Kids in the Kitchen

Bourbon Honey Pecan Pie

November 24, 2021 by // by Holly Leave a Comment

Last updated on December 30th, 2021 at 10:05 pm

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5 from 1 vote

Bourbon Honey Pecan Pie

The flavors of honey and bourbon take pecan pie from delicious to out-of-this-world!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Southern

Keyword: Bourbon, Dessert, Fall, Holiday, Honey, Pecan Pie, Pie, Texas Honey, Thanksgiving

Servings:

Calories: 498kcal

Author: Holly

Equipment

Pie plate
Mixing bowl

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup salted butter melted
3 eggs beaten
4 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup pecans chopped
1 pie crust unbaked, see note
whipped cream optional, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place chopped pecans into the prepared pie crust.
In a medium mixing bowl, place sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, honey, melted butter, eggs, and bourbon. Stir well until all are combined well.
Pour honey bourbon mixture over pecans in pie plate.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. When pie is done, the pecans will become slightly browned on top. Note: cover the pie crust with foil when it begins to turn golden brown.

Notes

Note on pie crust: One of my biggest inner conflicts in cooking is Pie Crust. I am a foodie purist and I love making food from scratch. But pie crust has been a challenge for me. We have found a recipe that we love, and it is loaded with real butter and lard!

So, even though I continue to try to make real pie dough at least once a year, I have found the store-bought rolled out pie crust to be a pretty darn good substitute and certainly is much easier and less likely to mess up the pie. Plus it’s a lot faster, and you can make a yummy pie in less than twenty minutes!

The rolled out pie crust usually comes in a box of two in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, near the refrigerated biscuit dough in the pop-open cans.

Nutrition

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Egg Roll in a Bowl in the Instant Pot

April 30, 2020 by // by Holly Leave a Comment

We love having this taste of Asia for dinner. It’s a great meal for kids to help out on, because there’s plenty of chopping.

If you don’t have lots of helpful hands, a food processor is great for making quick work of the cabbage and carrots.

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Egg Roll in a Bowl

Asian flavors come to life in this yummy one dish meal. Using convenient shredded cole slaw mix makes it super fast and easy!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Pressure Cooking Time0

Total Time25

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Budget-friendly, Dairy-free, Gluten-free options, Keto, Low Carb, THM-S

Servings:

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Holly

Equipment

Electric Pressure Cooker
Food processor, optional

Ingredients

1 lb ground meat (chicken, turkey, pork, or beef)
2 lbs cabbage shredded (1 head)
1 cup carrots shredded or julienned
1 cup onion sliced in thin wedges (frenched)
8 cloves garlic fresh, minced
2 inches ginger fresh, minced
2 tbsp peanut oil
¼ cup soy sauce or coconut aminos
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 cup water

To Serve:

chili garlic sauce
soy sauce
toasted sesame oil
oyster sauce

Instructions

Turn Instant Pot on to [Sauté] function. Brown ground meat while breaking it into pieces.
Add peanut oil to stainless steel inner pot.
Add onion and sauté for one minute, then add garlic and ginger to pot and sauté for one more minute.
Next add shredded cabbage and carrots (or cole slaw mix) to the pot.
Give it all a quick stir to incorporate the flavors.
Drizzle soy sauce over the cabbage mixture.
Pour in water.
Check lid and make sure silicone seal is in place. Close lid of Instant Pot.
Set Steam Release Valve to [Sealing] position.
Press [Cancel] to turn off [Sauté] function.
Press [Pressure Cook] or [Manual] to select pressure cooking program.
Press [Pressure Level] or [Adjust] to switch pressure level to LOW pressure. If your machine only has one pressure level, that's ok, but I prefer cooking cabbage on low pressure, if possible.
Press [+] or [-] buttons to adjust pressure cooking time to 0 minutes. That's right, ZERO! (Don't worry, all your cooking with take place as the pot heats up, comes just to pressure, and then releases pressure.
Wait ten seconds for Instant Pot to beep and begin heating up. If your Instant Pot has a Start button, like the Ultra, go ahead and press [Start].
Because cabbage can be easily overcooked, you will want to Quick Release the pressure immediately after the timer shows 0 minutes and beeps indicating the pressure cooking time has ended.
Keep your face and hands away from the pot and turn the Steam Release Valve to [Venting]. Hot steam will begin pouring out. When the float valve drops, open your pot.
Drizzle toasted sesame oil over the egg-roll-in-a-bowl. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients. Taste test and add more soy sauce, if needed.

Notes

Keto Version

To make this a yummy Keto meal, just use Coconut Oil instead of Peanut Oil, and leave out the carrots. Done!

Meal Prep Shortcuts

Use a food processor to speed up the slicing of cabbage and onions, shredding of carrots, and mincing of ginger and garlic.

