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Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Chicken Recipe

October 23, 2020 by Rachel 12 Comments

Y’all know how much I adore my Instant Pot. I mean, these meals are so. darn. easy! If it weren’t for my Instant Pot, I swear I wouldn’t want to cook at all. And this Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Chicken is such a delicious — and easy! — meal to add to your weeknight dinner menu.

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Chicken Recipe

Why Dr. Pepper?

Dr. Pepper has such an interesting flavor. And, if you’ve tried beer can chicken before, you know that the flavors when adding these kinds of liquids can be amazing! My family is absolutely obsessed with this Dr. Pepper Pulled Chicken. We make little slider sandwiches with the chicken. But it can be added to a salad, too!

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Chicken Recipe

What You’ll Need

You really do not need much to make this recipe. Besides the Instant Pot, you’ll need the following:

  • 4 pounds skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 (18 ounce) bottle of sweet barbecue sauce
  • 1 cup of Dr. Pepper

That’s it!

How to make Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Chicken

  1. Pour ¼ cup of Dr. Pepper into the pot of the electric pressure cooker. Place the chicken thighs over the Dr. Pepper.
  2. Stir together the remaining Dr. Pepper and barbecue sauce. Pour over the chicken thighs.
  3. Cover the electric pressure cooker and set the valve to sealing. Program for manual or “pressure cook” for 20 minutes.
  4. When the cooking cycle is complete, allow the electric pressure cooker to naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes before a quick release of the remaining pressure. 
  5. Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and using two forks, shred the chicken, removing any bones.
  6. Add about 1 cup of the sauce from the pot to the chicken, coating the chicken but not making it soupy.
  7. Serve with baked potatoes, buns, sliders, on a salad, or as it is!

It’s easy peasy, right?!

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Chicken Recipe

The full process can be seen below:

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Chicken

Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Chicken Recipe
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 family pack (about 4 pounds) skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 (18 ounce) bottle sweet barbecue sauce
  • 1 cup Dr. Pepper, divided

Instructions

  1. Pour ¼ cup of Dr. Pepper into the pot of the electric pressure cooker. Place the chicken thighs over the Dr. Pepper.
  2. Stir together the remaining Dr. Pepper and barbecue sauce. Pour over the chicken thighs.


  3. Cover the electric pressure cooker and set the valve to sealing. Program for manual or “pressure cook” for 20 minutes.
  4. When the cooking cycle is complete, allow the electric pressure cooker to naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes before a quick release of the remaining pressure. 
  5. Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and using two forks, shred the chicken, removing any bones.
  6. Add about 1 cup of the sauce from the pot to the chicken, coating the chicken but not making it soupy.
  7. Serve with baked potatoes, buns, sliders, or as it is.
    Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Chicken Recipe
© Rachel

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Filed Under: easy recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, recipes Tagged With: easy recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, recipes

Instant Pot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe

September 21, 2020 by Rachel 28 Comments

Y’all, it has been a WEEK! I know, I know it’s only Monday. But this last week has been a terrible one. I’m so happy we’re entering a new week full of limitless possibilities! Thankfully, despite a terrible, no-good, awful week — we had our trust Instant Pot to get us through! This super easy Instant Pot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa recipe is just what we needed for a delicious weeknight meal.

Instant Pot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa

What you’ll need

You’ll once again need your handy dandy Instant Pot. If you haven’t gotten one yet, what’s stopping you?! Seriously I use this kitchen appliance at least three times a week. It’s so perfect for busy weeknights. But besides the IP, you’ll need the following:

  • 2.5 pounds beef chuck roast
  • 1/2 of a medium onion,
  • 3 tablespoons of minced garlic
  • 3/4 cup of water
  • 1/4 cup of lime juice 
  • 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon of cumin
  • 3 teaspoons of chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
Barbacoa ingredients

You’ll want to cut your beef chuck roast into cubes. And set aside a little bit of a time to create the marinade. It doesn’t take long, but just be sure to prep it in advance.

How to make Instant Pot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa

The steps are super easy. If you’ve never used the sauté function, get ready! It’s seriously the easiest and best way to get a one-pot meal.

