Let’s chat the INSTANT POT. Do you have one? Do you use yours? Do you have one and do you not use yours because it’s a little freaky to think of something cooking inside of a pot that’s building a crazy amount of pressure, because what if the pressure gets too intense and the lid blows off and the food explodes all over your kitchen? Yeah. Freaky. My sweet mother-in-law gifted us our IP for Christmas in 2017, and I had to read more than a few blog posts about how to use mine because I was stoked to have one and, yes, also freaked out at the above, explosive thought. Honestly, though, it’s a simple, easy-going appliance that has stolen my heart. I love the Instant Pot. I use mine at least 1-2x/week to make dinner (sometimes even three times), and I use it at least 2x/week to make breakfast. Yes! You read that right. Breakfast in a pressure cooker! I consistently make Instant Pot oats. I actually love my “oatmeal days,” because it means I can start the oats in the pot while I entirely leave my kitchen to do something else, knowing that breakfast is cooking itself. Do you believe in magic? Because that, my friends, is magic.
Here’s the low-down on how to make Instant Pot oats!
THE RECIPE. But it’s just oats and water, so it’s more like “The Ratio.” 🙂
For regular rolled oats, the ratio is 1:2 — 1 cup oats to 2 cups water.
For steel cut oats, the ratio is 1:3 — 1 cup oats to 3 cups water.
To feed our family of six, two adults and four kids, our perfect ratio is 1.5 cups steel cut oats to 4.5 cups water. I’m not left with any leftovers using that ratio, which is a very lovely thing (I think leftover oats are a little gross).
THE PROCESS
– add oats to the pot
– add water
– lock the lid
– move the pressure valve on the lid AWAY from you
– hit the “pressure cook” button
– add 3 minutes to the timer
The IP will beep a few times and the display will say “ON” at this point, which means it’s going to start building internal pressure. Once it has reached max pressure, you’ll hear another beep and the display will read “3:00” since we set a 3 minute timer. The timer will count DOWN at this point, and when the 3 minute timer is done, the display will read “0:00.” This is where you can do one of two things when cooking with the IP, depending on your recipe: immediately release the pressure by pulling the pressure valve toward you (steam will shoot from the IP lid like a volcano. Your kids will freak the first time they see it. You probably will, too 😉 ), or leave the pot be and the let the steam slowly, naturally release. Naturally releasing pressure for 15-20 minutes from the pot is protocol for making IP oats, so when the 3:00 timer we set hits “0:00,” leave the pot be as the display starts to count UP until it reads at least “15:00,” which means the food has been sitting in the pot for 15 minutes. I’ve left my oats in there for as long as 30 minutes and they were just fine; just be sure to leave them in for at least 15.
Okay so I have to say real quick here — this is where the word “Instant” in “Instant Pot” is a little sneaky. It does not instantly cook food. Think about the oats, for example. It takes about 5 minutes for pressure to build in the pot first, then we wait through the 3 minute timer, and then we let the oats sit for 15 minutes. That’s 23 minutes. I read a tutorial on how to use the IP when I first got it that said this little machine should really be called “The Hands Off Pot,” because that’s truly what it is — a tool that allows you to be hands-free from cooking while it does the job. And I looove it for that reason. But just be aware that some IP recipes need to be started an hour in advance, because it will take the pot a long time to build pressure and then work through the cooking timer.
That said! Here are a few pics of the IP-oatmeal-cooking process for ya…
Oats + water
Locked lid with the “Pressure Cook” button on, and the display reading “On” (the pressure is starting to build)!
Voila, cooked oats!
YUM. Instant Pots oats have the best texture. They are fluffy. They are delicious.
Just ask this little sugar-pie-honey-bun that happened to bounce down the stairs while I was taking these pics (back in our SD days! I’ve been sitting on this post for a while, haha)! Sis plopped herself down with her book to “read” while having her warm oatmeal and gave her mama a smile.
SWEET thing. 🙂 I’m remembering now that she had just cut her hair here. See those cute little bangs front-and-center there?? We’ve almost recovered from that chop!
If you try making the oatmeal and you’re ready to move past to a breakfast dish, here’s a list of tried-and-true, IP dinner recipes that we really love:
Healthy Lentil Soup — we looove lentils
Homemade Mac n’ Cheese — my kids love this
Teriyaki Chicken Bowls — so easy and yummy
Easy Minestrone Soup — a fave during the winter
Chili-Lime Salmon Filets — gimme all the salmon
Tasty White Chili — my most frequent IP meal! It’s just so easy and soooo yummy
And for all of the Instant Pot recipes that I’ve tried, see my IP Pinterest board here. I add to it frequently, so follow along there if you want to keep track of what I’m cooking, hands-free!
Okay my scared-of-the-Instant-Pot friends, are you feeling any better now?? Tell me you’re going to dust that puppy off the shelf and use it! 😉 Really, though, start with making the oats and get a feel for it, let your mind be happily blown at the “hands off” cooking world, and go from there. Promise it’s a good adventure!
HAPPY COOKING!
xoxox