OR if you need quick and easy and don’t mind spending a little more and sacrificing just a touch on the texture of the finished cabbage, use pre-shredded Cole slaw mix.

You can also purchase ginger-garlic paste or separate pre-minced garlic and ginger. I prefer the taste of the fresh over these convenience items, but when time is short, it can be worth the sacrifice!

Finally, any ground meat (chicken, turkey, beef, pork) could be used here in place of cooked, diced chicken. Just brown it in the pot before proceeding with the rest of the sautéing.

Nutrition

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Abraham’s Spicy Bacon Deviled Eggs

April 2, 2020 by // by Holly 1 Comment

Last updated on April 3rd, 2021 at 03:43 pm

Bring these spicy and savory deviled eggs to your next party or gathering!

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5 from 1 vote

Abraham’s Spicy Bacon Deviled Eggs

Bacon and jalapeños kick deviled eggs up a few notches!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Budget-friendly, Comfort Food, Gluten-free, Keto, Low Carb

Servings:

Author: Holly

Ingredients

12 eggs, hard-cooked
1/3 cup mayonnaise use generous measure–rounded, not scraped flat
1 teaspoon prepared mustard any variety
1 teaspoon vinegar any variety
1 teaspoon jalapeño juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons bacon pieces finely chopped, divided use
1 1/2 tablespoons jarred jalapeños finely chopped, divided use

Instructions

Hard-cook the eggs. For Instant Pot instructions, click here.
Peel the hard-boiled eggs. Rinse each one, making sure they are free of peels. Lay on paper towel to dry.
Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Pop out yolks into a clean bowl. Mash yolks with a fork.
Place empty egg whites on a platter and set aside for filling momentarily.
Add mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper) to egg yolks. Mash and stir well with a fork.
Add one tablespoon finely chopped bacon and one tablespoon finely chopped jalapeños to mixture and incorporate well. Reserve one half tablespoon of both jalepeño and bacon for garnish.
Taste carefully for seasoning. Add a dash of salt or vinegar if needed.
Transfer mixture to a quart size zip-top bag and seal.
Snip off bottom corner of the plastic bag and pipe filling into the reserverd egg whites.
Garnish with remaining half tablespoon each of jalepeño and bacon.

Abraham’s Spicy Bacon Deviled EggsRead More

Browned Butter Chicken Noodle Soup in the Instant Pot

January 23, 2020 by // by Holly 2 Comments

Nourishing and delicious, Chicken Noodle Soup is so simple to make, I often can’t believe it. I usually ask my older children to chop up an onion, carrots, and a few stalks of celery.

One thing that makes this soup so easy is one of my favorite time-saving food prep steps! Every few weeks, I have my sweet hubby bring home 2 to 4 rotisserie chickens 🍗🍗🍗 from Sam’s or Costco.

The kids and I have a quick “chicken pickin’” session around the table when he gets home. We take all the meat off the bones, chop it up, put it in freezer bags and freeze the yummy chicken for quick meal prep in a soup like Chicken Noodle.

Quick tip: Don’t forget to label your bags with a permanent marker, because it’s really hard to tell what exactly that frozen hunk is several weeks later. 😉

We also freeze the bones from these chickens, and pull them out to make Homemade Bone Broth in the Instant Pot, which we make at least once per week. It’s ridiculously easy and delicious as a base for so many soups, such as hearty Italian Sausage Lentil Soup and zesty Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Check out our video here of exactly how we make broth in the Instant Pot.

My favorite noodles for this soup are the Egg Spaetzle noodles found in the German food section at Aldi. They are the most delicious and budget-friendly egg noodles I’ve found and they hold up well and don’t get mushy in this soup.

When you make this soup in the Instant Pot, you simply brown the butter—don’t skip this step— on the Sauté mode, add everything else, and let it start!

When it’s time to make the Chicken Noodle Soup on a stove top, all we have to do is lightly brown some butter, which gives the soup a deep caramel flavor.

Add the aromatic veggies and give them a little sauté. Then pour in the broth, noodles, and chicken and let it simmer until the noodles are cooked through. Don’t forget to taste test for salt.

It’s so nice to be able to walk away from the pot and go for a walk or play a game with the kids or even clean up the kitchen before dinner’s ready!

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5 from 3 votes

Browned Butter Chicken Noodle Soup in the Instant Pot

This delicious and nourishing soup is true comfort food for the body and soul. One of its beauties is how simple it is to make!