Follow these super simple directions:

  1. Turn your instant pot onto sauté function. Set aside and allow to heat up while you make the marinade.
  2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add your water, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Mix well until fully incorporated.
  3. Once your instant pot is hot, pour in your cooking oil. Place all of your meat, Garlic, and onions into the instant pot. Brown the meat completely.
  4. Once your meat is browned, pour in your marinade over the meat. Stir well until the meat is covered in the marinade.
  5. Close the Instant pot by twisting the lid on and closing the valve by pushing it away from you. Set the instant pot to high pressure for 30 minutes. It will take some time to build to pressure.
  6. Once your 30-minute timer is done, allow the instant pot to naturally release for another 15 minutes. Once the 15 minutes is done, manually release the instant pot by using a hot pad or towel to twist the valve toward you and open.
  7. Remove the meat from the instant pot to a cutting board. Shred with two forks.
  8. Enjoy your copycat chipotle barbacoa beef with rice, and a taco topped with cilantro and lime, or just by itself!

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Instant Pot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa

Instant Pot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2.5 lbs. beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 3 tablespoons of minced garlic
  • 3/4 cup of water
  • 1/4 cup of lime juice 
  • 2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon of cumin
  • 3 teaspoon of chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 tablespoon of cooking oil

Instructions

Barbacoa ingredients

  1. Turn your instant pot onto sauté function. Set aside and allow to heat up while you make the marinade.
  2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add your water, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Mix well until fully incorporated.
  3. Once your instant pot is hot, pour in your cooking oil. Place all of your meat, Garlic, and onions into the instant pot. Brown the meat completely.
    Barbacoa ingredients
  4. Once your meat is browned, pour in your marinade over the meat. Stir well until the meat is covered in the marinade.
    Barbacoa ingredients
  5. Close the Instant pot by twisting the lid on and closing the valve by pushing it away from you. Set the instant pot to high pressure for 30 minutes. It will take some time to build to pressure.
  6. Once your 30-minute timer is done, allow the instant pot to naturally release for another 15 minutes. Once the 15 minutes is done, manually release the instant pot by using a hot pad or towel to twist the valve toward you and open.
  7. Remove the meat from the instant pot to a cutting board. Shred with two forks.
    Instant Pot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa on fork
  8. Enjoy your copycat chipotle barbacoa beef with rice, and a taco topped with cilantro and lime, or just by itself!
    Instant Pot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa
© Rachel

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Filed Under: easy recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, recipes Tagged With: easy recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, recipes

Instant Pot Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese

September 7, 2020 by Rachel 23 Comments

Busy weeknights are back. And that means I have even less time to make dinner for our family of 5. One of my favorite ways to save time on meals is by using my Instant Pot. And, by far, one of my families favorite weeknight meals is this Instant Pot Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese!

Instant Pot Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese

Panera Mac and Cheese is one of my families favorite guilty pleasures. But, guess what? It’s crazy expensive! I mean, for the serving size, it just seems ridiculous to pay $8 or $9 for a large macaroni and cheese when you can make 4-6 servings of the same thing for a fraction of the cost.

Instant Pot Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese

What you’ll need

The recipe itself is so crazy easy. And it takes very few ingredients.

Instant Pot Mac and cheese prep
  • 16 ounces (or one pound) of pasta shells
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 tablespoons margarine
  • 8 ounces White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 6 slices White American Cheese
  • 1 cup Milk
  • Black Pepper, optional

We use the big pasta shells because my kids know that those are the kind that Panera uses. And sometimes I have to ‘trick’ my kids into eating. And whatever works, right?

The process

If you are new to pressure cooking, this is a great recipe to start your Instant Pot journey off with. Instant Pot meals are oftentimes dump-and-start. This one is dump-and-start until the end. After the noodles are cooked is when you mix in the cheese. And then — bam! — done!

The prep time is listed as 4 minutes, but it truly shouldn’t take you that long. You’ll start by adding the pasta, butter, and salt to your Instant Pot. Add 4 cups of water, and then give a good stir making sure each noodle has been mixed with the water.

Close the lid on the Instant Pot, and turn the valve to sealed. Choose High Pressure and adjust the timer for 4 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for your Instant Pot to come to pressure (hence the ‘extra time’ in the recipe). Once the time is up, manually release by pulling the valve to you and opening it. Be sure to open using a towel, hot pad, or long wooden spoon.

Instant Pot Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese

You’ll want to remove some of the water from the pot. No need to make sure all is gone, just a bit. Then just add in the shredded cheese, slices cheese, and milk to the noodles. Mix until fully melted and incorporated. That’s it!

