squash

1 medium yellow onion, diced or thinly sliced

1/2 stick butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 boxes chicken broth (NOT STOCK)

2 tablespoons fresh ginger root – grated

2 sticks cinnamon

1 8oz package cream cheese (I used Neufchatel)

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve the squash lengthwise, remove seeds and stringy bits. Spray 2 glass baking dishes (or one large one if big enough for both halves of squash) with nonstick spray. Place the squash, cut side down, in the baking dishes, prick the skin all over with a fork or skewer, and roast at 450 for 45 minutes. Let cool enough to hold and skin.

[Alternately, if you have an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker: Place trivet and 1 ½ cup water in Instant Pot. Halve the squash lengthwise, remove seeds and stringy bits. Place the squash, cut side up, on the trivet, and pressure cook for 12 minutes, with 5 minutes of natural release. Let cool enough to hold and skin – it should slip right off. Clean and dry the Instant Pot insert. ]

Put onion, butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and clear – NOT browned. Alternately, place in a microwave safe bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 6-7 minutes.

When the squash is cool, remove the skin, preserving as much of the flesh as possible. Add the squash, onion and 1½ box of broth to a LARGE stock pot over medium heat. Grate the ginger into the pot. Process with a stick blender until smooth. Add cinnamon sticks and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese, and use the stick blender again until cream cheese is dissolved and incorporated into the soup (just be careful of the cinnamon sticks). Let simmer for 10-15 more minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve immediately, or allow to cool and refrigerate overnight – the flavors intensify.

Instant Pot (leftover) Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Looking for a tasty dish to use up some Thanksgiving leftover turkey? Tired of sandwiches and soup? Well, look no further - I adapted an old family favorite (Chicken Enchilada Casserole) to the Instant Pot, and it turned out pretty darned good. Yes, I experienced a couple of hiccoughs, but that is to be expected - so I will show what I did and what I will do next time. Lessons learned, easily fixed.

Traditional enchiladas are a lot of work - wetting the tortillas, rolling with filling, placing in a pan and covering with sauce. These are made layered like lasagna, so they are faster and less messy to make. And with already cooked turkey (or leftover chicken - or even rotisserie chicken), easier and faster than ever. This is a pot-in-pot recipe.

So to start. The ingredients are as follows:

Leftover turkey (about 2 cups), diced

Condensed cream of chicken soup

10 oz can enchilada sauce

Shredded mexican cheese (or jack and cheddar - about 1 1/2 cup)

Corn tortillas
Half an onion, diced

You also need a 7"x3" round container. I used a springform I bought from It's In The Pot - it is a great container, and worked well, except I would have been better with a large glass or ceramic container. It turns out, this doesn't set up like a lasagna, as I hoped it would. Still tastes great, but because it stays runny, a springform is not the best choice.

Now, I wanted to make more, so I ended up using an additional can of soup and a can of El Pato tomato sauce

Start by dicing the onion, and mixing with the soup and enchilada sauce.

Then get your pot ready. Add a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the pot and place one tortilla.

(I thought I could use parchment paper and no sauce on the bottom. Not a good plan. Best to use the right pot and add sauce to the bottom)

Then add 1 cup of diced turkey and spread to cover

Top with 1 cup of sauce and spread to cover

Add 1/2 cup of cheese, spread evenly.

Repeat, adding a tortilla, turkey, sauce and cheese

Top with a third tortilla, and add remaining sauce to the top

Top with 1/2 cup of cheese

And cover with foil. Important - spray the foil with nonstick spray to keep the cheese from sticking to it.

Add 1 1/2 cup water to the Instant Pot. Place the casserole on the trivet, and lower into the pot.

I picked up colored rings for my Instant Pot, so I could use them for different types of foods, and not worry about smells transferring.
Set the Instant Pot on Pressure Cook (or Manual) for 22 minutes.

Allow natural release for 15 minutes, then open. Dab or tip any excess water off the foil top, and remove from the Instant Pot.

(Optional but nice) Place the casserole under the broiler to crisp up the cheese a little. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving to firm up a little.

Sadly, the Turkey Enchilada casserole didn't set up like I hoped, so I ended up transferring it all to a glass casserole dish. But it came out great, and taste is what really matters. Dig in!

Top as you like, with sour cream, olive slices, etc. Personally, I like it just like it is, though sometimes I will add a little more cheese. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Tools:

Instant Pot

Trivet

7" x 3" round pan for pot-in-pot cooking

Aluminum foil

non-stick cooking spray

Ingredients:

2 cups diced turkey (or chicken, cooked)
1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese

1 can Condensed cream of chicken soup

1 10 oz can enchilada sauce

3 Corn tortillas
1/2 medium onion, diced

Directions:

Dice the onion small. Mix with enchilada sauce and soup. Dice the turkey.

Spread a small amount of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Add one tortilla on top of it. Top with 1 cup turkey, spread evenly. Spread 1 cup sauce over turkey. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over top. Repeat with tortilla, turkey, sauce, cheese, tortilla. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Spray aluminum foil with non-stick spray and cover pot.

Add 1 1/2 cup water to Instant Pot. Place casserole on trivet, and lower into the Instant Pot. Close lid and seal, set to Manual or Pressure cook (high) for 22 minutes. Allow 15 minutes natural release.

Let stand 15 minutes before serving

Optional - place uncovered casserole under broiler to brown and crisp cheese. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.