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Total Time35

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Budget-friendly, Comfort Food, Dairy-free, Dinner, Gluten-free, Gluten-free options, Kid-Friendly, Wellness

Servings:

Calories: 269kcal

Author: Holly

Cost: $8

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter Use olive oil or coconut oil for dairy-free. Ghee is also delicious.
1 1/2 cups onion diced (1 large onion)
1 1/2 cup celery diced (2-3 stalks and leaves)
1 1/2 cup carrots sliced (2-3 whole carrots)
2-3 cloves garlic minced OR 1 teaspoon garlic powder
8 oz. egg noodles Gluten-free noodles or pasta can be substituted. Rice can also be used instead of noodles.
4 cups chicken cooked and diced
8 cups 64 oz. or 2 qts. chicken bone broth https://thecookingfamily.com/bone-broth-instant-pot/
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Turn Instant Pot to [Sauté] mode. Add butter to pot, allow to melt, foam up, subside, and just begin to brown. Watch it carefully or it could burn. As soon as butter starts to turn a caramel brown, add onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté veggies for one minute, then add garlic and sauté for one more minute. (Seriously, set a timer or count.)
Pour in one cup of the broth and scrape off any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add egg noodles, then chicken, and pour broth over all. Submerge noodles into liquid.
Next, press [Cancel] to turn OFF Instant Pot from sautéing.
Check lid to make sure seal is seated well and all parts are in place.
Place lid on pot and turn until it locks in place. You can hear a beep when it is closed properly.
Turn Release Valve (black knob on top of machine) to [Sealing].
Set Program by pressing [Soup] (or [Pressure Cook] or [Manual]).
Set Pressure level to [High Pressure].
Adjust Time by pressing the [+] or [-] buttons to desired time.
NOTE: Your desired cooking time is based on your noodles. Check the instructions on the bag. Find the number of minutes. Choose the lowest number and cut that in half. Round down if this number is a half. For example, if your noodles say boil 7-9 minutes, cut the 7 in half (3.5 minutes) round down to 3 minutes. Set your pressure cooking time to just 3 minutes.
Start your pressure cooker.
For Newbies: If you have the DUO or the LUX, Pause for 10 seconds and the IP turns on automatically. To turn on the Ultra or the MAX, press Start. The Instant Pot will beep when it starts heating up. It should say ON in the display. The pot and soup are heating up and coming to pressure during this time. When it reaches pressure, the float valve (small silver or red circle on top) will sputter, and within a minute or two should pop up and stop sputtering. Next, the display should switch over to your cooking time and begin to count down. When it is finished cooking, it will beep.
Quick Release the Pressure:
With noodles and pasta, you should Quick Release to stop the cooking process so your noodles don’t get overcooked. Carefully, keeping your hand to the side and your face back, turn Release Valve (black knob) to Venting. Hot steam will immediately begin shooting out like a steam locomotive. Your dog will bark and your children will shout! When the float valve drops, your pot is no longer under pressure and it can be safely opened.
Noodles and Pasta are starchy foods, and sometimes starch can come spewing out of the Steam Release Valve. Should this happen to you, quickly and carefully close the valve. You can use your hand, a wooden spoon, or a towel. But be careful to reach around the side, not over the top of the valve where the liquid and steam are spewing from. Wait about 5 minutes and try again. You may end up having to release the steam in short, controlled spurts until the starch stops coming out.
Carefully taste for seasoning and add salt, if necessary.

Notes

NOTE: Your desired cooking time is based on your noodles. Check the instructions on the bag. Find the number of minutes. Choose the lowest number and cut that in half. Round down if this number is a half. For example, if your noodles say boil 7-9 minutes, cut the 7 in half (3.5 minutes) round down to 3 minutes. Set your pressure cooking time to just 3 minutes.

Nutrition

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Super-Simple Steel Cut Oats in the Instant Pot

August 10, 2019 by // by Holly Leave a Comment

Last updated on December 30th, 2021 at 10:16 pm

Ah, oatmeal; the staple hot breakfast for so many of us. Who can forget that old dude with white hair and a grim smile, a smile that says “you’re about to eat a blob of mush, and you’ll LIKE it, kid!” Even worse was the Instant Oatmeal in the microwave.

But then…I found out about Steel Cut Oats. I haven’t had a bite of the mushy stuff in ages.

Steel Cut Oats make a fantastic breakfast because oats are high in protein and fiber. They don’t spike your blood sugar like other starchy breakfasts can. I love the texture of steel cut oats over regular old-fashioned rolled oats because they are chewy, and the oats have form and structure and don’t feel mushy.

The only problem: They take forever to cook on the stovetop!

When my family first started eating steel cut oats, we would stand watch over the stove, stirring and stirring and stirring them for about 30 minutes, making sure the pot didn’t boil over and the oats didn’t stick to the bottom.

Enter the Instant Pot. GAME CHANGER!

We just throw them in, add water and oil, and press Start. Then we walk away and come back to perfectly cooked Steel Cut Oats in about 20-25 minutes. I love that we can be getting ready for our day while they are practically cooking themselves!

Also, I have discovered that steel cut oats re-heat perfectly! So that means you can have breakfast ready for the week or even cook and freeze the portions in baggies or jars to have a quick breakfast at hand anytime.

