Getting a balanced meal on the table by dinner time is already a pretty heroic feat. But factor in that it's now cold and flu season, and you're up against some insurmountable odds. My husband was out of town for work recently, and of course I got horribly sick the second he left (so did both my daughters). To say that we were in survival mode is an understatement. But thanks to my tried and true Instant Pot — and these 11 easy Instant Pot recipes using five ingredients or less — we ate really well, despite not feeling well.
The Instant Pot is amazing on so many levels, and you've probably already heard why they're the best thing since sliced bread. If you're already a convert, you can ignore this next bit. But if you don't have an Instant Pot yet, here's yet another reason why you need to get one, ASAP — you can cook things from frozen. Yes, that's right, frozen!
I don't know about you, but I'm constantly forgetting to pull the chicken out of the freezer early in the day, and then dinner time rolls around and it's *head smack* panic mode. But not with the Instant Pot. Nope, you can just throw the whole frozen bird in. Brilliant!
It doesn't get much easier than that, but there are loads of other Instant Pot recipes that are just as easy, because all of them call for only five ingredients or less.
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Instant Pot 5-Ingredient Pot Roast Dinner (From Frozen)
This super easy five-ingredient pot roast dinner from 365 Days of Crock Pot can be cooked from frozen in under an hour thanks to the Instant Pot! It calls for just five basic ingredients — beef broth, beef chuck roast, russet potatoes, carrots, and steak seasoning — but it tastes rich and nuanced.
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Pressure Cooker Salmon with Orange Ginger Sauce
This bright and zesty pressure cooker recipe for salmon with orange ginger sauce from Two Sleevers sounds like it would call for a lot of exotic ingredients. But, in reality it just calls for salmon, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and low-sugar marmalade (and salt and pepper, of course!). Shhhh, you don't have to tell your dinner guests how easy it was to make.
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Instant Pot Baked Potato
Courtesy of Tidbits, this delectable Instant Pot baked potato recipe makes the perfect packed lunch that you can take to work or your kids can take to school. All you need are russet or Yukon gold potatoes, but you can feel free to add whatever extra toppings you desire, like: butter, sour cream, shredded cheese, nacho cheese sauce, steamed broccoli, diced ham, BBQ pork, gravy, runny eggs, and more.
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Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
Need a little spice in your life? This simple Instant Pot salsa verde chicken recipe from Cookies & Cups is bursting with flavor, and only calls for these simple ingredients: chicken breasts, cumin, smoked paprika, your favorite jar of salsa verde (and salt!). I love to use it as the protein topping on family burrito bowl night!
5
Instant Pot Cranberry Orange Meatballs
Whether you're looking for an easy appetizer for your next dinner party, or just want a simple meal to serve on a school night, these Instant Pot orange cranberry meatballs from Meatloaf and Melodrama are just the thing. The only ingredients required are frozen meatballs, a can of jellied cranberry sauce, orange marmalade, garlic powder and onions (of course, a little olive oil and water too!)
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5 Ingredient Easy White Chicken Chili
Fall is here and that means it's soup-making season! And this to-die-for Instant Pot white chicken chili recipe from Gimme Some Oven is beyond easy to make. Just grab some chicken stock, shredded chicken, Northern beans, store-bought salsa verde, and cumin and throw them in your Instant Pot. Of course, if you want even more flavor, you can add some additional toppings like avocado, cilantro, chopped green onions, sour cream and whatever else sounds good.
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5 Ingredient Pressure Cooker Cheesy Egg Bake
A delicious cheesy egg dish that comes together with only five ingredients in just 20 minutes — yes please! This pressure cooker egg bake recipe from Kitschen Cat is so good, you'll want to eat it every Saturday morning. Just make sure you have bacon, frozen hash browns, eggs, milk and cheddar cheese on hand.
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Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Roll-Ups
If you're crazy for buffalo chicken, then you'll love this Instant Pot buffalo chicken roll-up recipe from Meatloaf and Melodrama. Raid your fridge for shredded Buffalo chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and flour tortillas, and you're ready to make this yummy, easy snack.
9
Pressure Cooker 5 Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup
Mmm, my belly starts growling just looking at pictures of this oh-so-cheesey pressure cooker broccoli cheese soup from Kitschen Cat. It calls for just 5 pantry or fridge staples: evaporated milk, chicken broth, sharp cheddar, broccoli, and onion (and a few of the basic seasoners: salt, pepper and olive oil.)
10
Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Lasagna
This Mexican-Italian fusion Instant Pot recipe from My Life Cookbook has so many layers of goodness. Stock up on flour tortillas, refried beans, chicken, your favorite salsa and shredded cheese, and you're ready to make a meal that's soon to be a family favorite.
11
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
BBQ fans take note — this pulled pork Instant Pot recipe from Simply Happy Foodie tastes like it's straight out of the smokehouse. It's tangy, tender and delicious!
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