Instant Pot Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese

The Recipe

Instant Pot Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese

Instant Pot Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 19 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Pasta Shells
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 tablespoons margarine
  • 8 ounces White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 6 slices White American Cheese
  • 1 cup Milk
  • Black Pepper, optional

Instructions

    1. Add to your Instant Pot pasta, butter, and salt. Add 4 cups of water, and then give a good stir making sure each noodle has been mixed with the water.
      Instant Pot Mac and cheese prep
      Instant Pot Noodles
    2. Close the lid on the Instant Pot, and turn the valve to sealed.
    3. Choose High Pressure for 4 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for your IP to come to pressure. 
    4. Once the time is up, manually release by pulling the valve to you and opening it. Make sure to open using a towel or hot pad. 
    5. Remove some of the water from the pot. No need to make sure all is gone, just a bit. 
    6. Add in the shredded cheese, slices cheese, and milk to the noodles. Mix until fully incorporated. 
      Instant Pot cheese
    7. Serve in bowls, and enjoy! 
      Instant Pot Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese
© Rachel

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Filed Under: easy recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, money saving tips, recipes Tagged With: easy recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, money saving tips, recipes

Easy and Delicious Instant Pot Mexican Casserole Recipe

August 31, 2020 by Rachel 32 Comments

This past weekend we (finally) had some cooler weather. I’m taking it as a sign that it’s nearly my favorite time of year. The Fall weather also brings a back-to-school season which, itself, brings more hussle and bussle. Despite our new school year being remote, I still expect our weeknights to be very chaotic. So in an effort to streamline dinnertime and make something that everyone will love, I made this super easy Instant Pot Mexican Casserole recipe.

Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

Why the Instant Pot

My husband has been using a pressure cooker for years. I’ve always hated the traditional pressure cookers because I think they are scary (and, quite honestly, I just don’t trust that I can use one properly). But if you’re holding out because you think the Instant Pot isn’t worth it — you’re oh so wrong!

I use my Instant Pot for literally everything: eggs, rice, spaghetti and meat sauce, and even yogurt! You can grab one here for a great price. Honestly, it’s an amazing investment. It saves me so much time when preparing meals for my family.

What you’ll need for Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

Besides an Instant Pot, you’ll need the following:

Instant Pot Mexican Casserole
  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 2 cups red enchilada sauce
  • 3 cups cheddar cheese grated (divided)
  • 10 corn tortillas cut into strips
  • Sour cream (optional garnish)
  • Cilantro (optional garnish)
  • Black olives (optional garnish)

I know that many people feel differently, but we are Team Cilantro and Team Black Olives over here! So we definitely use them as a delicious garnish.

Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

The recipe itself takes only a few minutes of prep. This is a one-pot meal, so you brown the ground beef right in the Instant Pot itself! Just use saute mode to brown the beef, then add all of your ingredients to the pot! Super easy!

Instant Pot Mexican Casserole Recipe

Yield: 4

Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

Instant Pot Mexican Casserole
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Additional Time 2 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 2 cups red enchilada sauce
  • 3 cups cheddar cheese grated (divided)
  • 10 corn tortillas cut into strips
  • Sour cream (optional garnish)
  • Cilantro (optional garnish)
  • Black olives (optional garnish)

Instructions

    Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

    1. Turn your Instant Pot on sauté mode. Brown your beef. 
      Instant Pot Mexican Casserole
    2. Once the meat is browned, pour in the enchilada sauce. Mix well until fully incorporated.
      Instant Pot Mexican Casserole
    3. Pour in 1.5 cups of cheese, and all of the sliced tortillas. You can also add black beans, corn, or black olives! Anything you know your family will enjoy!
      Instant Pot Mexican Casserole
    4. Stir everything well at this point until completely incorporated. 
      Instant Pot Mexican Casserole
    5. Pour in the remaining cheese, and add the lid to the Instant Pot. Close the valve. 
    6. Cook on “High” for 3 minutes to melt the cheese. Release the pressure manually.
      Instant Pot Mexican Casserole
    7. Once done, serve with more olives, sour cream, and/or cilantro as garnish!
      Instant Pot Mexican Casserole
    8. Enjoy!
© Rachel

Tell me — what’s your favorite weeknight recipe?

Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

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Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe — Dairy Free

July 3, 2020 by Rachel 28 Comments

If you’re new around here, you may notice that I try to incorporate as many dairy free / vegan recipes into our life as possible. The reason being? Two out of three kids have had some sort of dairy intolerance. If you’ve ever shopped for dairy free products, you know it can get expensive. This is especially true when you have two kids who love yogurt. Enter: dairy free Instant Pot yogurt.