Here is how we make a batch of steel cut oats:

Pressure Cook for 10 minutes at High Pressure, then Natural Release for 5 to 10 minutes
Water Ratio: 1 part steel cut oats to 1 2/3 parts water. This is how you can adapt the size of your batch of oatmeal. Any container can be your measuring device. Just use the same one for both the oats and the water.
Add 1 teaspoon of oil per cup of oats to prevent foaming.

Ingredients for a huge batch:

1 tablespoon coconut oil, ghee, or butter
1 30oz. container of Steel Cut Oats. I buy these from Aldi for about $2.99. If you prefer to measure, this is about 5 cups of oats.
1 2/3 empty oatmeal canisters of water. I use the empty canister to measure the water, then pitch it—no extra measuring devices needed!
1/4 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for a smaller batch:

1 teaspoon coconut oil, ghee, or butter
1 cup of Steel Cut Oats
1 2/3 cups of water
1 pinch of salt

Instructions:

Turn Instant Pot ON by pressing [Sauté].
Add oil, ghee, or butter to Instant Pot and allow to melt on the bottom to help prevent sticking.
Pour in steel cut oats.
Measure water into pot.
Check the Instant Pot to make sure the sealing ring and other parts are in place and close the lid.
Turn steam release valve to [Sealing] position.
Turn Instant Pot OFF by pressing [Cancel/Keep Warm] Button.
Set cooking program. [Pressure Cook], [Manual], or [Porridge] will all work well.
Make sure your Instant Pot is on HIGH pressure by pressing the [Pressure] button until it cycles to HIGH pressure. The LUX model of Instant Pot only has High pressure, so you can skip this step.
Set pressure cooking time to 10 minutes by pressing the [+] or [-] button.
Pause for 10 seconds while you wait for the Instant Pot to start. Or Press [Start] if you have a model, such as Ultra or Max, that has a Start button.
Instant Pot will heat up, come up to pressure, and display countdown while pressure cooking for 10 minutes.
Allow pot to Natural Release for 5 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure from the pot.
Open the Instant Pot and add salt.
You will notice that there is a lot of liquid at the top, and the bottom of the pot has very thick oatmeal. This is normal. Stir the oatmeal well, scraping the bottom and mixing in the liquid from the top.
Serve oatmeal with any toppings you like. We enjoy getting creative by adding nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter, cocoa, bananas, blueberries, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, and milk or cream.

Notes:

If you like your oatmeal thinner, add more water before cooking.

IMPORTANT: Remember that the water doesn’t evaporate when pressure cooking as it does when you are cooking on the stovetop, so the recipe on the package of oats will call for lots more water than needed in the pressure cooker. Ignore the stove top instructions on the package.

Starchy foods like oatmeal tend to foam in the pressure cooker. Adding oil helps to keep foaming to a minimum. Don’t skip this ingredient.

Tip: The night before, place oats, water, and oil in Instant Pot and set timer to Delay cooking until 45 minutes to an hour before you want breakfast. Your oatmeal will be ready and waiting for you when you and your family wake up!

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Super Simple Steel Cut Oats in the Instant Pot

Hot and Hearty Steel Cut Oats made easy in the Instant Pot

Prep Time3

Pressure Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Budget-friendly, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Kid-Friendly, Make-Ahead Breakfast, THM-E

Servings:

Calories: 163kcal

Author: Holly

Cost: $0.60

Equipment

Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

1 teaspoon coconut oil, ghee, or butter Use your preferred oil or fat
1 cup steel cut oats
1 2/3 cups water
1 pinch salt

Instructions

Turn Instant Pot ON by pressing [Sauté].
Add oil, ghee, or butter to Instant Pot and allow to melt on the bottom to help prevent sticking.
Pour in steel cut oats.
Measure water into pot.
Check the Instant Pot to make sure the sealing ring and other parts are in place and close the lid.
Turn steam release valve to [Sealing] position.
Turn Instant Pot OFF by pressing [Cancel/Keep Warm] Button.
Set cooking program. [Pressure Cook], [Manual], or [Porridge] will all work well.
Make sure your Instant Pot is on HIGH pressure by pressing the [Pressure] button until it cycles to HIGH pressure. The LUX model of Instant Pot only has High pressure, so you can skip this step.
Set pressure cooking time to 10 minutes by pressing the [+] or [-] button.
Pause for 10 seconds while you wait for the Instant Pot to start. Or Press [Start] if you have a model, such as Ultra or Max, that has a Start button.
Instant Pot will heat up, come up to pressure, and display countdown while pressure cooking for 10 minutes.
Allow pot to Natural Release for 5 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure from the pot.
Open the Instant Pot and add salt. You will notice that there is a lot of liquid at the top, and the bottom of the pot has very thick oatmeal. This is normal. Stir the oatmeal well, scraping the bottom and mixing in the liquid from the top.
Serve oatmeal with any toppings you like. We enjoy getting creative by adding nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter, cocoa, bananas, blueberries, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, and milk or cream.

