Beef and Cheddar's

 Growing up, we used to go to Arby's often. I LOVED their Beef 'N Cheddar sandwich so much. I hadn't had one in YEARS but came across this recipe idea on Pinterest and thought it would be a fun one to try. I will admit, it doesn't taste like an authentic Arby's sandwich BUT it was REALLY good. All the family raved about it, so I call it a win. I wasn't able to find the 'onion buns' so we just used hamburger buns but I think the onion buns would be absolutely delicious so next time I whip this recipe out I am going to dig for some.

Ingredients

Beef:

2 pounds boneless beef top round roast, thinly sliced (I have found a shaved

steak at my local Smiths and it has quickly become one of my favorite finds!

That is what we use in this recipe and it’s so yummy!!)

1⁄2 cup beef broth

1⁄2 tsp garlic powder

1⁄2 tsp salt

1⁄2 tsp pepper

8 onion hamburger buns, buttered and toasted

Cheese sauce:

1⁄4 cup butter

1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 Tbsp hot sauce (we omit this)

1⁄2 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)

3 cups grated cheddar cheese

Directions

In an instant pot, combine the beef, broth, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Secure the lid and seal. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. When the cook time ends, let it naturally release for 10 minutes and then do a quick release. While the beef cooks, in a medium saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Sprinkle in the flour and cook until bubbling. Gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until the sauce is smooth and thick. Whisk in hot sauce and salt. Add the cheddar cheese one handful at a time (to keep it from clumping). Stir until melted and smooth and remove from heat. To serve, top each bun with meat and ladle cheese sauce on top.

Lasagna Soup

I LOVE lasagna but I don't always love MAKING lasagna. So when I get that craving I decide to make it in a soup instead. The cheese topping puts this soup OVER THE TOP! It is a fun twist on traditional lasagna and add some breadsticks and you are in heaven. 

Recipe found here

Ingredients

1 lb ground Italian sausage or beef (we use turkey)

1⁄2 cup finely chopped onion

1⁄2 cup diced carrots, about 2 medium carrots

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 cans (15 oz each) crushed tomatoes

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 dried bay leaf

1⁄2 tsp salt

Pinch of black pepper

6-8 cups chicken broth (see note)

8-12 oz bowtie noodles

Cheese topping:

1 cup ricotta cheese or blended cottage cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1⁄2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1⁄2 tsp dried basil

Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

Stir all ingredients for cheese topping together until well combined; refrigerate until ready to serve. Turn saute function on the Instant Pot and cook ground meat with onion, carrots and garlic until meat is cooked through. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir well, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get any cooked bits off. Add 6 cups of broth and the pasta and stir to combine. SCRAPE BOTTOM OF PAN WELL TO AVOID BURN SIGNAL! Secure the lid and cook on High, time depends on noodles you use. Take the al dente cooking time on pasta package, cut in half and subtract 2 more minutes and that will be your new cooking time. When cooking time is finished let it naturally release for 10-15 minutes to avoid liquid from splattering out. Quick release remaining pressure and give the soup a stir. Add more broth as needed to thin (I usually ad 1-2 cups extra). Serve soup in bowls with spoonfuls of cheese topping on top.

Chunky Potato Soup

 This is one of my all time favorite potato soups ever! It has so much flavor and is one of those comfort foods that just hit the spot. This is always a crowd favorite!

recipe found here

Ingredients

2 Tbsp butter

1⁄2 cup chopped onion

6 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

2, 14 oz cans chicken broth

1 tsp salt

1⁄2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp dried parsley

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp Water

3 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes and at room temp

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups half and half

1 cup frozen corn

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions

Turn Instant pot on saute and add butter. Once melted add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, salt, pepper and parsley to the onions. Put the steamer basket in the pressure cooker pot and add the diced potatoes to basket. Lock lid and set to seal. Cook on High pressure for 4 minutes. Let naturally release for 5 minutes and then quick release remaining pressure. Carefully remove steamer basket and set aside. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch and water. Turn saute function back on and add cornstarch mixture stirring constantly (it will thicken FAST!). Add cubed cream cheese and shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add remaining can of chicken broth, half and half, corn, crumbled bacon and cooked potatoes . Heat through, but do not boil. Serve!