I have long heard about people brave enough to make their own yogurt in the Instant Pot. But I was always super intimidated with the process. I mean, it sounds complicated so it must be, right? I decided to try and figure out exactly what I would need to make it and I quickly realized it was a lot easier than it seemed!

almond milk yogurt

What You’ll Need

Besides the Instant Pot, there were only a couple other “must-have” items for this recipe. First, you will need a vegan yogurt starter. I ordered this one from Amazon Prime and it arrived within 2 days. You’ll also need a cheesecloth, agar agar powder, and a reliable cooking thermometer.

Don’t Get Discouraged!

Once you have all of the items, it’s really quite simple! There’s a lot of waiting. Like, a lot. And I think the ‘time’ of all of it can be intimidating. But don’t let it be discouraging!

instant pot yogurt

Tips for Making the Best Instant Pot Almond Milk Yogurt

Whatever you do, do not skip the thermometer step! Also, be sure that once the incubation period starts, you leave it. Don’t try and sneak a peek at the yogurt; this will have a negative effect on the results.

Yield: 8 servings

Dairy Free Instant Pot Yogurt

plain yogurt
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 day
Additional Time 10 hours
Total Time 1 day 10 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 ¼ Cups of Ajoyo Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
  • ½ teaspoon of vegan yogurt starter
  • 4 teaspoons of powdered agar agar 

Instructions

    1. Turn the Instant Pot on by pressing the Yogurt button. Use this function and continue pressing until it reads “Boil.”
    2. Pour Ajoyo Almond Milk into the Instant Pot. Add the agar agar. Whisk to mix well. 
    3. Use a cooking or candy thermometer to watch the temperature of the mixture. Wait until the temperature reaches between 110 - 115 degrees fahrenheit (this will take only a few minutes). 
    4. Once the temperature is reached, turn the Instant Pot off.
    5. Use a mesh strainer lined with a cheesecloth to strain the mixture into a bowl. 
    6. Add the vegan yogurt starter to the mixture. Whisk until combined. 
    7. Pour the mixture back into the Instant Pot and close the lid. to start the incubation period.
    8. Press the yogurt function, set pressure to “normal,” and set time to 24:00 (hours).
    9. After 24 hours of incubation, remove the mixture from the Instant Pot and place in a covered container in the refrigerator for 10 hours. 
    10. Once the yogurt has sat refrigerated for 10 hours, mix the yogurt to combine (some will have settled). Sweeten to your taste (I prefer honey and almonds). 
    11. Enjoy!
© Rachel

Once your yogurt is done, top it with whatever you’d like. My kids prefer it a little on the sweeter side, so we use honey and strawberries to give it an extra kick! But I understand that a lot of vegans do not eat honey. You could also try sweetening with vanilla extract!

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Instant Pot Dump + Start Creamy Ziti

May 1, 2020 by Rachel 3 Comments

Oh, hi! Just Martha freaking Stewart over here! I have some other content in the works, but I’ve honestly been cooking and creating recipes nonstop. It’s hard not to share such delicious (and easy!) recipes.

I created this recipe for the big kids. We’ve been eating so much pizza — from frozen to takeout — and I’m kind of over it. Knowing that they LOVE pizza, I decided to basically make “pizza pasta.” And, oh my gosh!, it was a huge hit.

My 4-year-old, Remy, was super excited about this meal because I let her help. Thankfully, it’s basically a dump-and-start meal, so it was easy to get her involved in the process. Plus, when she helps, it encourages her to eat something new and different. She’s so picky about food lately so I’m desperate for anything I can get.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this recipe. It’s SO not healthy! Ha! But it is incredible. It’s hearty, it’s fulfilling, and it’s just super yummy

Yield: 8

Instant Pot Dump and Go Creamy Ziti

Instant Pot Dump and Go Creamy Ziti
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of chicken broth
  • 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tsp of garlic powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • 16 ounces of ziti
  • 2 cups of pasta sauce
  • 1.5 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1.5 cups of mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Dump all of the ingredients (minus the pasta sauce and cheese) into the Instant Pot. Make sure pasta is covered with liquid!
  2. Turn on your Instant Pot to Manual - high - for six minutes.
  3. Let naturally release for an additional 6 minutes, then quick release.
  4. Pour pasta sauce into cooked pasta mixture. Then slowly add cheeses until melty, ooey, and deliciously gooey.
  5. Serve immediately and ENJOY your delicious "Pizza Pasta"!

The before pictures? They aren’t so pretty. Dump and cook meals are not always pretty — but they ARE delicious!

So tell me this — what’s your trick for making kids eat what you make?!

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Filed Under: #MomLife, brews + food, easy recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, recipe, recipes Tagged With: easy recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, recipes

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