Notes

If you like your oatmeal thinner, add more water before cooking.

IMPORTANT: Remember that the water doesn’t evaporate when pressure cooking as it does when you are cooking on the stovetop, so the recipe on the package of oats will call for lots more water than needed in the pressure cooker. Ignore the stove top instructions on the package.

Starchy foods like oatmeal tend to foam in the pressure cooker. Adding oil helps to keep foaming to a minimum, so don’t skip this ingredient.

Tip: The night before, place oats, water, and oil in Instant Pot and set timer to Delay cooking until 45 minutes to an hour before you want breakfast. Your oatmeal will be ready and waiting for you when you and your family wake up!

Nutrition

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Hoppin’ John (New Year’s Black-eyed Peas with Bacon)

January 2, 2019 by // by Holly Leave a Comment

Last updated on January 1st, 2022 at 03:17 pm

These southern black-eyed peas are so yummy—warm and hearty for New Year’s or delicious any day of the year!

Ingredients

1 lb. bacon, diced
1 cup onion, diced (about 1 medium onion)
6 cups (4 15 oz. cans) cooked black-eyed peas, not drained (1 pound of dried black-eyed peas, cooking instructions follow)
10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Ro-tel tomatoes)
1/2 t. Garlic powder
1/2 t. Onion powder
1/4 t. Salt
1/4 t. Pepper
4 cups cooked rice

Instructions

In a large skillet, sauté bacon pieces until browned.
Turn off heat. Remove from pan to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
Pour off all but 2-3 tablespoons bacon grease into a heat-proof glass container (pyrex or canning jar).
Return skillet to heat. Add onion and sauté until onion is clear.
Pour in black-eyed peas with their liquid, tomatoes, and seasonings. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Add cooked rice. Stir well. Heat through.
Taste and correct seasoning. Add a little water if it gets too thick.

Black-Eyed Peas in the Instant Pot

To cook one pound (16 ounces) dried black-eyed peas in the Instant Pot, sort and rinse dried peas. Place them in the insert. Cover with water level 2 inches above peas. Add a few tablespoons of diced onion, bay leaf, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a teaspoon of salt. Cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes and allow to natural release. Proceed with recipe.

If you have time to soak the peas, sort and rinse them. Cover with water by about an inch. Even if you only have 20 to 30 minutes to let these soak, they will turn out better and cook more evenly in the end. After soaking, add a few tablespoons of diced onion, a bay leaf or two, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a teaspoon of salt. Then cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes and allow to natural release. The cook time goes down the longer you can soak. If these were soaked fully, you could decrease the cook time to 15 minutes at High pressure.

Little Ones (2-5)

Can help carry cans from the pantry to the kitchen counter.
Can help sort black-eyed peas, if you cook from dried beans.

Medium Kiddos (6-10)

Can open cans with a can opener.
Can measure spices with adult help.
Can help put on a pot of rice.

Older Children and Teens (11-15)

Dice onion.
Dice bacon.
Sauté bacon and onion.
Follow recipe and put entire dish together.
*Note: An adult should help remove excess bacon grease, as hot grease can be very dangerous.

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Hoppin’ John

These southern black-eyed peas are a fabulous dish—warm and hearty for New Year’s or delicious any day of the year!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Beans & Rice, Southern

Keyword: Budget-friendly, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Kid-Approved, Kid-Friendly

Servings:

Calories: 665254kcal

Author: Holly

Ingredients

1 lb. bacon diced
1 cup onion diced (about 1 medium onion)
6 cups cooked black-eyed peas, not drained about 4 (15oz.) cans or 1 lb. cooked dried black-eyed peas
10 oz. diced tomatoes with green chilies Ro-tel tomatoes
1/2 t. Garlic powder
1/2 t. Onion powder
1/4 t. Salt
1/4 t. Pepper
4 cups cooked rice

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a large skillet, sauté bacon pieces until browned. Turn off heat. Remove bacon from pan to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
Pour off all but 2-3 tablespoons bacon grease into a heat-proof glass container (pyrex or canning jar).
Return skillet to heat. Add onion and sauté until onion is clear.
Pour in black-eyed peas with their liquid, tomatoes, and seasonings. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Add cooked rice. Stir well. Heat through. Taste and correct seasoning. Add a little water if it gets too thick.

Notes

Nutrition

Hoppin’ John (New Year’s Black-eyed Peas with Bacon)Read More

New Year’s Cabbage (with Apples and Sausage)

January 2, 2019 by // by Holly 2 Comments

If you look at my photo library for all photos from January 1, a pic of this dish in a red dutch oven will appear every year. The photo for this post came from New Years 2012!

The recipe comes from my late grandma Vera, who had German ancestry. It’s super simple to prepare, and tastes like a New Year to me!

