20+ Ridiculously Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Busy School Nights

20+ Ridiculously Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Busy School Nights - Mama Cheaps® (2024)

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Raise your hand if you have ever fallen victim to the drive-thru window or some other form of take-out food on a busy school night. C’mon, raise those hands! I won’t judge you. I have most definitely done the same thing. Because it can be so hard to juggle all of the kids’ activities AND get a home-cooked meal on the table for dinner. (Some of us don’t even get the chance to sit down as a family to eat dinner at least one night during the week because we are en route from one activity to another over the dinner hour.)

Easy Instant Pot Recipes

A couple of years ago, I finally gave in to Pinterest pressure (haha is that really a real thing?) and bought myself an Instant Pot. I figured I would use it here and there to speed up meals when I had forgotten to defrost meat in time for dinner. I can tell you with confidence that my Instant Pot has quickly risen to the rank of Kitchen All-Star and gets used at least 2 times a week, bare minimum. We have taken our IP camping and I use it for weekly lunch prep. It’s a really convenient time saving tool (pressure cooker) and cooks up savory meals in a fraction of the time that my slow cooker is capable of. Between the Instant Pot and our air fryer, I am finding it so much easier to get delicious dinner on the table, even when our nights are super busy.

Besides cooking meals, you can even use this multi-function cooker for things like cooking hardboiled eggs and making yogurt!

Did you just get an Instant Pot? Here’s a great starter post:You Just Got An Instant Pot. Now What? Tips for Using Your New Instant Pot.

Did you know you canaccessorize your Instant Pot?

In addition to the dinner ideas you will find below, I now have several other Instant Pot recipe roundups on the blog. Check them out:

37 Easy Easter Instant Pot Recipes (Entrees, Apps, Sides, Dessert Ideas)
Easiest Way to Make Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot
20 of the Best Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes
21 Must-Try Weight Watchers Instant Pot Recipes
21 Delicious Paleo Instant Pot Recipes
45 of the Greatest Game Day and Tailgating Instant Pot Recipes
21 Decadent Desserts You Can Make in Your Instant Pot
21 Easy Instant Pot Recipes to Make in Your RV
Easy Pressure Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
13 Perfectly PUMPKIN Instant Pot Recipes
12 Totally APPLE Instant Pot Recipes
20 Savory Instant Pot Sides for Your Next BBQ
How to Cook Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot
Easy Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Perfect Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
Easy Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Legs
Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

I scoured the interwebs for some really super easy Instant Pot recipes using common ingredients so that you can join me in trying to cut out some of the fast food dinner purchases this year!

Instant Pot Dinner Recipes

1. Instant Pot Pot Roast

2. Instant Pot Buttery Lemon Chicken from Mama Instincts

3. Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes from You Wash I’ll Dry

4. Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas

5. Easy Pulled Pork Instant Pot Recipe from Slick Housewives

6. Instant Pot Buttery Ranch Pork Chops from Eating on a Dime

7. Beef and Broccoli Pressure Cooker Recipe from I Save A to Z

8. Instant Pot Spaghetti

FAQs

Is Instant Pot worth it for students? ›

Yes, the Instant Pot is widely considered an effective and versatile pressure cooker. Many users find it worth the price due to its convenience, time-saving features, and ability to perform various cooking functions in one appliance.

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What should I cook if I'm bored? ›

Soups, stews, bolognese sauces, white sauces, beans and lentils are all good big batch foods that can be transformed into a variety of dishes.

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Why did Instapot go out of business? ›

“In particular, tightening of credit terms and higher interest rates impacted our liquidity levels and made our capital structure unsustainable,” Mr. Gadbois said. Instant Brands said in a statement on Wednesday that the new financing would allow the company to continue paying workers, vendors and suppliers.

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Are Instapots worth the money? ›

If you're looking to save counter space or don't want to spend a lot of money on separate appliances, then an Instant Pot could be worth the expense. However, if you're only going to use one or two functions of the Instant Pot, it's worth considering if separate devices would be more cost-effective.

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How do you cook when you have no motivation? ›

Plan on simple meals that are tried and true so you don't have to think too much about cooking. Slow cookers are great as you can set and forget. Find out what's in season and look at really celebrating them in your cooking. Each season offers up a range of interesting and inspiring fresh ingredients.

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What is the easiest cuisine to learn? ›

Asian cuisine offers a fantastic array of easy-to-follow recipes that burst with flavors. From the stir-fries of China to the sushi rolls of Japan, Asian dishes are both healthy and delectable. Overview of Asian Cuisine's Basic Cooking Techniques: Asian cooking primarily involves stir-frying, steaming, and boiling.

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What is healthy for people who cant cook? ›

Start with a base of healthy grains, such as brown rice, quinoa or farro (you can buy these pre-cooked, or cook up a large batch and store in your fridge or freezer). Add in any of the following: assorted greens, chopped veggies, canned tuna or beans, pre-cooked chicken or hard-boiled eggs, nuts, seeds and/or fruit.

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Is an air fryer worth it for a student? ›

However, with a few essential pieces of kitchen kit, they'll be set up to make meals that are almost as quick but lots healthier. Air fryers have become a must-have gadget of recent times, and because they're so energy efficient and easy to use, they're an ideal piece of kit for any student kitchen.