Egg Roll Bowls

 Egg rolls is one of my favorite things to eat. For a long time I saw this idea floating around the internet and wasn't sure how it could be good. I decided to just give it a try and I couldn't believe how delicious this simple meal was. My kids even loved it! It was a fun new thing to eat and the wonton "chips" were a huge hit.

Recipe found here

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork (or other meat of choice, we use ground turkey)

1 bag, pre-shredded cold slaw mix

1⁄2 cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp ground ginger

1⁄2 tsp pepper

1⁄2 tsp salt

1 pkg egg roll wrappers, cut into strips

Olive oil

Turn instant pot to saute. Add ground meat. Add seasoning and soy sauce and brown meat until cooked through. Turn Instant Pot off and add broth. Then add the bag of coleslaw mix, DO NOT STIR. Place lid on and secure to sealed position. Cook on high pressure for 0 minutes (yes you really want it to say 0). Once it gets to pressure and beeps that its done do a quick release and give everything a stir. Spoon into bowls and enjoy with homemade egg roll “chips” (directions below)

Egg roll “chips”

Preheat oven to 400 degrees while Instant pot is preheating to Saute. Cut egg roll wrappers into strips and brush with oil. Bake in preheated oven for 4-5 minutes, until bubbly and brown. Watch CLOSE because it happens fast!

Let cool slightly before enjoying with your egg roll bowls!

Creamy Garlic Chicken

This is one amazing pasta dish! I really hate working with raw meat but this is worth all my anxiety to make because it is just THAT good!

Recipe found here

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breast, diced (raw)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
16 oz pasta (we love elbow macaroni or rotini for this one!)
3 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp butter
1 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
2 oz cream cheese
3 oz grated parmesan cheese
Fresh basil

Seasoning:
1 tsp salt
3 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1⁄4 tsp black pepper

Directions

Combine all seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Turn on instant pot and turn on the Saute function. Heat olive oil. Then add chicken and sprinkle seasoning on top. Stir and cook until mostly cooked through (it will finish cooking a little later). Turn off the saute function. Add a little broth to the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan (this is called deglazing... it keeps the BURN signal from going off). Then add remaining broth and pasta and give everything a good stir. Cover with the lid and seal. Cook on High pressure for 3 minutes. Do a quick release of pressure. Then stir in the butter, heave cream, cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Add more seasoning if needed. Sprinkle with fresh basil to serve.

Instant Pot Tomato Soup

We LOVE grilled cheese and tomato soup at our house. We used to eat this meal once a week (every Thursday, it was a tradition we started when we were first married) but then I got into a new thing and we stopped eating it so regularly. Then we found this new recipe from my favorite girl, Mel, and we haven't been disappointed with it. 

If you love a good grilled cheese and tomato soup then give this recipe a try next time! You won't be disappointed.

Originally found here

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup diced carrots

1⁄2 cup diced onions

3 cans (15 oz each) diced or whole tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth

1 1⁄2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1⁄2 tsp baking soda

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

1⁄4 cup flour

Directions

In the instant pot heat the olive oil with the Saute function. Add the carrots and onions and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, basil, sugar, salt, oregano, and baking soda. Give the soup a good stir making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure. Carefully use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Whisk the milk, cream and flour together until very smooth. Add to the soup and whisk constantly. Turn the Saute function back on and stir constantly to thicken. Season with additional salt and pepper (very important, you don’t want bland soup I promise!)

Meatballs and Gravy

 This is one of my kids FAVORITE dinners. They love to eat it over mashed potatoes but it would be super yummy with rice or noodles too. This is a super flavorful meal and easy to throw together (my favorite combinations!)

I found the recipe here

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sliced sweet onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
15-20 frozen meatballs (1 oz sized)
18 oz jarred beef gravy
Cooked rice, noodles, mashed potatoes to serve with 

Directions

Set Instant Pot to saute and add butter. Once melted, add onions. Cook until just starting to soften, stirring often. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Pour beef broth into bot to deglaze (basically scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid the Burn signal). Stir in salt and pepper. Turn off the saute function. Add meatballs to the pot. Pour entire jar of gravy over top. Cover and seal pot. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Do a quick release and stir before serving.