Tools Used

Wüsthof 7” Santoku Knife
Cutting Board
Enamel-Coated Cast-Iron Dutch Oven
My Favorite Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 large onion, diced
1/4 tsp. Salt
1-2 apples, diced
1 head of cabbage, diced into 1 inch pieces
1 lb. Smoked Sausage of your preference

Instructions

Place butter in large dutch oven over medium high heat.
When butter stops foaming, add onion and salt.
After about 2 minutes, add diced apples and sauté together until onion is clear, about 2 more minutes.
Add diced cabbage and 1/2 cup water. Stir, cover and let steam for 5 minutes.
Stir occasionally as cabbage steams for about 10 more minutes.
Add smoked sausage and let sauté with the cabbage until sausage is heated through and cabbage is done to your liking, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

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New Year's Cabbage (with Apples and Sausage)

This is a family recipe from Germany that many generations have enjoyed. It is super simple, nutritious and delicious. My son calls it "Glorious Cabbage!"

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: German

Keyword: Budget-friendly, Dinner, Gluten-free, Paleo, THM-S, Whole 30

Servings:

Calories: 427kcal

Author: Holly

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter 1 stick or 4 oz.
1 cup onion diced
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 apples diced
1 head of cabbage diced into 1 inch pieces
1 lb. smoked sausage of your preference diced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place butter in large dutch oven over medium high heat. When butter stops foaming, add onion and salt.
After about 2 minutes, add diced apples and sauté together until onion is clear, about 2 more minutes.
Add diced cabbage and 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp. more salt. Stir, cover and let steam for 5 minutes.
Stir occasionally as cabbage steams for about 10 more minutes.
Add smoked sausage and let sauté with the cabbage until sausage is heated through and cabbage is done to your liking, about 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and add salt, if needed. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Instructions

Turn Instant Pot [Sauté] function [On].
Place butter in stainless steel insert and melt.
Add diced onion and a small amount (1/4 tsp.) of the salt. Lightly sauté onion for about 2 minutes.
Add diced apple, diced cabbage, and diced smoked sausage.
Add one cup of water.
Place lid on Instant Pot.
Make sure release valve is set to [Sealing].
Set cooking program to [Pressure Cook] or [Manual].
If your Instant Pot has High and Low Pressure options, press [Pressure Level] or [Pressure] button to change to LOW pressure. If not, High pressure will do fine, but your cabbage will be just a little more cooked.
Set the pressure cooking time to 0 (zero) minutes by pressing the [+] or [-] buttons. Some pressure cookers allow a minimum time of 1 minute, so if that is the case, set for one minute only.
Wait 10 seconds for Instant Pot to start or press [Start] if your machine has a Start button.
Instant Pot will heat up, come to pressure and then beep immediately once the 0 comes up on the screen. Immediately Quick Release the pressure. Stir well and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if desired. Serve and enjoy! Goes great with mashed potatoes!

Notes

Red Cabbage and Green Cabbage both work perfectly in this recipe. Same goes for any type of onion and any type of apple.

I prefer this on the good ol' fashioned stovetop, but Instant Pot does fine if you need to use it for some reason. It's easy to overcook cabbage, so try to minimize cooking time by pressure cooking for zero minutes (or 1 minute) on LOW pressure, and immediately Quick Releasing the pressure.

Nutrition

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Instant Pot Minestrone…Instastrone?

January 23, 2018 by // by Holly 3 Comments

Last updated on January 23rd, 2019 at 08:20 am

If Instastrone isn’t a real word, it will be after you try this amazing dish! Minestrone is a wonderful Italian vegetable soup, thick and hearty. In restaurants it’s often served with pasta, but it’s not a necessity. We prefer ours with only yummy veggies!

This recipe requires a bit of chopping, but then you just throw the ingredients in and wait for some delicious soup! But you’ll only have to wait for 4 minutes of cook time! That’s why it’s Instastrone!

And it really is very delicious!

Ingredients

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Instant Pot Texas Chili

January 17, 2018 by // by Holly 12 Comments

Last updated on January 1st, 2019 at 11:18 pm

This is the second best chili recipe I’ve ever made.

The best pot of chili I’ve ever made was 20 years ago. Read to the end if you want to see a really sweet story about that special pot of chili.

Note: There’s lots of debate about different types of chili. The conventional wisdom is that Texas Chili has no beans. But we really like the beans in ours. And we’re from Texas. So it’s still Texas Chili.

On a more practical note, adding beans makes it about $3 cheaper per batch (depending on ground beef prices in your area.) That amount adds up over a few meals. …

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The Cooking Family Kids Gift Guide 2019

December 20, 2017 by // by Holly Leave a Comment

Last updated on December 19th, 2019 at 08:26 am

The holidays are a perfect time to spend time with your kids in the kitchen. And Christmas is the perfect time to use gifts to equip them to join you there all year long!

