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Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

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Last updated on April 3rd, 2021 at 12:14 pm

Potatoes don’t have to be boring. With just a few simple ingredients and an Instant Pot, you’ll have a mouth-watering side dish!

Better make a big batch, they’ll go fast!

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Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes become extraordinary with the addition of bacon and shredded cheddar cheese!
Prep Time10 minutes
Pressure Cooking Time12 minutes
Total Time22 minutes
Course: Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Comfort Food
Keyword: Budget-friendly, Dinner, Gluten-free
Servings: 8
Calories: 294kcal
Author: Holly

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • Potato Masher
  • Cheese Shredder
  • Measuring Cup

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds potatoes I prefer red potatoes, but any kind will work.
  • 1½ teaspoons Magic Flavor Dust https://thecookingfamily.com/magic-flavor-dust/
  • 1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon 1 pound of bacon, cooked yields about 1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon.
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 4 ounces equals about 1 cup of shredded cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1-2 green onions, finely chopped optional, but recommended

Instructions

Cook the Potatoes in the Instant Pot

  • Place potatoes in the Instant Pot insert.
  • Add 1 cup of water.
  • After checking the silicon ring, close lid.
  • Make sure the valve is set to [Sealing].
  • Select the [Pressure Cook] or [Manual] program.
  • Make sure pressure level is set to [High] pressure.
  • Adjust pressure cooking time to 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of the individual potatoes.

Make the Mashed Potatoes

  • Allow potatoes to Natural Release for 3-5 minutes.
  • Release any remaining pressure from the pot and open the lid facing away from you, avoiding hot steam reaching your face.
  • Sprinkle Magic Flavor Dust over the potatoes and mash with potato masher. No need to drain the cooking liquid, as it will all be absorbed by the potatoes.
  • Add bacon and stir while mashing more.
  • Add cheddar cheese and incorporate into potatoes.
  • Mix in sour cream.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning by adding additional salt and pepper, if needed.
  • Garnish with chopped green onions and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 545mg | Potassium: 770mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 336IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 1mg

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How Many Eggs Can You Make in the Instant Pot?

by 40 Comments

Last updated on November 25th, 2021 at 10:49 am

Who among us has never asked this timeless question?

You know, you’re getting ready to make another batch of Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs in your Instant Pot, and you look at your dozen eggs neatly arranged on the trivet at the bottom.

Then you notice ALL that extra space, just sitting there, going to waste.

And you ponder…”I wonder…exactly just how many eggs I can do at one time???”


So we decided to find an answer. You know, for posterity.

Here’s what we found out:

…

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Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

by 11 Comments

Last updated on July 28th, 2019 at 09:33 pm

What is the perfect recipe for hard boiled eggs in an Instant Pot? Many friends have become mortal enemies debating this issue, so we’re going to clear it up for you right now.

I’m going to give you…The Perfect…recipe for hard boiled eggs. Are you ready? Do you have something to write this down?

Here it is: …

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Instant Pot Minestrone…Instastrone?

by 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

by 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

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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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Which Instant Pot is Right For My Family? (Updated with Max)

by 44 Comments

Last updated on December 26th, 2018 at 12:56 pm

The Instant Pot is more than a “craze” now. Everywhere you turn, you see talk-show hosts and news anchors doing segments on this “new device” that’s “sweeping the nation!” And with good reason.

People are just now starting to hear about the benefits of pressure-cooking as a way to cook delicious and healthy meals without having to stand over a stove. You’ve probably heard from more than one friend about how much they love their “Instapot.”

But the truth is, the Instant Pot has been around a few years, and pressure cooking for ages. But this ain’t your grandma’s pressure cooker! The Instant Pot is a safe, easy cooking method, and the company is constantly refining and improving the technology and releasing new models.

But that’s creating confusion for new customers shopping for an Instant Pot, and probably why you’re here to read this article!

There are several sizes and lots of variations in features among the different models, and even non-pressure cooker products now. So the question I see most often right now is, “I have a family of ____, which Instant Pot should I get?”

The answer really comes down to two simple questions.
…

Which Instant Pot is Right For My Family? (Updated with Max)Read More

Creamy Ginger Butternut Squash Soup in the Instant Pot

by 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

by 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:
 
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

by 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

by 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

by 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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One-Pot Pasta in the Instant Pot

by 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!

One Pot Pasta in the Instant Pot

You have two options with this dish:

  1. Easy
  2. 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:

  1. Italian sausage or any other ground meat
  2. Spaghetti Sauce (jarred or follow recipe below)
  3. 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

by 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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