5 Ways to Use Your Instant Pot

Cooking often requires an impossible-seeming juggle of oven and pan real estate. It can be overwhelming, which is why you should take advantage of shortcuts whenever you can.

Enter the Instant Pot. It’s a dream when it comes to saving both time and kitchen space, and our test kitchen pros have been using the gadget to dream up new appetizers, desserts and entrées.

1. Kale-Artichoke Dip

The gorgeous dip seen above is not only pretty to look at, it’s a delight to eat. Packed with good-for-you veggies like artichokes and kale, it’s a also a good way to sneak in some vegetables before demolishing a ton of starch and protein for the main event. Cream cheese, Parmesan and mozzarella make this a crowd-pleasing appetizer to bring to any potluck or dinner party.

2. Spiced Carrot-Cashew Soup 

Sometimes, particularly at a smaller party, there’s something so lovely about presenting a smart, aesthetically intriguing appetizer rather than burying everyone in the expected elements. Gently spiced with Indian curry powder, this soup contains six full carrots. It’s the perfect meat-free element to introduce before a heavy entrée.

3. Chocolate Lava Cake with Raspberry

Yes, you can make something this elegant in a pressure cooker. Enter the perennial crowd-pleaser, chocolate. These molten individual chocolate cakes are so good that they might just steal the entire show.

4. Vegetarian Kale and Bean Stew

Whether you’re trying to cut out meat or not, it’s never a bad idea to incorporate more vegetarian dishes into your eating plan. This non-meat meaty bean stew features African Good Mother Stallard beans, which are nutty and satisfying. And it’s the sort of dish that will satisfy both carnivores and non-carnivores alike.

5. Blueberry Cheesecake

Have you had Instant Pot cheesecake yet? It is truly incredible. Pressure-cooking is just the thing to spin its classic components—cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and eggs—into a cheesecake with a texture that is out of this world. We particularly love this one, with its crown of fresh blueberries. Plenty of lemon juice and zest keep the whole thing feeling light and bright, which are a welcome respite at the end of any meal.

Head to our Instant Pot Headquarters for more tips, ideas, and supplies.