Use this guide to help you pick some great (non-electronic) gifts for your kids. I don’t know about you, but we definitely don’t need any more things in our house that bleep, blurb, or glow!

I’ve included some of my own favorites for mom, so you may want to forward it to your significant other if you want to hint at some gifts for yourself. 😉

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Creamy Ginger Butternut Squash Soup in the Instant Pot

November 19, 2017 by // by Holly 6 Comments

Last updated on October 1st, 2020 at 01:49 pm

This is such a yummy comfort food, perfect for the fall season. The combination of apples and squash, ginger and cream, makes a delicious blend of sweet and tart, warm spice and cool cream. You just have to try it!

Now, there are lots of ways to prepare your ingredients, but for me, when I see a recipe call for sliced, peeled butternut squash, it literally makes me cringe. That chore is one of my kitchen nightmares! Cutting up a butternut squash is hard!

So I don’t do it. Let me show you an easier way to “skin that cat” with an Instant Pot!

This is an involved recipe, so it’s lots of fun if the family joins in. Children can do lots of things to help in this recipe! …

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Homemade Chicken Bone Broth in the Instant Pot

November 6, 2017 by // by Holly 2 Comments

Last updated on July 28th, 2019 at 09:50 pm

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Under Pressure: 120 Minutes

Quick Release or Natural Pressure Release, your call!

If you’ve got 5 minutes, old chicken bones, leftover veggies, and an Instant Pot, you can have homemade bone broth all the time! Sometimes called Chicken Stock, this commonly used ingredient is the basis for so many recipes! We use it for soups, casseroles, sauces, and gravies. We even sometimes use it for making rice and pasta, instead of water. Here are a few of our recipes that use this delicious broth as a base ingredient:

One Pot Pasta

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Italian Sausage Lentil Soup

Jambalaya

Creamy Ginger Butternut Squash Soup in the Instant Pot

Using store-bought chicken broth is easy, but it isn’t necessarily cheap, and the truth is, you don’t actually know what’s in that can or box or jar.

When I went gluten free and was forced to begin reading every label, I was shocked at the ingredient lists right in front of my face that I had been ignoring! Ingredients such as:

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Instant Pot Ham ‘n’ Beans

October 13, 2017 by // by Holly 35 Comments

Last updated on April 9th, 2020 at 10:10 am

The only thing I love more than the taste of this recipe is how simple it is to throw together. It’s so easy, it feels like cheating to even call this a “recipe.”

Here’s all you need for this super easy recipe:

Tools Used

Ingredients

a spiral-sliced ham or leftover ham bone
a bag of dried beans. A two-pound bag of Great Northern beans is what I used to make this in an 8qt., but any kind of beans would be great cooked this way–pintos, navy, black beans–use whatever you have and whatever you like.
An onion

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Instant Pot Italian Sausage Lentil Soup

October 3, 2017 by // by Holly 4 Comments

Last updated on November 4th, 2022 at 04:49 pm

Several years ago, we were at Carrabba’s and I had their Sausage Lentil Soup. It was so good! I’ve spent the last few years trying to re-create it, and I think we’ve finally got it really close! I love working up recipes because I get to eat the results. 😉

This is a hearty and nutritious dinner for the whole family. Lentils provide lots of protein, fiber, iron, and B vitamins! And it’s delicious! Everyone in our family gobbles up the first bowl and wants seconds, including the toddler! In the Old Testament of the Bible, Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of Lentil stew—so you know it must be good!

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Instant Pot Jambalaya

July 6, 2017 by // by Holly 2 Comments

Last updated on May 7th, 2020 at 09:11 am

My husband’s family has a long and rich heritage in south Louisiana, so cajun dishes are frequently enjoyed at family gatherings. Now, authentic cajun fare is usually a bit too spicy for my younger kids, so I adapted this recipe to give us all the yummy ingredients without the kick.

Traditional Jambalaya is typically cooked with rice combined with all the ingredients. I like to cook my rice separately for a couple of reasons:

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Tom’s Super Potato Salad

July 3, 2017 by // by Holly Leave a Comment

Last updated on September 4th, 2020 at 09:03 pm

This is a special family recipe to me. That’s because it comes from a special man.

Tom.

Tom is my dad, and I think he’s just about the best guy ever. I got my kitchen improvisational spirit from him, and this recipe is a perfect example. He spent years analyzing and tweaking the proportions to arrive at this delicious recipe. We’ve made it for years, arriving at parties and BBQ’s with a giant bowl and leaving with it licked clean. We hope you like it as much as we (and our friends) do.

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One-Pot Pasta in the Instant Pot

May 2, 2017 by // by Holly 9 Comments

Last updated on January 23rd, 2019 at 09:32 am

This is a family favorite that has lots of options for different dietary needs. It’s fast, delicious, and it’s so easy, the kids can make it!

You have two options with this dish:

Easy
Extra-super-duper-come-on-this-is-way-too-simple-give-me-a-break easy

Which version you make depends on what ingredients and time you have on hand. If you choose the super easy version, you only need three things (well, four if you count water.) If you have a little extra time (like, literally 3 minutes) you can make your own sauce, and I’ve included my go-to recipe. It’s super-quick and tasty. And if you want to really jazz it up, there are all sorts of things you could add-in to take this up another notch!

We cooked this live on our Facebook page, so you can watch this video to see us prepare it from start to finish in about 20 minutes, and see which jobs kids of all ages can help with.

Kitchen Tools used:

6 quart Instant Pot
OXO Wooden Spatula
Cut Glove
Knife
Chopper

3 Easy Ingredients:

Italian sausage or any other ground meat
Spaghetti Sauce (jarred or follow recipe below)
Pasta (16 oz.), any type

Spaghetti Sauce:

Let’s talk about this. That jar of spaghetti sauce in your pantry is really convenient. Just dump it in and move on. There are definitely times when I need that simplicity. And personally, even if I have a jar of sauce I want to use, I’ll add …

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Instant Pot 6-Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup

March 20, 2017 by // by Holly 6 Comments

Last updated on July 31st, 2019 at 11:07 am

This is a family favorite that turns out delicious every time! We use our favorite kitchen tool, the Instant Pot, to make a tasty Chicken Tortilla Soup. The Instant Pot really does give second-day soup flavor in only a few minutes! One of the things I love about this recipe is that there is something for each of my children to do to help prepare it. Watch the video to see how everyone pitches in. The recipe and instructions we used are down below.

Tools we used:

6 Qt Instant Pot

Cut Glove I make sure the kids are always wearing one of these when using the knife. …

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What’s So Great About the Instant Pot?

March 16, 2017 by // by Holly 8 Comments

Last updated on September 21st, 2018 at 05:53 pm

For years, I was a slow-cooker fan. I remember the day when I got my big All-Clad model with the insert that you could put right on the stove to brown meat. I coveted and longed for that tool for months before buying it on sale.

And I still like to pull it out every now and then, if for no other reason than to justify keeping it, because it is beautiful. But ever since I got my Instant Pot, the poor slow-cooker has been more of no-cooker.

Here at The Cooking Family, one of our foundational principles is that you only need a small set of the right tools to enjoy great meals together. You don’t always need the “next big thing,” and you especially don’t need uni-taskers.

But even though the Instant Pot is the current “latest gadget,” it is one I would say is a must-have tool. Seriously. If you told me I could only keep 2 things in my kitchen, I’d keep my Wüsthof knife and my Instant Pot. As a mom of 7, I oversee 189 meals per week! But the Instant Pot ensures I don’t spend all day in the kitchen (unless I want to 😉.)

Even though it seems everyone is talking about the Instant Pot, I know many people don’t understand the hype. And I get it. I didn’t understand at first. At least once a week, someone will ask me, “What’s so great about the Instant Pot? I’m afraid I’ll blow my kitchen up!”

You won’t. Today’s electric pressure cookers are so much different than the tank-like pots that graced our grandmothers’ stoves. I’ve compiled a list of things I love about mine. This list is certain to grow, and I’ll update it as I discover new things. There are many features I haven’t even explored yet. (Like ribs or lasagna!) (Updated 7/11/18)

Here’s why you need an Instant Pot

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Is this the one thing keeping dinner off the table?

March 12, 2017 by // by Holly Leave a Comment

Last updated on September 21st, 2018 at 05:55 pm

We live in the golden age of cooking. If your Facebook feed is anything like mine, you see it filled with dozens of short recipe videos every day. And like me, you’ve possibly saved a bunch of them, planning to get back to it someday. Then there’s Pinterest, an endless supply of food and recipe ideas. Yet even with all of these resources available, I still struggled to get dinner on the table every night.

The 4:30 Panic

Inevitably, the afternoon would roll on, and next thing I knew, it was almost dinner time. Not only had I not started dinner, I had no idea what I would make. Not to fear, right? I could just go check my trusty saved links and whip something together. Raise your hand if that’s ever worked for you.

It never worked for me.

The truth is:
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Kids in the Kitchen

Bourbon Honey Pecan Pie

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

Egg Roll in a Bowl

Equipment

Ingredients

To Serve:

Instructions

Notes

Keto Version

Meal Prep Shortcuts

Nutrition

Abraham’s Spicy Bacon Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

Instructions

Browned Butter Chicken Noodle Soup in the Instant Pot

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

Ingredients for a huge batch:

Ingredients for a smaller batch:

Instructions:

Notes:

Super Simple Steel Cut Oats in the Instant Pot

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

Ingredients

Instructions

Black-Eyed Peas in the Instant Pot